Tips for finding Kid-Friendly Digital Cameras

Thinking of what to give your child this Christmas? Forget the toy they’ll outgrow in a year, or even an Ipad that will only be used to play video games! The best gadget you can get for kids is a digital camera.

Digital cameras are now so affordable, that even a modestly-priced one has great features. Here are tips on finding the best kid-friendly digital cameras.

Why digital cameras are great for kids

Digital cameras will enhance your child’s creativity and develop his visual skills. The photos can also be used for school projects, scrapbooks, digital crafts, or even a family blog.

Plus, kids can practice on digital cameras and take thousands of shots without wasting any film rolls. You can just delete the bad shots or store them in a hard drive, selecting only the best photos to print or share.

Narrowing down your options

When choosing a digital camera for your children, you should consider a number of factors. What’s the age of the child who is going to use the camera? How much are you willing to pay for the camera? What features are you looking for?

Durability

Since we’re talking about children here, a camera that is very sturdy and tough is what you should be looking for. Expect the camera to be dropped, bumped and generally manhandled by children. A camera that is shockproof and built to be very durable are usually the most expensive cameras in the market.

But there is another option. You can buy a cheap camera and then buy various accessories designed to protect the camera from abuse. There are even camera cases that will help absorb the shock in case the camera is dropped.

If you do have the budget, there are many cameras in the market right now that is not only shockproof but waterproof as well. This kind of camera is perfect for kids.

Technical freedom

For older children who are really beginning to take photography more seriously then entry level DSLR cameras should be considered. A DSLR is a great camera to give children who have a growing interest in photography. They can learn the intricacies of operating a DSLR on their own, which definitely adds to the fun factor. If you think DSLR cameras are too expensive to give children then prosumer digital cameras are a great alternative. Prosumer level cameras possess the features of an instant digital camera and a DSLR.

Finally, a digital camera is useless if they really don’t know how to use it. Enroll your children in photography workshops so they’ll learn more about cameras, how to take care of it and most importantly how to take great photos.

Photo from blog.makezine.com