Got a little budding Ansel Adams in the family? Choose the camera that's right for them with our comprehensive round-up of digital cameras for kids.
There's a plethora of digital camera choices out there for adults — but what about the kids? We take a look at some of the top picks for little snappers.
Start Young image by Tinou Bao, Creative Commons 2.0
Some of the main things you should consider in a kid-friendly camera are its ease of use, feature set, affordability and flexibility, so that as your child's skill grows, the camera can grow with them. Sure, you could buy a cheap camera that looks like a toy (and takes photos that look like they come from a toy camera), but with something a bit more robust, it's something the whole family can use as well.
If price is a concern, the Canon PowerShot A470 retails for AU$149. The big, no-nonsense style is ideal for kids who are just getting their first taste for painting with light and will serve them well as their skills progress.
For beachside and poolside fun, or if the little ones are prone to dropping anything expensive, the Olympus Tough Smart 1050SW is shockproof to 1.5 metres, and waterproof as well.
For teaching the kids the finer points of aperture and exposure, allowing them to get more creative with their shots, the Canon PowerShot A590 IS couples image stabilisation with manual controls — ideal for little ones who love to jump around and take pictures at the same time.
For the style conscious tween, there's always the option of a brightly coloured camera. Lots of manufacturers produce compacts in an alarming palette — think garish hot pink and baby blue — so it pays to know the kids' favourite colours. The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T2 comes in black, lime green, aqua, hot pink and silver, with quirky styling and 4GB of internal memory.
For kids who love taking videos the Kodak EasyShare M1033 is a good all-rounder that captures high-definition movies, and is relatively inexpensive compared to other HD-capable point-and-shoots.
Another thing to consider when buying the kids a camera is the batteries. Recharging Lithium-ion batteries can be a pain because you'll have to wait a couple of hours for them to fully recharge (unless you buy extra battery units), whereas AA batteries are easy to find and replace so there is no time lost in between shots. Of the models listed here, the A470 and 590 IS run off AA.
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