When I was a child, I carried around my plastic play camera everywhere I went. I wanted to document everything. I had no idea that one day, I would take that passion and make it my career. If your child has recently started showing an interest in photography and you are thinking about buying them their first camera, there are a few things you need to consider. As a parent you probably know that a kid’s interests can change at any point. The good news is that you can still support their new hobby without breaking the bank.
Here are our top 7 tips for choosing a camera for your kid.
- Choose a camera that will enable your child to learn the basics quickly. Make sure that the controls and buttons are manageable and that the size of the camera is suited to the size of their hands. The menus should also be logical, easy to read and have intuitive icons that are easy to understand. Nikon makes a great starter camera called the Coolpix. It comes in a variety of experience levels and there’s even a water resistant variety.
- Children love to experiment and tend to learn faster when they can do so. An entry-level DSLR camera will allow them to adjust exposure settings such as ISO, shutter speed and aperture. Interchangeable lenses are also a great learning tool but definitely not essential as a beginner.
- When deciding on a camera for your child, take a look at the screen. It should be large, bright and have great color reproduction. It should also be easy to use both indoors and outdoors. There is nothing more frustrating than not being able to see your images clearly on the screen due to bright sunlight.
- Ensure that the sensor resolution is good enough and meets your specific print requirements. In most cases a 10-14 mega pixel camera is a sufficient for an entry level photographer.
- As a first time photographer, your child will want to keep practicing so it’s important that you are able to extend the camera’s memory using a SD/SDHC memory card.
- Next come the accessories. Your child will want to download their images from the camera onto a computer for editing so a USB cable will be an essential accessory.
If your budding photographer is serious about learning how to use the camera you purchase and you have exhausted your knowledge, hire a tutor! I offer great beginners courses for kids as young as 6. For more information you may email me at Marsha@mbayloriamgery.com or visit Here.
The opinions in this blog are of my own and have not been sponsored by any mentioned party.
