DPReview recommends: Best Cameras for Kids 2015

I'm 77 now, so I started a long time ago. My first real experience with a good camera was with my grandmother's TLR when I was around 12. A revelation compared to my box Brownie. After that I had to have a better camera. Fast forward to the 80's and my son was interested in photography at around age 12. I found a used Ricoh XR-1 with a 50 mm f/1.4 lens. He learned photography with that - a kids camera or a basic P&S wouldn't have been enough of a learning experience for him.

Jerry

When I was nine, I had a Nikon D5000. When I was ten, I started using aperture mode, then manual mode. Then I upgraded from an 18-55 to a 18-70. I'm 13 and still have that D5000, and it's still going strong. In fact, when I was ten I really didn't use the neck strap (you know.... like father like son) and I never dropped it once. Since then I got involved in audio like my dad, and now I have more amplifiers and speakers than camera stuff. I think I'll start using film again soon, because I have a Pentax ME Super and Ricoh XR-10 and lots of lenses for them that are just sitting on the shelf.

I also disagree with these choices but for a different reason - performance. We have the Nikon and my kids (even the 3yo) won't use it because of the frustrating shutter lag and poor ability to deal with high contrast, low light, etc. They all demand to use my camera because it's actually responsive and can give useable results in a wider range of conditions. I have always thought that the more novice the user, the better the camera they actually need. To get consistently good results out of a P&S in all conditions requires a great deal of skill, experience and patience! I'm thinking of getting them a second hand mirrorless or DSLR which they'd actually use! They don't seem to mind the weight.

I don't agree with many of the choices. Been there, no interest. Believe it or not, kids know IQ as well, if not better, than we do. Give them most of the above and they'll push the camera aside after the first few shots.

iPods have worked for our grandkids. Decent camera relatively speaking, video, a host of other functionality that will insure it's with them when they want to take a shot, easy cataloging and built like a tank compared to inexpensive cameras. We see way more interest in photography with the iPod's than when we bought them one of the choices above.

Been there, done that.

I learnt that whatever you buy for them will not be used unless it matches with what your children want to actually do with the photos and videos.

In other words, what happens after the photo is taken is as important as the camera used to take it. So think carefully about where and how the photos are going to be stored, accessed, and organized. If this end process is completely out of the scope of the child's experience, the camera is unlikely to hold their interest for very long.

agree - get them a used DSLR.

Mine can play with an old EOS 300D, and when they advance, an old 1D mk II. No camera named in this list can beat that (except underwater)

Just get kids cheap used DSLRs. Really.

I discovered this article a little too late to buy one of the devices presented in the article, however I keep under the elbow to the page for the next birthday. After having broken several smartphone, I would wait a little for the ipod. Thank you for your advice

I bought my kid a cheap microscope once...never gave anywhere decent results and he lost interest..... these kids toys are just total frustration and they will soon lose interest....a good used camera is what I would advise... they will be thrilled and not lose interest in a week because it isnt half as good as their cell phone

my old Canon T2i with 40mm prime just does the job very well and the kid loves having a camera that looks similar to what dad has :)

Articles like this make me gag. It's essentially saying "hey, your kid is dumb as a bag of rocks, so instead of getting your kid a camera s/he can learn shutter speed, aperture, iso relationships and change lenses, let's let them be cute and amuse us as they wallow in ignorance with their new toy..."

The best camera for kids to use are cameras like an old Pentax K1000 if they're the type of kid that wants to experiment and be surprised later after the film is developed, and old DSLR and a lens or two. Even an old used cheap view camera is an option.

This article demonstrates the same mentality that makes public schools so behind the times.. The take away here for me is that this article should demonstrate to parents that you have to take charge of your kid's life; as opposed to being directed by those who are clueless.

Any recommeded cameras for "wives"?

Discovered after purchasing a couple of decent Point-and-Shoot cameras for my kids, they just weren't enough for them to really learn on. Ended up getting my son (11 at the time) a good used Nikon D70 and 18-55 lens (total around $150) - have seen him grow and learn photography since! 2 years later and he is becoming a really good photographer. Just my $.02

What's the betting all these camera are available on the USA Amazon site and maybe not selling very well?

This article is a complete waste of time. The cameras seem to be randomly selected and as you see in the comments most of them are a bad choice.

For your older kids I rather recommend getting any good last generation camera off ebay. And for the younger (4-8 yrs) any cheap and colorful camera will do it.

Dad with bunch of kids:

ipod: great. Get an Otterbox Defender case. The 5g is a generation behind but may be better for kids as it has the lanyard attachment.(omitted din the 6th generation

Kidizoom: Owned it. Needs lots of light but of course the kids will want to use it indoors. Result: pictures look horrible kids lost interest quickly

Coolpix S33: We had the S30. bad IQ, needs lots of light, battery compartment leaked and the camera died.

Instax: $1 a picture that's not going to fly in this house.

Olympus TG-4: Really? There's like 7 current waterproof cameras with similar quality and you pick the most expensive? It may be drop proof but it's not loss proof. Panasonic TS5, TS25, Canon D20, Pentax WG-4 will hurt $100 less when the kid leaves it on the bus.

TSZ50: ? that's a real head scratcher. You basically could replace it with any point and shoot and it would be just as good/bad for kids. Pricey, chunky and has a horrible/breaky Pinocchio stick out lens.

When I turned 5 my dad started letting me draw animals on the cave wall with sharpened charcoal. Fond memories!

[[For kids that are on the go - or have the tendency to drop expensive pieces of electronics, the Olympus TG-4 is a good choice]]

It's not even just for kids who are "on the go" (which nearly all kids are) or ones that drop anything. Cameras like this allow them to explore a variety of environments without worry. Even simple stuff like "it's raining outside" or "we're going to the beach."

I've recommended the Olympus Tough series to a number of families since we purchased ours. It's wonderful to watch the children explore photography in their own way in a multitude of environmental conditions.

Is it concerned child abuse to deprive your child of dynamic range, or is it more of just a neglect situation?

It's downright irresponsible of DPReview to be recommending Vtech products after their massive security breach where they were gratuitously collecting kids' data.

I hope the rest of the products are better on that front.

The right camera for kids is any camera they will use...

If they show interest in a camera you are using, let them use it. Or, if you are unwilling to do that, find them one similar that is more appropriate. Toughness, resolution, RAW capability... all of that means nothing.

Obviously, if you real intention is for them to get bored so you can use the camera... then buy the one YOU like. ;)

You didn't mention that the TG-4 shoots RAW, ... A major leap in front of the P&S crowd.
I taught my 10 year old daughter to process simple raw images in PS.

She loves getting the WB correct and getting better results with exposure.

It's also taught her a lot more about what to look for and expect during exposure.

Merry Christmas to you all, .....

Oly Tough is the right camera for small kids: it is nearly indestructible.

I have my compact camera from two years ago boxed up for my nephew already.

As a father of young children, I disagree with the top one. Those kid toy cams are junk and the kids quickly realize it. The pictures are garbage and it is obvious that dad and mom don't want to use a camera like that. I think a camera like the Nikon S30 series shown is ideal. Tough enough, but it is still a real camera and the pictures are not instant disappointments.

As a budget alternative to the ipod, you could give the kid one of your old cell phones without service activated and in airplane mode.

Rather than spending $300-400 on compact as shown above, I'd just give them one of your older cameras or buy a clearance/refurb real camera. You can get an Olympus E-PL6 with kit zoom for under $300. There are loads of slightly older DSLR kits in that range. Just as a couple examples. If the kid wants more than an iphone/ipod, then get them a good camera they can learn on!

When my son was 9, I gave him a Panasonic G2, 'cos he wanted a camera that looked like is dad's DSLR.

He loved it and used it most in video mode :)

When he was 14, I gave him a GoPro......and he doesn't use the G2 much now.....

GoPro for vids and his iPhone for stills, it's all he uses.....

Come on. We all know that these things will probably end up gathering dust sadly..

I find that my kids like using a tablet / iPad to take pictures. Big picture. Instant results.

Peering through a viewfinder seems pointless to them when they don't have to.

What does that tell us about the future?

pentax dslr should be good :p bcuz its tough!

You can do wonders with a box and a sharpie.

surely, the obvious answer is 'the old one I no longer use' then I can justify getting myself a new one ;-)

I got the Nikon S33 for my kids (and me). We take it diving at the beach and it is virtually unbreakable. That said, the kids have tried repeatedly. The SD can come a little loose in its housing and all of a sudden your memory reading drops. They love the creative modes (adding make-up to people, inventive frames.

Bad points: If you zoom in on a preview you can't move around the frame. Image quality is poor (compared to my high-end SLR, so read into that what you want). It's the first compact I've had in about a decade so I don't have anything to compare it to.

Ipod touch in a waterproof case..So far so good. .

Good thread. In the past there have been MANY threads with the question along the lines of "which camera for my four year old?". Many of the replies were silly and laughable. Just not realistic. For the youngest there is nothing wrong with a "kid's" camera. If nothing else for the safety concern.

As they get older the situation changes and the camera choices also grow up.

My 2.5 years loves his RX100 IV...He will make sure he grabs it from me... and usually handles pretty well.