Camera for children: features and reviews

A digital camera for a child has many uses. It enables adults to see the world from the point of view of children. Also, it is a useful teaching tool, helping kids expand their vocabulary, sharpen narrative skills and enrich research abilities.

To look at the world through the eyes of children

So why can digital cameras revolutionize research on children and enrich the parents' perception of the child's inner world? Some do not trust high-tech toys. But the history of the advent of the camera for children began with digital cameras. They made everyone happy, even those who worried about the fact that electronic toys and games suppress the creativity of the younger generation. Digital devices eliminated the need for film development, which made the photo accessible to children. This is a revolutionary change, but it takes some time to realize all its consequences.

For the first time since the invention of the photo , it was possible to give even small children a camera and allow them to do whatever they want. The results are intriguing. A camera for children is a real storehouse of rich material about their inner world. We see what is important to them. We can see the world through their eyes. If this sounds like an exaggeration, you should be aware that the cameras are used by researchers who want to understand what the children are looking at. Experiments were carried out when the cameras were mounted on the babies' heads. Some creative researchers have created a visual ethnography of children, giving them cameras and analyzing the results.

What do children take pictures?

This decided to establish European researchers. Small representatives of five different countries, belonging to three age groups - 7, 11 and 15 years, showed how to use real cameras. Children were not taught photography or aesthetics. When scientists studied the pictures, they noticed several regularities:

• 7-year-olds were more likely to take pictures at home, and they took more pictures of their possessions (for example, toys).
• Compared to older and younger children, 11-year-olds took more pictures without people. They photographed outdoors, and did less staged photos.
• In general, 11-year-olds created the most artistic or unusual pictures. They also obtained the greatest number of photos of exhibition quality.
• Older children (11- and 15-year-olds) were more likely to make humorous or stupid shots.
• Teenagers were the most focused on their social world. They took many pictures of groups of children-peers.
• Children value spontaneity. Older children deliberately preferred unplanned photographs.
• Older children (11 and 15 years old) experimented with various photographic effects, for example, with unusual angles.

So a digital camera for shooting children provides many opportunities for games and research. What else can you do with it?

Entertainment for children photographers. Stories in photos

As the researchers note, children can use photographs to illustrate their own stories. Children can start with their pictures and write stories to them. Or vice versa, first write a story, and only then take pictures.

For children of preschool age, it is suggested to compare the pictures with the text. It is necessary to offer them from all the many photographs taken for each page of the text to choose the best, and then explain their choice. If it does not work, you should select another picture.

Conversely, you can give children a set of random photos and ask them to come up with a story from them.

Creating a set of facial expressions

It is necessary to help children create a set of "emotional" photos - pictures of people with different emotional expressions of the face. If you print them, you can use them in educational games.

Study of animal behavior

There is a reason that zoologists make photos. Snapshots allow you to capture details that are either difficult to understand or to analyze in real time. Therefore wildlife (and even domestic animals) is photographed not just for beauty. This is a tool for scientific research. And with a zoom-lens, children will find that animals are much more interesting than they thought.

You can take a camera for children for walks in the park, the nature and the zoo. And let the children decide what to photograph them: paws of a dove, ants or a dog's nose. Children choose these objects, because they are already interested in them. And, most likely, the results will give more opportunities for learning than any standard, well-designed "open" image.

Young Pathfinders

Detecting traces of animals can help children sharpen analytical and spatial skills. A camera for children allows them to save found traces and view them again and again. You can show the children how to place a coin or other object on the image to give the viewer a sense of scale. And let the children keep a record of their findings.

Organization of exhibitions and shows

The creation of photo-images and collections of images is very interesting in itself. Children should be encouraged to save photos in albums or books for newspaper clippings. And your favorite, special high-resolution pictures can be projected onto a wall.

Time flow

How does your family kitchen change during the day? What happens to the ice cube when it melts? Photography helps children fix changes and reflect on the flow of time. Here are some examples:

• Use a camera for children to shoot, like a flower (for example, morning glory) opens at dawn and closes at night.
• Place the plant next to the source of sunlight and photograph it daily. You can fix the process of phototaxis - plant growth in the direction of light.
• Try to shoot the same landscape in different weather conditions.
• Photograph the course of cleaning or repairing the house.
• Make lollipops and place them in sugar syrup, taking pictures every day to fix the growth process of sugar crystals.
• Put a cookie or other food on the ant path and take pictures every few hours.

Tips for parents

Suppose you agree with the need to purchase a camera for children. Real, digital. What's next? Here are some tips.

Let the children use the camera without constant supervision. If parents want to see the world from the point of view of their child, then he should be left alone. This is necessary because adults change the way children use cameras. They have their own ideas about what children should take pictures. Parents tell the children about the camera and tell them how to take good pictures. And even if you do not interfere, only the presence of adults can affect the outcome.

In one study, the children were given cameras and compared two groups. One of them shot in the presence of an adult, and the other remained unattended. Although the adult did not give the children any instructions about what to photograph, his very presence had an effect: the children were limited to ordinary objects. The second group made very different pictures. Mostly these were secluded corners, such as corridors, cozy little villages and bathrooms. And the subject of photography was more pronounced (for example, photos of scamming children).

Nobody will want to give children an expensive camera and leave them unattended. But in finding a suitable model that should be both strong and inexpensive, you should be careful with saving on its functionality, which will make your child's camera really useful learning tool.

Megapixel

Many digital cameras for children, i.e. specially designed for them, often have a low resolution of 1.3 megapixels or less. This may be enough to meet the main goal, especially if you do not plan to print photos. But many, including children of preschool age, complain about poor picture quality. If you plan to print pictures of a normal size (for example, 10 x 15 cm), then you need a camera with a resolution of at least 4 megapixels. And if you need a larger increase, you will need a sensor with more than 5 megapixels. Technology is constantly changing, and different people can have different standards. It is better to be sure of the quality of the pictures yourself.

Increase

Optical zoom is better than digital. Why? The digital zoom simply increases the pixels, so you get more "snow" and "noise".

Memory Expansion Option

You should have an additional memory card. Children shoot a lot. And if you do not want to free up space on the map every hour, you need to worry about its sufficient capacity in advance.

Batteries

Some cameras work on AA batteries, which is extremely convenient. You can use NiMH batteries or disposable power supplies. The charge, however, quickly ends, so you should always have a stock of charged batteries at hand. Depending on how many pictures can be taken for one set of batteries, this will cause too much trouble.

Alternatively, you can buy a camera with branded batteries. They work longer. But there are two problems:

• If the battery is discharged at the wrong time, then you have to recharge it before continuing shooting;
• The branded battery will eventually have to be changed - they are expensive and may not be available if the camera model becomes obsolete.

For these reasons, during the purchase of the camera, some buy an additional battery.

The present camera for a child of 3 years will be premature: the batteries are not edible, memory cards can cause suffocation, the camera can harm if it is thrown into people, etc. Below are the best camera versions for children, sorted by age range. Many models specifically for young amateur photographers are not designed, but with obvious warnings they can be used.

5-8 years: VTech Kidizoom

Buying a camera for a child of 6 years, probably, you will not want to spend too much. The durability of the camera is also important. The device should be easy to not break at the first fall, and the easier it is, the better.

The first camera for a child of 7 years should be strong and inexpensive, and VTech Kidizoom Connect meets these requirements. This sturdy 1.3 megapixel camera-toy comes with 128 MB of internal memory, has a 4x digital zoom, and it can also shoot video. The more expensive "plus" model is equipped with a 2-megapixel sensor, 256 MB of internal memory, and an SD card slot for children that have grown from the age they put them in their mouths. Power is provided by 4 AA batteries. There is a 1.8-inch LCD.

Nikon Coolpix S3

Kidizoom is a toy, but the waterproof Nikon Coolpix S33 is a real entry-level camera designed specifically for use by a child or family. Its wide-angle 3x optical zoom lens (equivalent to 30-90mm) offers only digital image stabilization, but the key moments of this 13.2-megapixel camera are durability and ease of use. The Nikon camera for children can withstand falls from a height of 120 cm. And it can also be immersed in water to a depth of 5 m (or use it in the bathroom or shower). There is also a mode of underwater shooting, a tilt simulator ("Diorama" mode) and a single-color isolation function (color selection mode), which allows the baby to show more creative activity.

S33 shoots video with a resolution of 1080p, and an ISO range of 80-1600 means that the child will be able to continue shooting even in low light conditions. Power provides a lithium-ion battery.

8-10 years: Pentax WG-10

The camera for children of this age should still be strong, and there are several cameras that can be suitable for elementary school students. All models are available in different colors that younger children will be able to appreciate and provide a certain degree of manual control useful for older children, as they already want to learn more about photography.

Most 8-10-year-old boys probably love the style of racing cars, and the ring of LED lights that surround his 5x zoom lens (28-140 mm) Pentax WG-10, will further increase its "steepness". Waterproof and shockproof camera for a child with a resolution of 14 megapixels can withstand immersion to a depth of 10 m, a fall from a height of one and a half meters and a shock force of up to 100 kg, while having frost resistance and dustproof.

WG-10 allows you to shoot 720p-video, but so far offers only digital image stabilization. The ISO range is generous: 80-6400. Five LEDs operate in the "digital microscope" mode, which, in essence, is a macro mode. Manual control is not available, but there is no shortage of shooting modes - 25 options include auto programs, panoramas, underwater photography and filming. It features a 2.7-inch rear LCD screen and a lithium-ion battery.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TF1

No less durable, but a little more stylish Cyber-shot TF1 can offer a lot. Automation Sony is one of the best on the market, and wear-resistant TF1 will be interesting to use for young photographers. It offers optically stabilized lens with 4x zoom (25-100 mm), 16-Mp sensor, water resistance (up to 10 m), shock resistance (1.5 m), frost resistance and dustproof.

Children will like the panoramic shooting mode , which has both underwater settings and a set of retouching options (Toy Camera, Partial Color, Beauty Effects). The camera's ISO range covers values from 100 to 3200. You can shoot video with a resolution of 720p. It should be noted that TF1 writes data to MicroSD and MicroSDHC cards. Therefore, you should be careful, because they are small enough and can be dangerous for young children. It features a 2.7-inch LCD screen and a lithium-ion battery.

Older children: Olympus TG-4

Strength, perhaps, is not so important for this age group, but it depends on the child. Here are the cameras for those children who have learned not to throw valuable things. They give some freedom for the child's growth from automatic shooting, if he becomes more confident in his abilities.

For the fidget or those who drop expensive electronics, the Olympus TG-4 is a good choice. It is well-made, responsive, full-featured and makes excellent pictures with a 16 Mp sensor. The device has automatic shooting modes, but it opens a world of manual exposure for older children who are ready to take a more serious photo. Other features include numerous art filters, Full HD video recording, as well as support for the fisheye lens and telephoto lens. The camera has a very good battery life, which is enough for a whole day of shooting. TG-4 is waterproof to a depth of 15 m, withstands a fall from height to 2.1 m, its impact resistance is 50 N and frost resistance - up to -10 ° C. There is a Wi-Fi for quick sharing of pictures, and the GPS receiver will allow novice photographers to look at the map of the place where they were made.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS50

For a child who can be entrusted with a more fragile camera, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS50 is offered. This is an excellent camera for vacation thanks to a long focus 24-720mm (30x) lens and ultra-compact body. The camera quickly focuses and produces continuous shooting. The frame can be tracked on a 3-inch LCD monitor or in a small electronic viewfinder. The camera can record Full HD video with image stabilization, which helps reduce device shocks.

The ZS50 offers more advanced manual control than the TG-4, so if you need to teach a promising photographer the wisdom of working with aperture and shutter speed or manually focus, the ZS50 is a camera that can do it.

IPod touch

Although, it may be too early to buy iPhone children, but you can prepare for the inevitable by purchasing an iPod Touch. This is essentially an iPhone without a phone, which means access to hundreds of thousands of applications, many of which are related to photographing, sharing pictures over Wi-Fi and other things that have made the "iPhone" the most popular phone in the world.

IPod Touch features a CMOS sensor, 8 megapixel resolution and f2.4, a 29 mm lens, and a front camera with a lower resolution for selfie. The device has the functionality of an "ordinary" camera, there is an impressive auto-HDR and panorama. IPod Touch can also record video in Full HD resolution with slow-motion and frame-by-frame options. The screen can only be dreamed, as the 4-inch Retina-display is really excellent. You can even add additional lenses from Olloclip.