Beginner Digicams

fishfish Registered Users Posts: 2,950 Major grins
edited January 12, 2004 in Cameras
My 10yo son has asked about getting a beginner's digicam. On our recent trip to Disneyland, I let him use one of our old Olympus P&S film cams and he was bummed about the lack of instant gratification (gee...I wonder where he gets that from? :D), while I was bummed about the $30 I spent on film and developing just to see a bunch of crappy photos (we were all n00bs once). I figure after the initial expense of a starter camera, the mistakes will be very cheap and quick to learn from.

So...any suggestions? $50-100 is probably a reasonable range for a kidcam. :ear:
"Consulting the rules of composition before taking a photograph, is like consulting the laws of gravity before going for a walk." - Edward Weston
"The Edge... there is no honest way to explain it because the only people who really know where it is are the ones who have gone over."-Hunter S.Thompson

Comments

  • kbasakbasa Registered Users Posts: 64 Big grins
    edited January 10, 2004
    We've purchased our nephews and nieces some cheapo digicams. I forget which one we got for the boys, but we got our niece a Barbie one of all things. It'll only hold a dozen or so shots and doesn't have a display, but they get to see them pretty quickly when they download them.

    I'd bet that at this point you could buy an old Mavica for $100 and stick a floppy adapter and media in it for another $100.

    I think we paid $60 for the Barbie thang.

    I got started in photography with an old Ektamatic I got for my tenth birthday. Later, I got an instamatic that had some ability to provide flash via those tall stips of bulbs (sylvania blue dots!)
    What's this button do?
  • RazorbakRazorbak Registered Users Posts: 3 Beginner grinner
    edited January 10, 2004
    fish wrote:
    any suggestions? $50-100 is probably a reasonable range for a kidcam. ear.gif
    Check out this review in Consumer Reports for Kids...

    http://www.zillions.org/Features/Digital/dcam001.html
  • wxwaxwxwax Registered Users Posts: 15,471 Major grins
    edited January 10, 2004
    You can buy disposable digital cameras, but you don't get instant gratification. No screen, and you have to send the unit away to get the images out of it. Cheap, tho.
    Sid.
    Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam
    http://www.mcneel.com/users/jb/foghorn/ill_shut_up.au
  • fishfish Registered Users Posts: 2,950 Major grins
    edited January 10, 2004
    Razorbak wrote:
    Check out this review in Consumer Reports for Kids...

    http://www.zillions.org/Features/Digital/dcam001.html

    Interesting article, porky...thanks for the link. Looks like I'm really looking at $300 (or something used).
    "Consulting the rules of composition before taking a photograph, is like consulting the laws of gravity before going for a walk." - Edward Weston
    "The Edge... there is no honest way to explain it because the only people who really know where it is are the ones who have gone over."-Hunter S.Thompson
  • MarcMarc Registered Users Posts: 37 Big grins
    edited January 10, 2004
    I've got a 10 year old and got him a Fuji A205 digicam for Christmas. I also got him the automatic charger/download base that comes with special rechargable batteries. Why did I pick this one?

    - Ease of use. It's really simple, the menus aren't too complicated, there are few, easy-to-understand buttons and, when you insert it into the base, it automatically downloads into Photoshop Album 2.0 and recharges the batteries at the same time.

    - Price. I set $100 as my "digicam for a 10-year old budget" - this one came damn close. If he loses it, we'll get over it.

    - Quality. Takes pretty good pictures (2MP). Could be better, but I've gotten spoiled by my 10D.

    But, most of all, The BOY is using it. He's already downloaded more than 200 shots into Photoshop Album and has learned how to crop, do red eye correction, adjust brightness, etc. If he keeps with it, I'll upgrade him in a year or two. Cheap, easy, functional. What more could you ask for?

    Marc
  • MarcMarc Registered Users Posts: 37 Big grins
    edited January 10, 2004
    Here's a review of the A205
    Steve's Digicams did a complete review of this camera. They said it was a good entry-level camera for a novice photographer at a $200 price point. I got it for ~ $115, which made it perfect.

    Here's the review:

    http://www.steves-digicams.com/2003_reviews/fuji_a205.html

    HTH,

    M
  • RazorbakRazorbak Registered Users Posts: 3 Beginner grinner
    edited January 11, 2004
    fish wrote:
    Interesting article, porky...thanks for the link. Looks like I'm really looking at $300 (or something used).
    Here's a real cheap alternative, and you can buy it at Ritz Cameras for less than $50...

    http://www.ritzcamera.com/products/542043104.html
  • MarcMarc Registered Users Posts: 37 Big grins
    edited January 11, 2004
    Razorbak wrote:
    Here's a real cheap alternative, and you can buy it at Ritz Cameras for less than $50...

    http://www.ritzcamera.com/products/542043104.html
    No. Avoid that thing. I bought one for The BOY last Christmas and it stinks. The file transfer process is bizarre and cumbersome, the photo quality stinks, and there is no photo viewer of any type on the camera! Oh yeah, there is no flash either. Spend another $50 or so and get a "real" digicam instead of this toy. You'll be glad you did.

    M
  • fishfish Registered Users Posts: 2,950 Major grins
    edited January 11, 2004
    Hmmm...worstbuy.com has a handful of digicams for under $150.
    "Consulting the rules of composition before taking a photograph, is like consulting the laws of gravity before going for a walk." - Edward Weston
    "The Edge... there is no honest way to explain it because the only people who really know where it is are the ones who have gone over."-Hunter S.Thompson
  • wxwaxwxwax Registered Users Posts: 15,471 Major grins
    edited January 11, 2004
    This one looks good. I had an Olympus 2mp camera, took excellent shots. Only $130.

    5351059_ra.jpg
    Sid.
    Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam
    http://www.mcneel.com/users/jb/foghorn/ill_shut_up.au
  • cmr164cmr164 Registered Users Posts: 1,542 Major grins
    edited January 11, 2004
    Try Ebay.com or ubid.com
    I picked up a real cheap (for 2 years ago) DimageX from ubid.com for $245. Now I see auctions on Ebay for less than $100. It is hard to go wrong.
    Charles Richmond IT & Security Consultant
    Operating System Design, Drivers, Software
    Villa Del Rio II, Talamban, Pit-os, Cebu, Ph
  • wxwaxwxwax Registered Users Posts: 15,471 Major grins
    edited January 12, 2004
    Hi cmr wave.gif welcome aboard. That's a really interesting idea... get an older, somewhat pricier camera for cheap. That's how I buy my cars. Wink2.gif

    2575.jpg
    Sid.
    Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam
    http://www.mcneel.com/users/jb/foghorn/ill_shut_up.au
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