Camera for a 3 year old

[wyogirl]

ok folks... my son loves to use his Innotab to take pictures but it kinda sucks. I looked into the "kid cameras" but they also suck and aren't much different than the Innotab. Most of those are like 1.4 MP and you basically need to be outside on a sunny day for it to work.

I was thinking of a cheap point and shoot digital camera with an flash. Any suggestions for under $50??

 

[Derrel]

My local pawn shop sells used point and shoot cameras for $29 to $39 to $49 to $99...if you can get to a pawn shop. Here's there on-line link and it has links to their stores. They sort of specialize in photo & electronics much more so than most pawn places. In the photo, on the right is the owner, Hal, who is a total camera nut!
Selling to STUFF | NOTHING YOU NEED ? EVERYTHING YOU WANT | ilikestuff.com

As far as cheap point and shoot...my thought is that a polycarbonate outer shell might be BETTER than a camera with a smooth, brushed aluminum shell, due to the dropped-it-Mama factor...polycarb absorbs shock and impacts well...metal...well, it transfers al that impact directly. Still...you could also pad the camera bit too, maybe wrap it in that thinsulate foam and tape, and so on, maybe tape a picture to it to customize it and make it really "his own style" with Cars, or Nemo, or Thomas The Tank Engine or whatnot on the front and bottom.

 

[wyogirl]

Good idea Derrel. Here I was thinking I need to get a new camera, but I happen to still have my old digital camera from college and I'll never use it again. Its like 4mp which was high dollar in those days...lol. I should have thought about that. I don't even need a pawn shop, just the junk closet.

Having a DUH moment. LOL

 

[robbins.photo]

Good idea Derrel. Here I was thinking I need to get a new camera, but I happen to still have my old digital camera from college and I'll never use it again. Its like 4mp which was high dollar in those days...lol. I should have thought about that. I don't even need a pawn shop, just the junk closet.

Having a DUH moment. LOL

Get the kid a D800 and set it in manual mode. Deep end of the pool buddy, sink or swim.. lol.

 

[Civchic]

My 4-year-old uses my old Olympus P&S. Like you, I'll likely never use it again. The only thing I've considered it for is to get an underwater housing and take it snorkelling - it's more fun to see what he gets out of it, anyway.

 

[Mike_E]

I know I'm going to sound like a crank but three years old?

Get the kid some crayons and paper.

Look, I am NOT trying in insinuate that you're a bad mom, not at all. I think that the chances are good that the kid is loved and normal in every way.

I remember when mine were young. Their eyes would get sauser huge when they got to do something I enjoyed (did a lot) but as they grew older anything dad did couldn't be any fun cause he's old and we did that when we were little.

Play it smart and keep him wanting more and just maybe cameras will remain something you can both continue to share going forward.

Good luck and enjoy!

 

[IzzieK]

Although I like most the replies to your dilemma, I think I am gearing towards the comment of E-Mike...little kids are like doggie, forgive my analogy, they both like to play and have something to do (jobs). Wouldn't it be more exciting if you catalogue your son's growing up by taking photos of him enjoying his childhood days? Lots of good memories for him and you bonding together. My now-30 year old son used to be my model when he was young...I have him climbing up rocks and hills and putting his head out of the window of a shed and jumping across something and he enjoyed it so much when we do our little "photoshoots".

 

[robbins.photo]

Pfft. I still say D800, manual mode. What's that junior? You want dinner? Then get out there and bring me back at least one properly composed picture where you didn't blow out the highlights, you little slacker.

Lol

Sent from my LG-LG730 using Tapatalk

 

[Derrel]

Good idea Derrel. Here I was thinking I need to get a new camera, but I happen to still have my old digital camera from college and I'll never use it again. Its like 4mp which was high dollar in those days...lol. I should have thought about that. I don't even need a pawn shop, just the junk closet.

Having a DUH moment. LOL

Get the kid a D800 and set it in manual mode. Deep end of the pool buddy, sink or swim.. lol.

Robbins...you often have some of the weirdest, lamest, dumbest ideas....but this idea...this one, well, this takes the cake buddy. This idea, well, I have to day, this one is a complete load of utter, sheer, unadulterated, Grade-A, pure genius. "Do'ah! Why didnt I think of that! Nikon D800!" Yesssss!

 

[robbins.photo]

Robbins...you often have some of the weirdest, lamest, dumbest ideas....but this idea...this one, well, this takes the cake buddy.

Wait, we have cake?

This idea, well, I have to day, this one is a complete load of utter, sheer, unadulterated, Grade-A, pure genius. "Do'ah! Why didnt I think of that! Nikon D800!" Yesssss!

Well, say enough stupid crap and somebody is bound to tell you your a genius eventually. All of politics is based on this tried and true axiom, after all. Lol. Besides, you've got a couple of possibilities here. First, kid gets fed up with photography and you get new D800 to use and you get to blame kid for the expense till the day you die. Oh ya, I had parents. I know how that game is played. Lol.

Two, kid becomes world famous and fabulously wealthy photographer. You don't wind up eating dog food in some fly by night nursing home somewhere because kid can afford to hire someone else to put up with your bullcrap when your in your eighties and impossible to live with.

So yup, I'm thinking win win either way here.

 

[Civchic]

My kid plays and has fun and does silly kid stuff, but he REALLY enjoys taking pictures as well. It's just another fun thing he does, to him. When we're out hiking, his camera is in my pocket. If he sees something interesting and wants to take a picture, he asks and I hand it to him. If he doesn't ask for it, then we have fun without it. If I forget it, though, he gets pretty disappointed. I'm not "teaching" him any photography. We went to the safari park on Saturday and he took two pictures. They're actually really cool photos.

Oh, and he's been "into" taking pictures since before I even bought my DSLR. When we went to Arizona, he took more pictures with the P&S than I did. LOL. So it's just another kid thing for him, and to me, absolutely no different than handing him crayons and paper.

 

[JustJazzie]

My sister had a great idea and did this for her step grandson, What about Those go pro like cameras? Water proof, shock proof, pretty good IQ. she found it on clearance, but perhaps you can either stretch your budget a tad, (amazon has some with good reviews for 80-100) or maybe find a refurbished one? I honestly haven't researched them extensively but it sounds like it might be something worth looking into,