Entry Level Camera for 11 Year Old Budding Photographer

[MEMOFLEX]

Hello all

My 11 year old daughter has taken a keen interest in photography and has been taking some impressive photos but she is at the stage where she would like to get a proper camera. Now my camera knowledge is limited although I am quite tech savvy on the whole, so I need a bit of advice and assistance if possible.

There are a few things worth mentioning that may help :

1. My daughter is only small bless her and so a heavy camera will probably out of the question.
2. She is an 11 year old who is new to this so the balance of cost, ease of use and image quality will need to be considered.

Any advice you can provide would be helpful as I was originally looking at something like the Canon 100D due to size and weight but not sure if that would be overkill and a better option is available? I wouldn't want to spend more that this on the first camera until I know that it will not be an expensive paperweight.

Thanks in advance

 

[gondo]

For an 11 year old perhaps a nice rugged camera would be nice. Something like the Olympus TG-4. It's a great point and shoot with some lens options. Freeze, shock, and waterproof. It would be a great camera to throw around and be enjoyed by an 11 year old with the wifi features. She could pack it in her bag and bring it to school, throw it in the car, bring to the beach, go outside in the snow, etc... Many pros use point and shoots do to their simplicity and portability. A DSLR takes longer to set up than it does to take a picture, and your always worries about scratching or dirtying the lenses. They are more for that 1 magical shot that takes 30 minutes to capture than a walk around and capture your life camera. That would allow her to enter the world of photography with a nice portable and rugged camera.

If she wants to enter the world of DSLR and tripod work then the SL1 is nice because of it's size. The canon also uses EF mount so many lenses are available. A mirrorless camera would also work. Also nice are the Pentax DSLRs since they are weather resistant.

If you do end up with a DSLR then consider a very nice tripod. That would allow her to get into night photography, sky photography, and city and landscapes. There is a lot to learn with a DSLR. You have to set aperture, ISO, and shutter speeds, and learn to control all 3 for perfect shots. If you give us more info into what sort of photography your daughter enjoys, and her lifestyle, then we can recommend more. Is she interested in using a tripod for night shots of the city and sky? Does she want something to throw around and bring to the beach or mall?

 

[Ubrales]

Here are two moderately priced compact Nikon Coolpix cameras:

https/www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1120455-REG/nikon_26478_coolpix_s3700_digital_camera.html
https/www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1120485-REG/nikon_26495_coolpix_s33_digital_camera.html

B&H Photo is a reputable source for online purchases. Get your daughter to read up on the specs and features, so that she is involved in the purchase decision. Good luck!