Kids with Cameras

I was reading a thread over in the lenses forum and there's a post about what lense a kid should work with . I'm really amazed that some of you guys give your kids DSLRs to play with. My kid has the shutterbug and often asks me to let her use my camera(a610) and I just about have a heart attack! Granted she is nine now and not a toddler. Maybe I should give her my old HP PhotoSmart 735 to muck around with.

What do you reckon?

Sounds like a plan...you have your camera...she can play too.

My son never showed much of an interest until well into his teens. My daughter on the other hand was always bugging to use the camera from a very young age. i spent the time to teach her the right way to do things and she had her own P&S from the time she was about 10. She just about broke us on film to start with. As soon as digital was looking decent we got her one of these. I never had any issues with her using my gear, though sometimes I would second guess what she was taking.

I bought her an XT and some lenses for Christmas last year and am totally thrilled that she has continued to share her life with me through photography. She is 24 now.

I think you have to have some level of trust with your kids and starting them out on something that you don't hold to near and dear to your heart is something that would have be done on a case by case basis. I think you should consider yourself fortuneate that she does have "the bug".

I'm one of those guilty moms. I let my 9 year old play with my 20D with 24-70 on it when we are at home. I set the shot up, and since I have to be in the shot, I let him shoot. Also, if you have a good tripod and a shutter release cord, that's a good way to introduce kids to the cameras more than just a point & shoot. They can have some understanding of what composition and exposure mean. My older sons can handle an slr without too much trouble now, they are adults and play with my old equipment. My younger sons are getting the 530A this Christmas and will have all the shooting they want with it. I even got them a 256 card so they can shoot 100 pictures without having to process them. They also have their own old computers to use to PP. Given a proper amount of guidance, kids are brave and very creative. I've been exposing my children to technology with accountability for many years now. I still yell at them, though, when they do something wrong, but giving them tools young when they are ready to have them is the way to go if you can afford the money and TIME. Never give the kids stuff you can't handle yourself.

I think jumping into these things is the way to go, =). Plus, P&S have unrealistic zooms compared to what you'll probably use on an SLR, so might as well let your kid learn to use something where you have to think more about getting in on composition and all.

elise1030 wrote in post #2238088
I was reading a thread over in the lenses forum and there's a post about what lense a kid should work with . I'm really amazed that some of you guys give your kids DSLRs to play with. My kid has the shutterbug and often asks me to let her use my camera(a610) and I just about have a heart attack! Granted she is nine now and not a toddler. Maybe I should give her my old HP PhotoSmart 735 to muck around with.

What do you reckon?

I think that anyway we can foster creativity in our kids is worth doing. And what better way than to share a hobby with them that does just that. My kids have always had cameras, from about the age of 5. They are now grown and have a life long hobby that we can share. No amount of money can buy you that.

It's like that MasterCard commercial. What's priceless are the fun times together. The memories are always captured in pictures. And short people pictures are some of the best ones.

Not gonna touch that!
:{)#

rklepper wrote in post #2238729
I think that anyway we can foster creativity in our kids is worth doing. And what better way than to share a hobby with them that does just that. My kids have always had cameras, from about the age of 5. They are now grown and have a life long hobby that we can share. No amount of money can buy you that.

Correct. Mine is already very interested in the camera, and she's 2 1/2! I've let her snap some shots, just get the feel of holding the camera and pressing the button and hearing it clicking away. She doesn't really understand what's going on, but the inclusion in what daddy's doing is piquing her interest.

I've been thinking about buying a really basic camera for her to use as her own. Kids' toys are so expensive these days that you can get a base-model camera for less than the latest "must have" 5-minute-wonder.

I think that as soon as she stumbles onto some good shots she'll be hooked.

We are buying a P&S for our 26 year old son for Christmas. He is always envious of all the photos I take of his adorable son but he doesn't want anything too fussy. The Canon Elph comes with a Canon printer at Costco for around $300.... I think he will be happy with it.

I think it's a great idea. The creativity from your child's mind will provide you with some suprisingly interesting photographs.

Over the summer, I took my sons to the zoo and let my oldest (age 8) use my 20D with the 85mm 1.8 attached, while I used the 1D mkIIn. I just set the 20D to Av mode and kept his aperature between 2.8 and 5.6 for him. When I later reviewed his shots after the outing, I was very impressed with his composition and creativity in a number of shots.

Start 'em young!

WT

my niece uses my camera on a fairly regular basis.. Ofcourse I am always very close by she has her rules that she has never broken and she really loves it.. Enough that i'm in the beginning stages of planning to buy her a DSLR.. but, at seven it could wait a few years.. She does have a $100 point and shoot that is only hers.. but if you put that in relative termes two memory cards are worth a hundred bucks so it's not that expensive.. Kids with cameras is a kick.. she keeps herself entertained endlessly with her camera or mine.. But, she also has a brother a year older than her and a sister a year younger and there is no way in he** either one of them will be able to touch my gear.. So, I suppose it depends on the kid..

sari

I let me kids use my 350D when ever I am around. they take great shots with very interesting perspectives. One of these days I will make them start PPing them so they can see where they need to improve in the way of making sure it was in focus and horizons and all that...

elise1030 wrote in post #2238088
My kid has the shutterbug and often asks me to let her use my camera(a610) and I just about have a heart attack! Granted she is nine now and not a toddler. Maybe I should give her my old HP PhotoSmart 735 to muck around with.

What do you reckon?

All four of my kids like photography and I have encouraged it from the time they started showing an interest. At some time I have gotten them their own camera a cheep one at first and then my hand downs. With the youngest, I gave him my old HP850. I think he is eventually gonna be a macro guy cause he loves bugs. My eldest pushed right past me and is supplementing his income with photography. He also pushed me into the DSLR world so my investment paid off. I had been avoiding the SLRs mainly because of the size, I hate lugging around 10 pounds or more of equipment, so I liked the small cameras that carry easily. But the quality difference at the higher ISOs blew me away. The two middle ones are budding photogs and love playing with my 350. So I say, give her your old HP and turn her loose.

My oldest daughter (9 yo) loves to shoot and she's pretty good, she is allowed to use the 20D when I am with her and she has her own little P&S. Here she is with the 20D and 300 f4L.