Help Choosing Camera for Son

[SqueakyMouse]

My 8 year old son has taken a real interest in photography. During our July trip to WDW, we borrowed my mil's Kodak EasyShare (sorry--can't remember which one, but it was a from a couple of years ago and is pretty basic). This worked well for him, but it really didn't take the best of photos or offer much in the way of learning more about photography. However, our Nikon DSLR is WAY too overwhelming and bulky for him; and our old Kodak DX6490 is not very comfortable for him to hold and maneuver. Also, while ds tried to be very careful with his borrowed camera, it still got dropped and banged around a good bit. Thus, we know that whatever camera we purchase for him will need to be sturdy. I am totally overwhelmed by all of the new cameras available. So...what camera would you recommend for a somewhat precocious 8 year old?

 

[Code]

The only cameras I know of that advertise for their durability are the shockproof/waterproof Stylus cameras from Olympus. I have no experience, but supposedly they are designed to take a 5ft drop onto concrete.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I bought a used Canon S2 IS on Craigslist for $200 and my DS10 enjoys using it. I make sure he treats it with respect when he handles it and keeps it around his neck when shooting. Both the S2 and my S3 have proven very durable. I think the series (S1,2,3,5) are good cameras to learn on and a nice segway into a DSLR.

 

[fitzperry]

We bought our then 7yo a Nikon Coolpix L4 last year with an extended warranty. I usually stay away from those warranties, but since it covers accidental damage (3 years for around $30, IIRC) it seemed like a fairly sound investment under the circumstances. We also bought a lightweight neck strap figuring it would reduce the likelihood of her dropping the camera. Someone mentioned to me that the neck strap could be dangerous, but it's not like she's climbing trees with it, so I'm not too concerned. As far as different models go, I'd just look for a good deal on something with at least 3x optical zoom, a decent sized lcd and a movie mode (all the kids seem to love making videos).

 

[Kim&Chris]

When my niece turned 7, I bought her a Canon A430 for about $100.00.

It's been dropped several times, has gotten its share of bumps and bangs, and still works like a champ.

I figured it was a good, yet cheap, camera for a girl who loved taking pics of her friends, her dolls, her dog, etc.

She's had it for over a year now, and is just now starting to become interested in all the "cool" things it can do (like shoot a short video). There's still a lot that the camera can do that she has no clue, or interest, about.

I figure I got my money's worth, and it was a good starter camera. When she's ready, I'll move her up to something better and she can pass the camera down to her little sister.

 

[AndrewWG]

For what it's worth, my DD8 loves the fact that I gave her my old Canon A85. I had completely smashed the lens "door" (for lack of a better word) by dropping it onto a large stone. The camera still works perfectly, the lens is just exposed when it turns off. Like others said, she LOVES the video mode and has not taken nearly as many pics as she has videos. I don't think you would find an A85 (it's about 4 years old), but the A series is a good one in my opinion.