Camera for 13/14 yo...

Interested in getting my 13yo daughter a camera for the holidays...

She's very interested in photography and arts..

Uses her iphone for most pictures and she has an eye for things..

We are going on an Alaskan cruise next year, so i'd like to buy her a nice camera that she can use besides her phone...

I am not looking for something with an attachable lens, etc... Something maybe just point and shoot..

For those photo buffs out there, what do you suggest?

Thanks!

Long zoom compact like the Sony HX80 or HX90V. Very compact and both have a pop-up viewfinder.

Dave

Thanks -- i'll look into those...

Someone told me i should look at a bridge camera - i believe thats what i have -- no detachable lens, but alot of zoom -- i think mine is a Canon

thats Sony?

Why Sony over Canon or Nikon - personal preference?

Bridge cameras are a good compromise if you want better performance than a basic P&S but don't want to change lenses. The cameras I mentioned are sort of tiny bridge cameras with a lot of zoom for their size. I mentioned them because I know my teenage granddaughter would prefer a purse-able camera to one you would have to carry on a neck strap all of the time.

Dave

At that age I started with my first Pentax spotmatic, no metre had to guess exposure, a great way to learn.

Bridge cameras are a good compromise if you want better performance than a basic P&S but don't want to change lenses. The cameras I mentioned are sort of tiny bridge cameras with a lot of zoom for their size. I mentioned them because I know my teenage granddaughter would prefer a purse-able camera to one you would have to carry on a neck strap all of the time.

 

Dave

Awesome ... Good answer :) i understand completely...

I have to see which camera I have, Canon Rebel 35mm I had, and upgrade to the digital version.

Yes, Purse-able camera I'm sure is better than one that she will have to carry w/ the neck strap. Maybe one day

Does this child drop things often? If not... another vote for those bridge cameras.

I like Nikon/Canon for DSLRs as she advances, but Sony bridge cameras also get my vote.

http://petapixel.com/2012/10/09/photos-of-kids-using-pricey-dslr-gear-going-viral-in-china/

Does this child drop things often? If not... another vote for those bridge cameras.

 

I like Nikon/Canon for DSLRs as she advances, but Sony bridge cameras also get my vote.

 

http://petapixel.com/2012/10/09/photos-of-kids-using-pricey-dslr-gear-going-viral-in-china/

Hi. No. not at all ... she takes great care of her phone.

She uses my camera and takes good cares of it.

I would like to keep the price u set $400ish as I'll buy some accessories.

thats Sony?

 

Why Sony over Canon or Nikon - personal preference?

Personal preference (Minolta/Sony shooter for 40+years) and a nod to the fact that with a few exceptions, most of the sensors for the compact and bridge cameras are made by Sony. All of the top manufacturers make excellent cameras, so your real challenge isn't finding a good camera, it's choosing from among so many.

Dave

Okay. Thanks.

I'm bumping this up as I'd like more suggestions for a camera for my 13yo.

I'd honestly like to pay around $200.00 or so... I would have to buy accessories too..

Thanks!

The only advantage of a $200 p&s over a newer iPhone, is the ability to zoom a bit more. In most ways, the iPhone 6 or 7 is superior to $200 p&s cameras, even superior to most $300-$400 bridge cameras. That's why p&s sales have fallen by 90%.

The image quality of the newer iPhones (and Samsung too), is just as good as your typical p&s. The video features and quality of the iPhone are actually far superior. The consumer features, like touch screen, wifi, in-camera editing, are better in the iPhone.

Zoom features are overrated -- there are $3,000 cameras that have no zoom. It is important for some things, but often not important. You may find that your daughter leaves her $200 camera behind most of the time, and sticks to her phone. In fact, if you took the iPhone 7 and sold it solely as a camera -- removed all non camera features, it would be a $300-500 camera.

To me, for a budding photographer, from age 10 to 100... there are 3 basic options...

1.. stick to a good phone.

2.. a large sensor interchangeable lens camera. (Dslr or mirrorless). My 11-year-old shoots with the Nikon 1 system.

3.. an enthusiast 1" compacts. The Sony rx100, the canon g7x, Panasonic fz1000, etc. these cameras have larger sensors and more enthusiast features, and better lenses than iPhones and/or typical compacts. But they cost more than $200... older 1" models can be found starting around $350.

The only advantage of a $200 p&s over a newer iPhone, is the ability to zoom a bit more. In most ways, the iPhone 6 or 7 is superior to $200 p&s cameras, even superior to most $300-$400 bridge cameras. That's why p&s sales have fallen by 90%.

The image quality of the newer iPhones (and Samsung too), is just as good as your typical p&s. The video features and quality of the iPhone are actually far superior. The consumer features, like touch screen, wifi, in-camera editing, are better in the iPhone.

Zoom features are overrated -- there are $3,000 cameras that have no zoom. It is important for some things, but often not important. You may find that your daughter leaves her $200 camera behind most of the time, and sticks to her phone. In fact, if you took the iPhone 7 and sold it solely as a camera -- removed all non camera features, it would be a $300-500 camera.

To me, for a budding photographer, from age 10 to 100... there are 3 basic options...

1.. stick to a good phone.

2.. a large sensor interchangeable lens camera. (Dslr or mirrorless). My 11-year-old shoots with the Nikon 1 system.

3.. an enthusiast 1" compacts. The Sony rx100, the canon g7x, Panasonic fz1000, etc. these cameras have larger sensors and more enthusiast features, and better lenses than iPhones and/or typical compacts. But they cost more than $200... older 1" models can be found starting around $350.

Thanks.... Okay - guess I have to spend more ;)

She has an iphone 6 - while she's good at editing and etc, she wants to get more involved in photography and has an eye for it.

I will have to just upgrade her and this might just get her off the phone for a bit of time everyday LMAO!

I will look into the cameras you listed. I'll see if maybe there are any specials at my local camera store.

Thanks.... Okay - guess I have to spend more ;)

 

She has an iphone 6 - while she's good at editing and etc, she wants to get more involved in photography and has an eye for it.

I will have to just upgrade her and this might just get her off the phone for a bit of time everyday LMAO!

 

I will look into the cameras you listed. I'll see if maybe there are any specials at my local camera store.

I have to agree. The $200 range point and shoot cameras have been nearly eliminated by the newer generation iPhones and Androids. My Windows phone is the reason that I stopped carrying my old P&S compact and handed it down to the granddaughter. The better long-zoom compacts like the HX- series Sonys that I mentioned earlier will out-perform a phone but typically double the $200 price range.

If you are bumping up to interchangeable lens cameras, look at the Sony A6000. It is the largest selling interchangeable lens camera made so far and as such is still being produced and receiving software updates despite newer models being released. It is about the same size as the Nikon 1 series and has a much larger APS-C sensor. The body with 16-50 kit lens is in the $600 range. Sony and third-party lenses are abundant now and she may never need to go larger. (I went to the A6000 from a DSLR a few years ago and never looked back).

Havoc's suggestion of a 1" sensor compact is good too. As I mentioned, I'm a Sony shooter, so I keep track of current prices. The original RX100 is still available new at Amazon and has dropped to $448 since the newer models have come out. This is the model that set the bar for the high-performance compact genre and can produce images that rival some entry-level DSLRs. It is also very tiny.

The hardest part of camera shopping these days isn't finding a good camera, It's deciding which good camera to buy.

Dave

Thank you very much for your reply.

I have researched the Sony in the past month and I agree might be a good starting point for her. She can upgrade as she gets older. This might be a photography phase, even though I hope not. I think it's a great thing for her have and know. She keeps asking about photography lessons or classes.

I am off to the camera store to look.

I don't want to deal with a big chain store. So going to my local guy.

Picked up a camera today - along with a case and memory card.

The camera is a Panasonic Lumix ...

I have to find out the model though. Unsure as I type this. It's in the car hiding from her at the moment :)

Picked up a camera today - along with a case and memory card.

The camera is a Panasonic Lumix ...

I have to find out the model though. Unsure as I type this. It's in the car hiding from her at the moment :)

Congratulations. I was about to post on this thread that the Sony RX 100 will be $399 for Black Friday, so a possible option if what you purchased doesn't work out.

Saying Panasonic Lumix doesn't mean much -- That's like saying a GM vehicle, but without saying whether it is a truck, SUV, sports car, sedan, etc.

Panasonic calls almost all their cameras "Lumix."

Some are very very good Lumix models, like the LX10, LX100, FZ1000....

Then there are some models that are worse than an iphone, like some of the ZS models. (though the ZS100 is good).

Unfortunately, in the entire United States, there are a limited number of half-decent camera stores outside of the major cities. Most so-called camera stores only carry a low-cost inventory that they hope will be easier to sell.... With very limited selections. It's good to walk in and get a general sense of touch and feel, but most decent cameras, in most locations, need to be purchased online.

(For example, I walked in to the only "camera store" in the entire county -- a county of a million people -- I wanted to look at a couple of Nikon lenses and assumed they would have.... They didn't carry ANY Nikon lenses except for the starter-kit lenses... I had to either go into B&H in NYC or simply purchase online)

If she wants to learn photography, just make sure the camera has the tools that a novice to moderate learner would need -- Access to full manual controls, RAW shooting ability, and hopefully a somewhat fast aperture lens. I teach an introductory photography class, and those are basically the requirements. (I don't actually teach RAW shooting in the level 1 class, but I do teach it in a moderate level class).

I totally understand ...

This camera store is a little camera store in a town near me -- I've been going to them on and off for about 25 years. I trust them and their products.. They have everything from $ to $$$$.

They sell online too -- always knowledgeable..

I do though think that the salesman, after hearing my concerns, went with his gut and what HE likes...

Since it's a Christmas present for her, he marked the receipt as such, just in case she wants to return it.

So i can return it at anytime before or right after Christmas into the new year.

As for the Model, it's a Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ200. He recommended it highly for her.. then again, it could be his personal experiences...

I totally understand ...

This camera store is a little camera store in a town near me -- I've been going to them on and off for about 25 years. I trust them and their products.. They have everything from $ to $$$$.

They sell online too -- always knowledgeable..

 

I do though think that the salesman, after hearing my concerns, went with his gut and what HE likes...

 

Since it's a Christmas present for her, he marked the receipt as such, just in case she wants to return it.

 

So i can return it at anytime before or right after Christmas into the new year.

 

As for the Model, it's a Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ200. He recommended it highly for her.. then again, it could be his personal experiences...

Hugely popular bridge camera. She'll be happy.

Like the Sony A6000, there's a whole thread dedicated to it here in the forum:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1694983&highlight=fz-200

Dave

tyvm Dave .. I hope I made the right decision...

It's a lot larger of course than your pocket point and shoot..

I know the megapixels are less - but this will give her a starting point I thought.

I hope i'm right! LOL

I think I got a good deal ... camera, case and memory card for $399.00.

As I said, i can take it back.

I still love the RX100, but maybe ill buy that for myself lmao!!

If price is a problem, check Ebay, new are from $295.00 and up.

Tom :cool:

Nah. Price isn't an issue but don't want to break the Bank.

I totally understand ...

This camera store is a little camera store in a town near me -- I've been going to them on and off for about 25 years. I trust them and their products.. They have everything from $ to $$$$.

They sell online too -- always knowledgeable..

 

I do though think that the salesman, after hearing my concerns, went with his gut and what HE likes...

 

Since it's a Christmas present for her, he marked the receipt as such, just in case she wants to return it.

 

So i can return it at anytime before or right after Christmas into the new year.

 

As for the Model, it's a Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ200. He recommended it highly for her.. then again, it could be his personal experiences...

An older but very capable camera. Congratulations and best of luck to her.