Inexpensive Cameras

There are plenty of excellent little cameras available for $100 or less, and these are great gifts for kids old enough to keep track of them and to have some sense about not snapping three rolls of film of the same shot-say of their friend climbing a tree or worms on the driveway.

I prefer cameras that offer zooming capability, and kids will enjoy this too.

With any new camera, kids need three basic lessons:

		A general session on operating the camera;
		A chat about how to take care of the camera (don't drop it, for instance, or leave it outside in the yard); and
		A discussion of film and processing limits. Decide ahead of time who is going to be responsible for what costs. For instance, maybe you'll finance one roll of film processing for a special occasion or for one every month or so, but after that, your child is on his or her own.

Digital Cameras

In many ways, a digital camera is the perfect solution for a budding young photographer:

		There's no film or processing costs.
		Your child can snap as many shots as he or she likes, and is only limited by your camera's memory. Such ease gives a child the freedom for lots of experimenting about what does and doesn't work when composing a photograph.
		There's instant gratification. Your child can see what he's snapped without waiting for film to be processed. He or she can print out the results or email a file to family and friends.

When is a child ready to have his own digital camera?

Prices and technology are changing all the time, but even now some basic models sell for less than $100. Certainly these are bottom-of-the-line models, but even so, they can be loads of fun for a child.

Kids can be ready to snap a photo quite early, even at ages four, five, or six.

However, most aren't ready to actually take care of a camera until age six, at a minimum. And most aren't ready to download files onto a computer until age eight or older.

My recommendation would be to wait until your youngster is capable of doing his or her own downloading, or you're apt to tire of the chore yourself.

In any event, if your child is trying to take over your camera, it's time to get him his own. Luckily, you don't have to break the bank in the process.

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