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Best Kids Camera [2023 Buying Guide]

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If your family loves traveling, odds are you have a few kids who love taking pictures. With so many cameras on the market, choosing the best kids’ camera can be overwhelming. This outdoor gear guide will help you figure out exactly what type of camera you should buy for your child.

As much as you may wish to encourage their budding love for travel photography, you are probably not too thrilled about handing them your expensive cell phone to do so.

Kids Camera
Kids Camera

We know you want to find a camera for your kids that will be durable and easy to use but will also take great photos, so keep scrolling to learn more about our top picks for the best kids’ cameras on the market.

Your Kids First Camera

Remember, just because you are buying a camera for your child, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to buy a kids’ camera.

In fact, unless you are buying a toy camera for a toddler, we recommend buying a sturdy camera that isn’t specifically geared for kids. 

Our top choice for the best kids’ camera is the Fujifilm FinePix XP120 Digital Camera. Keep reading to find out why we’ve chosen this model.

In this guide to the best kids’ cameras on the market we will teach you:

  • How to choose the best camera for your kids without compromising photo quality.
  • How to decide whether you need a digital camera for your kids or a kids instant camera and the differences between the two.
  • How to avoid wasting your money on a cheap kids camera that won’t produce pictures worth taking.

Of course, there’s a lot to consider when choosing the perfect kids’ camera and not every camera will be suitable for your child, but if you simply want to buy our all-time favorite camera for kids without reading the back story, you can do that too. 

Should You Buy an Instant Camera or a Digital Camera for Your Child?

The first thing to decide when choosing the perfect kids camera, is whether you want to purchase a kids digital camera or kids instant camera.

Kids Camera
Kids Camera

More than likely, you will be looking for a digital camera for your child, but there are also a few great instant cameras worth considering. Here’s a breakdown of the pros and cons for each.

Instant Camera For Kids

Polaroid-style cameras have made a comeback in recent years, and are a great choice for kids who want instant results that they can hold, study, or hang.

Instant cameras are larger than standard digital cameras and easy for little hands to hold making instant cameras a great option for younger kids and toddlers.

The downside to instant cameras is that the photo quality is often lacking and the film can be expensive. The upside is that kids have to learn to compose their shots carefully before snapping the shutter.

We recommend you only choose an instant camera for kids if you are comfortable with teaching them to be cautious with their shots and you are comfortable with the expense of purchasing film.

Pros:

  • Larger and easier for small hands to hold 
  • Durable
  • Teaches photo framing skills

Cons: 

  • Photo Quality is often lacking with instant cameras
  • The film is expensive and children will need to be taught to be cautious before snapping pics

Digital Cameras For Kids

Digital cameras, by comparison, allow your kids to snap hundreds of photos that can be downloaded to a computer, edited, and printed cheaply.

Kids Camera
Kids Camera

Overall, digital cameras will be less of an investment than an instant camera, but you’ll have to remind your kids to carefully frame their shots so you don’t end up with thousands of photos cluttering up your computer. 

Pros:

  • Ability to snap hundreds of photos
  • Easily downloaded, edited, and printed
  • Inexpensive to print photos

Cons: 

  • Kids need to be taught to carefully snap quality photos to avoid over-cluttering the storage

How to Choose the Best Kids’ Camera for Your Child

This guide to the best kids’ camera has been divided into the following categories:

  • Features needed in a camera
  • Best cameras for toddlers and young children
  • Best digital cameras for younger kids
  • Best digital cameras for older kids and teens
  • Best Instant Cameras on the market

We have spent hours researching the best kids’ cameras so that you can make an informed decision about which model to buy for your child.

Our top picks were chosen because of their reliability, durability, affordability, and ease of use, and we’re pretty confident that you will find a great kids’ camera from our list of favorites. 

In addition to choosing the type of camera you want to purchase for your child, you will also want to consider the age of your child, how interested he or she is in photography, and, of course, how much you want to spend on a camera for your child. 

Here are some camera features you should think about before choosing the best camera for your child.

Durability

Durability is an important factor, whether you’re buying a camera for a toddler or a teenager, but the younger the child, the more that durability matters.

For kids younger than 7, choose digital cameras that are shockproof and will survive meeting the pavement on numerous occasions. For kids under 9, it’s wise to choose a camera without a digital zoom.

Moving lenses are often the first thing to break on a digital camera, so it’s wise to start with a fixed lens and switch to a zoom lens as your child’s interest in photography grows along with their level of maturity and responsibility.

Usability

Your child’s first camera does not need to have a lot of bells and whistles. Changing a bunch of settings is unnecessary for young children, but can be fun for older kids who are curious about using them.

For kids under 7, auto-focus and automatic settings will allow them to take consistently good photographs without a lot of fuss. Older kids will appreciate the challenge and creativity that comes with choosing different settings and manual controls. 

Picture Quality

Your kids don’t need to be able to print professional-quality photo prints, but if you plan on making prints, you should look for cameras with decent picture quality.

By the same token, a child who is interested in photography as a hobby will want better quality photos than a child who is just playing around with a cool new toy.

The picture quality of a digital camera is determined by its sensors and pixels, and generally speaking, the higher the picture quality, the higher the cost. 

Cost

Start your younger child out with an affordable, durable camera, sacrificing picture quality and extra features. As your child’s interest in photography grows, you can choose to spend a little more for a better-quality camera with more advanced features.

Another option is to start your child off with a used digital camera, which may provide better quality for less money. 

Kids' Camera

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