Ted’s Top 5 Best Cameras for Kids

The Panasonic Lumix FT30 is a high-performance compact digital camera that also happens to be a great option of your child spends a lot of time by the water. It’s waterproof to 8m, shockproof to 1.5m and freeze and dust-proof to boot. Beginner photographers will love its well-rounded image-making features, which include a 16MP CMOS Sensor, HD video, and a 4x optical zoom lens to frame photos and videos with ease. There’s also a handy torchlight to ensure your child can take confidence-boosting images in murky underwater conditions and at night! 

Small, easy to use and able to withstand the odd spill, the Nikon Coolpix W150 is the perfect camera to give to someone with smaller hands. The Coolpix W150 is waterproof to 10m, shockproof to 1.8m, as well as being dustproof and cold-resistant - you can confidently let the little ones explore their creativity with this camera, knowing it will come back in one piece. 

Although tough and tiny, the Nikon Coolpix W150’s image quality should not be ignored, thanks to its 13.2MP CMOS sensor which is great for stills and Full HD video and its versatile 3x optical zoom lens. With its built-in WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity unleashing Nikon’s excellent SnapBridge app, your youtube one can be sharing their proud moments with their peers within moments.

Instant photography is always popular at Christmas time. Instant cameras make great gifts and they are perfect for capturing the joy and having fun doing so on Christmas day. The Fuji Instax mini 11 instant camera is one of the most popular and easiest to use, making it a great first instant camera for kids. This camera comes in a range of cool colours to match different personalities, and it features a dedicated selfie mode to help users frame themselves with accuracy - two features that will appeal to the younger generation.

The Fuji Instax mini 11 instant camera comes in a compact frame that smaller kids can comfortably hold. Capturing high-quality pocket-sized instant images, which develop in around 90 seconds, is as simple as looking through the optical viewfinder, pointing and shooting.

The Ilford Sprite 35 II film camera is designed to help people rekindle their love of film photography, but if your kid gets one this Christmas, it may just be their first love. Film photography encourages creativity by reintroducing some of the limitations that digital cameras have. Want a black and white image? This needs to be decided before you load the film, which teaches your child to think ahead and make conscious decisions. This model, in fact, comes with a roll of high-quality black and white film as a bonus!

If rugged features aren’t essential, a high-quality digital compact camera such as the Canon Powershot SX620HS is a reliable choice. Despite its pocket-friendly size, this camera features a huge 25x optical zoom lens which is very handy when it comes to travel photography. Other key features include Full HD video and a large and bright LCD screen.

The lens of this accomplished compact camera starts at a wide 25mm equivalent focal length, meaning it is suitable for landscapes, as well as long-rangung subjects like wildlife, while the optical image stabilisation feature means images remain sharp and blur-free throughout the zoom range. If your young one is quite tech savvy, they will no doubt appreciate the file sharing and remote capabilities provided by the built-in WiFi and NFC connectivity.

Mirrorless cameras are known for producing the quality and functionality of DSLR cameras but in a more portable package. One camera that embodies this perfectly is the Fujifilm X-T200. If your kid has used a compact camera or smartphone before they will have no trouble getting a handle on the operation of this camera. What it does have that they would not have experienced before however, is the excellent image quality, which comes from the much larger 24.2MP sensor.

The X-T200 is also notably excellent for video purposes with 4K resolution video, a large tilting LCD screen for framing POV shots, and a microphone input for seeking better audio. With the X-T200 your child could take their first step towards YouTube stardom with their very own vlog!

This lightweight and unassuming film camera looks alot like a disposable camera, but it doesn’t end up in the bin when the first roll is done - it can be used again and again. The Harman Reusable 35mm camera is a great first film camera for kids, being amazingly simple to use and encouraging some of the key learning points that come with film photography -  this includes choosing the right film for each occasion and being patient as you wait for film to be developed before you can see your results.

The Harman Reusable 35mm camera is compatible with 200 and 400 speed 135 film, while it comes with 2 rolls of black and white film so your kid can load up and start taking photographs on Christmas morning. Thanks to its easy to use push button flash, this film camera can take well-exposed images indoors as well as outdoors.