New Camera?

[luvthattink]

We are looking for a starter camera for my son. He is 13 and very serious about photography. He has mild Cerebral Palsy and is a bit clumsy. Is there a good camera out there, that is very durable if dropped, is quick to take pictures in series, easy to use, and won't break the bank. It's just that fine motor coordination is not completely there for him.

We got him a camera last December, it's a Pocket Aiptek DV 5100M. We found it for $49 at Walgreen's on Black Friday. It serves him fine for outdoor pictures, but is lousy for indoor pics or pics that require zoom. It's very durable, been dropped over 10 times, and still works. It's made out of some type of plastic. He is great at making movies and working on his pictures on the computer.

[Photographer]

I can tell you what to avoid based on the repairs that come into work. Believe it or not there are a large number of Nikons with bad sensors. They seem to be in the S and L series cameras as well as the numbered ones like 4600, 5600, and 7600. Kodak's are constantly breaking. Either you get one that lasts for several years or one that gives out after a few months.

You may want to look at a Canon A550 for $180 (think), the Pentax M20, and Olympus' FE-210. All three have a bit of a grip to them rather than being perfectly square or flat. Unfortunately the only drop-proof camera is around $300-400 and it will survive a five foot fall. They just don't make them like they did 4-5 years ago.

Feel free to ask more questions.

[luvthattink]

I'd be interested in more info about the cameras that can survive a 5 foot drop.

[Robb]

What is your budget?

If he really interested in photography, I would suggest a good camera with a removable lens. I understand the CP situation (preemie dad), and I am the son of a former studio owner, so I go my hands on stuff early. He will get bored of the basic stuff soon. There is an open source ("free") photo software that is great, but the name escapes me this second.

I would recommend a better consumer camera like the Nikon D40. Camera straps are important to any photographer (I saw a guy drop his camera into the Grand Canyon). Tripods can also help in this situation.

There is a company "Camera Armour" - by the name you can guess what they make. I know they have set ups for the D40, and I am sure they have ones for other cameras. Here is a link to B&H's site for the Camera Armour for the D40.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/486981-REG/Camera_Armor_CA1115BLK_Nikon_D40_Camera_Armor.html

[luvthattink]

Camera armour!! That's great! Thanks for the advice!

[Mark]

The Olympus Stylus 770 SW (http://www.olympusamerica.com/cpg_section/product.asp?product=1287) is described as "shockproof, waterproof, freezeproof, and crushproof." I'm not sure how you define "won't break the bank", but it's $325.

[Robin]

I actually dropped my Kodak and it's still working. One setting seems off. (I think I was juggling things while pulling it out of the bag when it fell.)

I'm a firm believe if you have a high risk of dropping to either putting the strap around your shoulders or wrap it around the wrist if it's light enough.

Once you get your choices narrowed down, I'd suggest you take your son into the store to try them out. How comfortable he is with the weight and grip/layout of the camera can make a big difference in how comfortable he is using it.

[luvthattink]

That's a good idea to try them out. I have until Dec. to purchase one.