Smartphones can capture spur of the moment pictures, but for those interested in photography, nothing replaces a real camera. For younger children, the Vtech Kidizoom is the best value digital camera for kids. With an easy-to-grip compact body, it's perfect for growing hands and budding creatives. The Panasonic Lumix is in a league of its own as a point and shoot, and the Campark is a small action unit that's big on features. Whatever features you'd like for your kids, we're here to help you select the best one.
Kids three to eight will find the Kidizoom easy to grasp and hard to break. This intuitive stills and creative video toy is a stellar choice as a first camera. The Vtech has a large shutter button, an easy-to-operate digital zoom, and built-in static and photo effects, plus four built-in games.
The durable Kidizoom shoots 2.0MP stills and has a 4x digital zoom, so it does the basics well enough. An included selfie mode detects faces and automatically takes a perfectly timed shot. A video recorder and voice recorder round out this solidly built kiddie cam
The Veroyi Kids' Camera will delight children four to 10 years old for its ability to take selfies from the front or the rear of the unit. The camera also supports funny frames for kids to practice creativity, four shooting zooms, eight scene selections, and comes with a battery that can power up to 2,000 shutter clicks.
This is a tiny camera that's ideal for small hands. The soft silicone externals are easy to grip and make this child-size camera drop proof and shockproof. This toy-like cam captures stills and video and comes with a neck lanyard, sticker, USB cable, memory card, and manual.
The Lumix FZ80 is an outstanding 18.1MP point and shoot for older kids and even adults. While it may be a little too fragile for your aspiring little photographers, this would be a better fit for ages 12 and up. The Lumix is heavy on specs, featuring 4K video, a 60x zoom that goes from 20-1200mm in seconds, a touchscreen LCD, and a high-resolution viewfinder.
Best of all, the Lumix comes with optical image stabilization that does away with camera shake, especially when the lens is fully extended, and turns out tack sharp images that impress. It's a great fit for any aspiring photographer or videographer.
If you have a child who loves photography and underwater exploration, this is the perfect camera. The CamPark X30 is an action camera that shoots 4K UHD video at 30fps down to 40m below the surface. This model can also capture 20MP stills above and below the waves. This waterproof camera has built-in electronic image stabilization to keep your footage stable and clear and comes with a waterproof case, two-inch touchscreen, Wi-Fi remote control, and two batteries. While it may not be the best for tiny hands, this is a perfect choice for ages 14 and up.
The Campark is compatible with GoPro accessories and comes complete with a dock charger and USB cable, plus all the mounts you need to attach this sports cam to your helmet and handlebars or to hold it steady in the water.
This is a feature-heavy Fujifilm that can detect brightness automatically, adjusting flash and shutter speeds on the fly, so you're guaranteed a perfect photo no matter what your skill level. A good camera to start with, it's less expensive and has some neat features for you or your child to tinker with. An awesome plus is a double exposure mode that snaps two images and produces them on a single film sheet.
This Fujifilm model comes with a high-performance flash, battery, charger, and manual. The combination of features, quality, and style turn this beautiful retro camera into an impressive piece of technology.
Bottom line
Selecting the perfect camera depends on your child; consider their age, interest level, and how much you want to spend on equipment, and you can select the camera that best fits. For a great starter camera, we suggest the Vtech Kidizoom. It is my favorite pick for young photographers and also the best value for parents. This tough-as-nails camera has two side handles that are easy for children to grip, which makes it both comfortable to hold and also excellent at reducing camera shake in untrained hands.
Available in blue or pink, this is the best first camera for kids and a budget-friendly model that won't break the bank and will last for years. When you want to introduce young children to photography and help them learn to be creative on their own, the Vtech Kidizoom is the kids' camera checks all the right boxes.
