12 yr old Daughter wants a digital camera

[Hardcor4x4]

Daughter is turning 12 end of this month and only thing she wants is a digital camera. So some of us family are going together and getting her a digital camera. Looking for ideas for a tough point and shoot camera with video recording capabilty. She said it must have video capture capability. Something she can grow into too. something not so itty bitty small or slim she'll break it if she drops, stepson it or looses it. needs to be kinda inexpensive as this is for a 12 year old. image stablisation might be good too. she doesn't stand still very well. :rolleyes: lol. Something with some optical zoom capabilty. Nothing kid like camera like disney camera or little mermaid theme cameras. Would like to keep it around $200 if possible.

Suggestions? I know theres TONS of PHD cameras out there but looking for one that can survive a 12 year old and also one that she can use and grow into.

[BlueTJCO]

In that price range, I would personally look at one of the Kodak Super Zoom camera's out.

Kodak Z710

It's a nice little camera for the price. Great zoom, takes video, uses AA batteries, and takes nice pictures. I used this camera before getting my Powershot S3 which I'd recommend if you were looking at spending $300 - $350

[ColoradoSkier]

Some camera makers are starting to put out cameras that record video for YouTube, etc. Casio I think is the first. http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,134360-page,1-c,digitalcamcorders/article.html

[Jake_Blues]

I'd go for an Olympus Stylus 720 SW - $215 from New Egg. The internals are housed inside a gel that is shock proof to 5 feet, water proof to 10 feet, freezer proof and dust proof. It has image stabilization and can do movies. Up to 7.1 megapixels. Only downside is that it only has a 3x optical zoom.

I've never used one, so I can't speak for the image quality, but it gets pretty good reviews, and it's one of the few "hardened" digital cameras out there.

-E

[Hardcor4x4]

I looked at a bunch of cameras last night online and read reviews about them and so far have come up with these as possibilities. They all have a similar design that she wants and features that would be good for her to play with and expierment with. Manual controls, image stabalization, video mode.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16830120226

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16830120194

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16830111064

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16830111091

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16830122110

[MAMA]

I'd go for an Olympus Stylus 720 SW - $215 from New Egg. The internals are housed inside a gel that is shock proof to 5 feet, water proof to 10 feet, freezer proof and dust proof. It has image stabilization and can do movies. Up to 7.1 megapixels. Only downside is that it only has a 3x optical zoom.

I've never used one, so I can't speak for the image quality, but it gets pretty good reviews, and it's one of the few "hardened" digital cameras out there.

-E

I have this one... it has been runover by a motorhome, fallen down BV Carnage exit and many other drops, and has spent two summers at the lakes. It works PERFECT STILL!!!! LOVE IT!

[BlueTJCO]

Consumer Reports Magazine

Camera Tests: Top TWO rated camera's in your price range with what you are looking for....

Canon Powershot A630

FujiFilm FinePix F31fd

[Hardcor4x4]

Well just purchased the Canon A720IS for her.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16830120226
Her birthday is next week. Got one of the free combo deals, comes with a free 1gb stick of kingston SD memory and a free case. I'll get some rechargable batteries and a charger this weekend and she'll be set. I'm also trying to find empty box of a cheap kids toy camera and use the box to put my daughters new camera in and wrap it. :evil: something like THIS (http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=7754728) but I don't want to pay $50 for the thing just to get the box. I just want to find an empty box like that of a similar product. Any ideas? $200 camera for her birthday i'm going to have some fun with this one. :D
put it a box of tampons? :laughing:






edit: why is it I ALWAYS have to redo the text hyperlinks in my posts. Looks good in preview but when I hit post, it's all messed up.

[ColoradoSkier]

Just put it in the box for any cheap toy you might find at Big Lots... :evil:

[Hardcor4x4]

Well I found out that a box from a $3 kodak disposible camera is the perfect size for her Canon powershot A720IS AND!! that box fits inside a tampon box AND that box fits inside a shoe box AND that box fits inside an Avon book box. :evil: I'm such a mean daddy. :P oh BTW that disposible camera box will be wraped with several layers of clear packaging tape and each box will be wrapped with birthday wrapping paper. :D

I'll post pictures later this week when she "trys" to open it.

[Jeffro600]

I suggest some duct tape and perhaps a little super glue too! :D

[Rhino95]

And plastic wrap. Layers and layers of plastic wrap...THEN cover it in packaging tape.

[Hardcor4x4]

Well tomorrow is her Birthday and I spent tonight wraping her camera inside FIVE boxes!!! :D :evil:

This is the camera
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/bhugo4x4/box%20in%20a%20box/30-120-226-02.jpg

BTW, everytime she keeps bugging us for a digital camera lately we keep telling her where broke and just don't have the money for it. so at this point she probably thinks she's going to get a package of socks or something. :laughing:

Take that camera and stuffed it inside a $3 disposable camera box and wrapped it a few dozen times with clear packaging tape if you can see in the photo.
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/bhugo4x4/box%20in%20a%20box/DSCF6322.jpg

The stuffed that inside a tampon box
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/bhugo4x4/box%20in%20a%20box/DSCF6327.jpg

And wrapped it and put it inside an empty box of oatmeal
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/bhugo4x4/box%20in%20a%20box/DSCF6328.jpg

And wrapped that and put inside another box
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/bhugo4x4/box%20in%20a%20box/DSCF6329.jpg

And again wrapped that and put it inside yet another box as kittay looks on as to what i'm doing.
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/bhugo4x4/box%20in%20a%20box/DSCF6331.jpg

Wrapped that one too and here the completed birthday gift about the size of a bankers file box all for a gift about the size of a cell phone.
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/bhugo4x4/box%20in%20a%20box/DSCF6333.jpg

[Tiffany]

LOL...poor kid!

You must take pics of the unwrapping!!!

[Hardcor4x4]

You must take pics of the unwrapping!!!
Oh I will :D

And i'll post the results.


But I can't find the cat now..... :shrug:


Wonder where she went. :evil:










































I'm kidding. kittay has air holes in the box. :flipoff2:

[Rhino95]

Did you seriously put her in the box? That's awesome!

[ColoradoSkier]

Well played!

[Luv_Jeeps]

OMG. :D :D :D
That's priceless......

[JeepDiva]

Waiting for the pics of her trying to open all that :D

[Hardcor4x4]

It'll be tonight, I'm still at work for a bit longer. She has no school today either and i'm sure she's bugging the shit out of mom where her present is.

I just wish I had a memory card big enough on my camera to record it in video.