When looking for a digital camera for kids, the age of your child and the depth of their interest in photography would be important factors that would affect your choice.

Whether for use by a child or an adult I am sure some of the qualities you require in a digital camera would be ease of use, good resolution, long battery life and reliability, just for starters.

But bearing in mind that you are looking for a digital camera for kids, it’s a good idea to include the ‘cool’ factor as one of the criteria when making a purchase.

Taking all the above into consideration, here are four cameras that your little ones are sure to enjoy.

1) Fisher Price Kid-Tough Digital Camera for Boys

This camera is suited to boys between 3 and 7 years old and costs about $70 depending on where you shop. The image quality produced is quite good for a kids’ camera thanks to the 640 x 480 resolution. The camera has two-eyed viewing which is great for younger kids as they’ll be able to focus better on the image they want to capture.

You do require 4 ‘AA’ batteries to operate the camera and the manufacturer states some assembly would be required.

Here is what the Fisher Price digital camera for kids has to offer:

• Camera comes with a USB cord for computer connection

• Kids can easily see the photos they have taken in the 1.3” color LCD preview screen

• The controls are so simple for kids to understand that no reading of instructions is required

• The 8 MB built in memory can store over 60 pictures

• CD of digital camera software

If you have a little girl, the Fisher Price digital camera comes in pink as well.

This camera is designed for tough use as the name implies, so you are sure to get your moneys worth.

2) VTech Kidizoom Digital Camera

This VTech digital camera is very similar in design to the Fisher Price model but with a slightly smoother look. The camera is recommended for use by kids 4 years and older.

Like the Fisher Price model, the VTech also has two viewing lenses but the LCD screen is slightly larger at 1.8”.

Let’s see what else is on offer from VTech:

• Firstly the price is around $115, which is higher than the Fisher Price
• In addition to taking digital photos you can record videos and play games on the 1.8 inch viewer or by plugging the camera into a television set (so far so good)
• The face plate is interchangeable which is sure to keep your child’s interest longer
• This digital camera for kids has 16MB of built-in memory and an SD card expansion slot to increase the
  capacity. You don’t see this often in cameras for kids, so I guess the extra money is worth it.

There is no word on the quality of the photos taken with this camera. I sure hope it is not a let down.

3) For kids in their early teens you can try the Canon PowerShot A430

This camera is noted for being easy to use and packed with features; here are some of them:

• The Canon PowerShot has 4.0 Mega pixels, 4x Optical Zoom and a 1.8 inch LCD screen
• It comes with iSAPS Technology for superior image quality
• Record your movies with sound in VGA (640 x 480) Movie Mode
• Uses 2 AA-size batteries
• Print/Share Button for easy direct printing and downloading

The price of this camera varies widely with the lowest being $97 and the highest $180. There is no clear reason why the price gap is so wide so you just need to make sure you shop around to get the best price possible.

Generally user comments on this camera are very positive with no mention of any recurring or annoying problems. The Canon PowerShot is definitely in the running.

So there you have my choice of three digital cameras for kids. Two are quite similar in design but the features are very different. You of course would know your kids needs and capabilities so you’ll be able to make the best decision on which digital camera you want to purchase.