I guess that a Point and Shoot (AE & AF) camera provides the easy approach to photography for beginners/newcomers. Pereferably a digital camera, because of the very low cost. I bought two cameras for my son (now 14): A Topcon w. 3 lenses and a Praktica 4MP (earlier Minox model). He actually uses the latter from time to time. One of the problems with these camera are that they are quite complicated if you don't want to use the camera default/Auto settings. Getting a -1 exposure compensation involves running through several menues and pressing several little buttons. So he never bothers to change anything.
I borrow it too: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bladt/34445958 I used the "Tulip Program" for this one. Jens Bladt Arkitekt MAA http://hjem.get2net.dk/bladt -----Oprindelig meddelelse----- Fra: Vic Mortelmans [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sendt: 15. august 2005 22:23 Til: pentax epostlijst Emne: raising photographers Hello, a while ago, there was a kind of poll on the list about what inspired you to get into photography. I'd like to twist the question towards how you would inspire aspirant photographers. My kid is less than 1 year old, so it's not really an urgent question, but I guess some of you have older kids and some of them may have become interested in photography as well. Very concretely: what kind of camera would you provide your kid for first experience? I (as most of you probably did) started with a completely manual viewfinder camera (for me: AGFA Silette Vario) with variable focus, aperture and exposure time. I just used the pictograms that were on the inside of film boxes to set the apertue to 'sun', 'cloudy', 'shade' or whatever... and that worked. Then an inherited Pentax Spotmatic F came and added the lightmeter to that (only had a single lens for long!). These days, I guess most kids would start either with a cheap fixed-focus (disposable?) camera, or with a (digital?) point-and-shoot after some 'upgrade' of the parents. Few would get a completely manual camera and learn the meaning of focus and light conditions. Would you be in favor of providing them manual equipment? What is the risk of them getting discouraged because of bad results compared to any point-and-shoot? At what age does it make sense to give them anything manual; and what kind of equipment would you be thinking of? Groeten, Vic
