DD turning 11 - digital camera rec

[SeekingSerenity]

My Mickie-Lamb is turning 11 at the end of this month and wants a digital camera for her birthday. Does anyone have any recommendations for a good model, something with a decent amount of memory and good resolution but isn't over-the-top expensive? I don't have much experience with cameras so I'm not sure what I'm looking for.

Thanks!!

[mild_adventurer]

DSD was 11 when we bought her a digital camera for Christmas last year. She's become quite the story-teller with that thing! I think it's a wonderful gift for a young girl.

This is the camera we bought her.

It takes 10.0 megapixel photos and can do short videos, too. We bought her a camera case, some photo paper (we have a photo printer) and an album to go along with.

She loves it.

[SeekingSerenity]

Awesome! It's even blue - she specifically said she wanted a blue one.

[terrordactyl]

anything by canon or nikon is awesome

[malamatka]

Depends on how much you want to spend, too. I started out with Nikon, went to Canon (amateur photographer) and have never looked back. IMHO, Canon tends to be more user friendly than Nikon. As to memory, most cameras come with a very small memory card, but you can get a 2 gig memory card for little to nothing.

[AahRee]

It depends on her interest level, but a point and shoot camera is portable and fun, while a digital SLR will allow her to learn more about photography. Is she interested in learning photography, or does she really just want to be able to take snapshots of her and her friends?

[SeekingSerenity]

Well, if she's anything like I used to be, the interest will start as taking pictures of her dog and her friends, but will grow into wanting to learn photography. I've never gotten my expensive camera with the telephoto lens and tripod like I want, but I still have the interest in learning. She is talking like all she wants is the casual use of the camera, however she's used big Sis's camera to do flowers and stuff, so I think she's gonna have a bigger interest later.

Not sure though. I don't want to go too expensive and flashy just in case it turns out to be a passing thing. She IS only 11 after all, ! I do want to get her a digital, though. Point and shoot will be a wasted effort - I've sent her disposables before and her dad doesn't develop them. Plus I know I will actually GET the pictures if they're digital. I've gotten maybe two dozen pictures from them in 8 years thus far...

[malamatka]

Actually, there are digital *point and shoot* cameras. Most DSLRs will have removable lens (but can also be used as a *point and shoot* camera).