Point-n-squirt

[SneakyMcC]

We are looking to get our son a camera for his 7th birthday. £50-£60 budget.

Tesco’s had Olympus D-700/Nikon Coolpix S2500. Argos have a cannon, but that need batteries and 10mp. For my son's needs I'm sure 10mp would more than sufice. Does the gang have any advice for me?

Olympus D-700 (VG-110)

Tesco UK are selling the Olympus D-700 in red, silver or black for £69 – it appears to be a renamed Olympus VG-110 budget camera, and features a wide angle 27mm 4x optical zoom, 2.7″ screen, 12 megapixel sensor, USB charging, 5cm macro, and VGA video. It will be available in silver, red or black.

“Equipped with a 4x wide optical zoom lens (27-108mm*) panorama and distance shots are a cinch. A 2.7” colour LCD (230,400 dots) for easily framing, reviewing and sharing shots with your family and friends completes an excellent all-round package at minimum expense. Plus, an additional SD card slot – next to internal memory – means worries about space are a thing of the past.”

Nikon COOLPIX S2500 review - Features

The times when one had to compromise in getting a compact under £100 are long gone, and this can be seen in the specification of the COOLPIX S2500. The model features a 1/2.3in CCD sensor with a 12MP resolution, while a 4x optical zoom also features covering a 27-108mm focal range in 35mm equivalent terms, even complete with electronic vibration reduction. The model also features an LCD screen with a resolution befitting it's price tag - a 2.7in, 230k-dot is hardly going to set the world alight, but it's more than adequate for review and composing images.

A lot of the camera's functionality is aimed at those who are either new to photography or want the camera to do the work, with this once again being a common feature of compacts around the £100 price tag. The S2500 features a ‘Smart Portrait' capture system - the mode features Smile Timer, Blink Proof and Skin Softening features which all combine to help take better portraits. The camera also features Scene Auto Selection technology, whereby the camera will address the scene and choose the right scene mode for the best image from one of 17 different modes.

The COOLPIX S2500 also features Subject Tracking Auto-Focus mode, which is perfect for a moving subject and a relatively high-end feature, while the model also benefits from built-in anti-blur technology, assisting in sharp subjects using four different methods.

Canon PowerShot A800 10MP Digital Compact Camera - Black.

You can rely on Canon know-how to take great 10 Megapixel photos with Smart Auto mode, Smart Auto mode can detect 19 different scenes so you can simply point and shoot Genuine Canon 3.3x optical zoom lens Blur Reduction mode and Motion Detection technology help to keep images sharp and

clear Simple button layout and easy to use menu with 16 Shooting modes including Super Vivid Poster Effect and FaceSelf-Timer DIGIC III image processing for natural results and quick performance

Model number A800

· 10 megapixels.

· Black.

· 3.3 x optical zoom.

· 4 x digital zoom.

· 2.5in LCD screen.

Features:

· PictBridge compatible.

· Digital anti-blur.

· Face detection up to 35 faces.

· Continuous shooting up to 0.8 frames per second.

· Red eye reduction.

· Memory card compatibility: SD, SDHC, SDXC and MMC.

· Movie capture with sound.

· Maximum ISO 1600.

· 15 scene modes.

· Intelligent scene mode.

· Self timer.

· Built-in flash.

General information:

· Accessories included: carry strap.

· Batteries required 2 x AA battery (included).

· Weight 186g.

· Size H6.16, W9.43cm.

· Depth of camera when switched off 3.12cm.

Additional Information

Please note that this product is excluded from our 30 Day Money Back Guarantee. This does not affect your statutory rights.

Current selling price valid until 17/08/2011

[CarMad]

At 7 I'd have a look at the Fuji shock / waterproof cameras, only a bit more but better that than replace it when he drops it.