Hi Zoe
New models keep coming in all the time of course and it depends how good the pics need to be, how they will be used, etc, but one thing to consider, if high quality is not essential and you need something fairly robust, is a small video camera. There is one on the Tesco website for just under £30 at the moment.
http://direct.tesco.com/q/R.210-5649.aspx
Or here is a very similar one, which is waterproof as well, although the still picture resolution is quite low:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B003U3XOPW
That would mean you could get them to do short videos as well, or for another project. It also means there is no zooming or other adjustments they can make when taking stills, so it focuses them on selecting and framing the shots rather than on the technology.
Otherwise, there are plenty of digital cameras for under £50, but the main drawbacks to be aware of are that can be quite a delay between pressing the button and it taking the shot, and also that the ones with optical zoom can be damaged very easily and are not worth repairing.
If you are tempted by the option for video at some point, you might want to consider getting one for you or other staff to use which takes an external mic, so that you can record decent sound - which is the main limiting factor when doing video on a limited budget.
My current and still preferred combination is a Kodak Zi8 with a cheap mic.
Unfortunately it looks like the Zi8 has shot up in price, but you can still get them for a little over £100 if you look around.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B002J9I3HM
If you do ask children to use video it is probably best to limit them to 45 seconds total, and get them to edit as they go, in other words plan the shots they need and just use on and off to get them in the sequence.
If you want any more suggestions on framing the project for children, whether using stills or video, just give me a ring.
Have fun!
Martin
----------------------------------------------------
Martin Bazley
Online experience consultant
Martin Bazley & Associates
15 Margin Drive
Wimbledon
SW19 5HA
0780 3580 727
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www.martinbazley.com
-----Original Message-----
From: List for discussion of issues in museum education in the UK. [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Zoe Kilb
Sent: 19 July 2011 12:40
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Digital Cameras
Hello,
Can anyone recommend some reasonable quality and fairly hardy compact digital cameras?
Looking to spend no more than £75 per camera - but ideally looking for something under £50 (do they exist!).
They're being used by children so need to be fairly hardy but still taking half descent photos?
They're just so many to choose from so any recommendations would be gratefully appreciated!
Thanks,
Zoe.
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