G. Chris Griffin recommends Canon PowerShot A570 IS as Best Easy Digital Camera for Photos of Young Children and Pets Under $200.
Overview
This pocketable camera has a respectable zoom, good resolution, image stabilization – and is one of the best values available today.
- Young children or pets
- Easy-to-use point and shoot camera
- Under $200
What's Important for These Needs
Every parent wants what is best for their kids, so wanting the best camera to take pictures of them is natural. But what is best doesn’t always have to be the most expensive. A budget camera can be an excellent investment, and can have all the features you want to capture top quality photos of your kids.
A budget digital camera has to come in at around $200 to really be budget conscious. While there are cameras that are less than this, they are more likely to be of inferior quality. Luckily, many manufacturers recognize that everyone wants a camera, and are willing to put some very desirable features at around this price range.
A good budget camera for taking pictures of kids should have a decent zoom, preferably more than the industry standard 3x. It should have some modern camera conveniences, such as a fast processor for shooting one great shot after another, and face recognition to make sure you get the kids, not the trees behind them. Any additional features are great, too, but it is of course most important that the camera have a good quality lens and image sensor. Most budget cameras will also use AA batteries instead of a proprietary (that camera maker only) battery.
Leading Contenders
This budget camera doesn’t have a whole boatload of features, but it takes excellent photos and is very responsive. It also has an excellent Carl Zeiss lens, fits easily into a pocket, and is pretty sleek for a budget camera.
This ultracompact camera is the very definition of point-and-shoot. It is small and doesn’t have too many features to get in between you and the picture you want. It is solidly designed and has the same eye catching looks that define the Canon ELPH line.
Top Pick
The Canon A570 IS is an affordable camera that doesn’t compromise on quality – it takes excellent pictures and has many of the same features of more pricey cameras. It is also durable and easy to hold. That last feature might not seem important, but having that hand grip to hang on to while chasing after your kids can make all the difference.
This camera’s zoom is a useful 4x, which is more than usual for small cameras, and is especially notable in a budget camera. The A570 IS also has many features usually reserved for higher end models, like face recognition and Canon’s Digic III processor, so you won’t be waiting for the camera and miss that perfect shot. The image stabilizer is being implemented by Canon and other companies across their ranges, and that is just great for us consumers. Small cameras like this one, especially when zoomed, benefit from all the anti-shake/blur help they can get.
As with many similar cameras, the A570 IS uses AA batteries for its power rather than a camera-specific battery. This lowers the cost of the camera and also provides a nice side benefit, which is that in case you run out, batteries are probably available everywhere.
Tips
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Always uses rechargable batteries when you can - not only is it better for the environment, it is also more cost effective. If that isn’t enough to convince you, rechargables last MUCH longer than standard alkaline batteries.
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If you are going on a long trip and don’t want to worry about several memory cards, buy a larger SDHC card (which is compatible with the A570 IS) - with the largest of these, you can store literally thousands of pictures on one card.
