Christmas Present : Camera fior a 9 year old

WLM21
WLM21 Posts: 1,495 Forumite
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Our daughter in law has asked us to buy a camera for our granddaughter for Christmas.

We don't have a problem with that (OK I do a little) as she has asked for this camera ..

https://www.johnlewis.com/fujifilm-instax-mini-9-instant-camera-with-10-shots-of-film-built-in-flash-hand-strap/p3222347?s_kwcid=1dx43700026805518612&tmad=c&tmcampid=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIn_fM1pjk1wIVcADTCh2T8QjdEAAYASAAEgIcAfD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Being a film camera, with 20 pictures costing about £15 this will end up quite an expensive camera to be using.

Surely everybody now (OK, not everybody) is using digital cameras. It just making viewing and sharing photographs much easier.

We don't usually argue with suggested presents, but I feel this is worth a discussion. I can imagine a 9 year old girl taking 10 pictures (one film pack) in a couple of minutes ..having no real idea on costs etc

What do folk think here ?

thank you

Comments

  • AndyPix
    AndyPix Posts: 4,847 Forumite
    Name Dropper First Anniversary First Post Photogenic
    I agree ..
  • tacpot12
    tacpot12 Posts: 7,957 Forumite
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    She will soon get an idea of the cost, especially if you discuss this with her.

    I would buy the camera, and a couple of extra rolls of film. Explain the cost per picture, and offer to buy a couple more films for her birthday if she wants them. I would expect your DIL will end up forking out extra rolls of films if your granddaughter is getting value from having real prints. There is plenty of time for her to have a digital camera, and she may value it more for having had the experience with the instax cameria.
    The comments I post are my personal opinion. While I try to check everything is correct before posting, I can and do make mistakes, so always try to check official information sources before relying on my posts.
  • WLM21
    WLM21 Posts: 1,495 Forumite
    First Post First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    tacpot12 wrote: »
    ... and offer to buy a couple more films for her birthday

    Seems fine to me .. December 22nd next year then :D
  • Robisere
    Robisere Posts: 3,237 Forumite
    First Anniversary Photogenic First Post Combo Breaker
    I agree that it is better to buy a digital camera, but: she is 9. If a 9 yo girl sets her mind on something, usually you are up against the Immovable Object. Suggest alternatives, with a good explanation, but be prepared for opposition.

    I have a daughter. And 2 granddaughters. They have all been 9 years old at some point, one quite recently. Stephen King wrote a familiar - sounding phrase in his book "The Stand" about a girl, describing the "I want line" that can come to occupy the space between a girl's eyebrows when her wants are compromised. I have seen that line more than once....
    I think this job really needs
    a much bigger hammer.
  • iammumtoone
    iammumtoone Posts: 6,377 Forumite
    First Anniversary Name Dropper First Post I've been Money Tipped!
    the thing with that camera is, it is instant, that is what she wants.

    A 9 year old doesn't want to be plugging the camera into the PC and printing photos from there, she wants to see it print out straight away.

    On the other hand I agree its an awful lot of money for what it is and will cost a fortune in film. Plus 9 years olds are not great at taking photos so there will be a lot of wasted prints.

    If my 10 year old asked for one he would not be getting it.
  • cookie365
    cookie365 Posts: 1,809 Forumite
    'She' has asked for that particular camera?

    Does that mean the granddaughter has asked for it, or it's the daughter in law who's asked for it after googling 'cameras for kids'?

    Most 9 year olds I know are completely comfortable plugging stuff into laptops.

    The thing about a print camera is that once the picture's printed and you've all had a look after 2 minutes there's nothing more to it and it turns boring. How about disussing with your daughter in law about getting a cheap fun digital camera and some cheap/free fun photo editing software?
  • iammumtoone
    iammumtoone Posts: 6,377 Forumite
    First Anniversary Name Dropper First Post I've been Money Tipped!
    cookie365 wrote: »
    Most 9 year olds I know are completely comfortable plugging stuff into laptops.

    These instant cameras are very trendy at the moment.
  • What a rip off.

    Yes some instant cameras are trendy at the moment, the ones that also store photos in the cloud and allow you to share them on social media via an app on your phone etc. The kind that use Zink paper. Not some old school Polaroid clone from the 90s.
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