21 Best Cameras for Teens and Tweens in 2024

The Canon EOS Rebel T8i is the best all-rounder on our list. This DSLR camera is a great camera for still photography, producing excellent images. But its full set of features makes it an ideal digital camera for teens with broad interests. It’s a quality DSLR at an affordable price.

Teenage photographers are sure to boost their confidence using the Canon EOS Rebel T8i. The camera sensor has a resolution of 24.1MP. That’s a definite jump in quality from smartphone cameras. The amazing results will fuel their enthusiasm for photography.

This Canon camera has a 9-zone, 45-point autofocus system. It’s quick to lock on to your subject. And it works well in low-light conditions. The image stabilizer also helps maintain picture quality.

There’s no electronic viewfinder. And the screen is only used for viewing photos and menus. Using the optical viewfinder might take some getting used to for younger photographers.

The Canon EOS Rebel T8i has Wi-Fi connectivity, making it easy to move and share photos to other devices. The EOS Utility Software turns your camera into a webcam. And young filmmakers will love the 4K video recording.

If you’re looking for a compact, teen-friendly camera, the Panasonic Lumix ZS80 is excellent. You’ll get high-quality photos with awesome additional features. It’s a fantastic point-and-shoot camera for enthusiastic teens. And the price is very reasonable.

You’ll find a 1/2.3-inch image sensor inside. But despite its small size, the ZS80 gives you a resolution of 20.3MP. And the optical image stabilizer keeps your photos sharp when life gets shaky.

The zoom lens is a standout feature of the Panasonic Lumix ZS80. It has a fixed Leica lens with a 30x optical zoom. That’s a focal length range of 24-720mm. That’s a huge zoom range, taking you to the heart of the action.

The 3-inch touchscreen has a tilt display. You can flip it 180 degrees, which is ideal for selfies. And the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity makes sharing photos easy.

The 4K video is great. You can shoot time-lapse and slow-motion videos. And you have a burst mode that shoots 10fps.

The Nikon D3500 has long held a reputation for being the best camera for beginners. And we think it still deserves its place at the top. This DSLR camera is the perfect first camera for teenagers taking their first steps in photography.

The APS-C (crop size) sensor has a resolution of 24.7MP, so you can expect high-quality photos. The fully auto mode lets you start shooting right away. But you have different modes to help young photographers become more capable with the camera.

You can connect the Nikon D3500 to your smartphone using the Nikon SnapBridge app. It gives you access to all the photos on your camera from your phone. And you can share them directly on social media.

The video recording capabilities aren’t great, with a resolution of just 1080p. And the burst mode is a sluggish 5 fps. But the D3500 is the best camera for teens with a passion for still photography.

The Nikon D3500 is the perfect entry point for new photographers. It’s easy to use, so younger teens won’t have a problem. And the excellent results will fuel their passion for photography.

A bridge camera is a cross between a DSLR and a point-and-shoot camera. They’re simple and easy to use. And they also have a fixed lens. But they also have more manual controls for photography than a compact camera.

The Panasonic Lumix FZ80 has an 18.1MP sensor. That’s not record-breaking, but the image quality is still brilliant for young teens and beginners. The electronic viewfinder and touchscreen make it easy to use. And the optical image stabilizer keeps the pictures sharp.

This bridge camera has an incredible optical zoom lens that gives you 60x magnification. The focal length range is 20-1200mm, which is wide-angle to telephoto. It gives you amazing shooting options. You can shoot portraits at close range. Or you can use the zoom for wildlife photography.

The Panasonic Lumix FZ80 has 4K video. And you can extract frames from the footage and use them as full-quality still photos. This bridge camera does a lot to ignite a teen’s interest. And it’s an affordable camera too.

The Fujifilm X-T100 is a fabulous mirrorless camera. The performance is excellent and produces fantastic images. And the extra features give it more appeal to a teenage audience. Mirrorless cameras tend to be more expensive, and this model is on the pricier side.

It’s armed with a 24.2MP APS-C image sensor. And the image quality is genuinely impressive for a camera of this size and price bracket. The Fujifilm film simulation filters are a cool feature to give your photos a retro look.

The burst speed is 15 fps, which is great for sports photography. And the 3-way tilting electronic viewfinder gives you more options when shooting. Wireless connectivity is another handy feature that allows you to connect the camera to your smartphone.

Shooting in the dark is no problem. There’s a built-in flash for shooting when the lights go out. The battery life is great for a mirrorless camera. It gives you about 430 shots when fully charged. But that number decreases when you’re using the flash.

The Canon PowerShot SX620 packs a punch when it comes to performance. But it’s small enough to put in your pocket. This compact digital camera has plenty of features that teens will love. And it has the usability of classic point-and-shoot cameras.

You get fabulous image quality from the 20.2MP sensor. And you can take control with the manual settings. There’s an aperture range from f/3.2 to f/6.6. And the shutter speed maxes out at 1/2000 of a second for fast action shots. And you can shoot at ISO 80 for amazing photos.

The fixed zoom lens gives you 25x magnification. And as it’s an optical zoom, the quality doesn’t deteriorate as you zoom in. Your images stay sharp even at full magnification.

The Canon PowerShot SX620 has Wi-Fi technology. Once you’re online, you can connect your camera and smartphone using the Canon Camera Connect app.

The Sony ZV-1 compact camera was specifically made for vlogging. It has everything a teen content creator could need. And it’s small enough to slip into your pocket. It’s the best camera for teens with a passion for vlogging.

The camera only has a 1-inch sensor. But with a resolution of 20.1MP, you won’t be disappointed with the image or video quality. The sensor is particularly good at bringing out natural and vibrant skin tones. And you have Soft Skin Effect mode if you’re feeling self-conscious.

The features are made for video creation. There’s a forward-directional mic to pick up sound. And there’s a wind muffler for filming outdoors. You also have a mic jack for more audio options. The screen flips out and rotates so you can see yourself while you shoot.

The autofocus has eye-recognition technology. It’ll lock onto your face in less than a second. And it’ll track you as you move across the screen. The image stabilization also helps keep your footage shake-free.

The Panasonic Lumix G100 is a micro four thirds camera. It’s smaller and more compact than most mirrorless cameras. But it’s one of the best cameras for teens if they want to make high-quality videos. It’s an affordable camera too.

A micro four thirds sensor is smaller than full-frame and APS-C sensors. But the 20.3MP image resolution produces fantastic images if you want to take stills. The 4K video recording is stunning, shooting at 30 fps for super-smooth footage.

The touchscreen and viewfinder tilt and rotate. You can turn it 180 degrees for taking selfies or filming vlogs. And the built-in microphone tracks sounds as they move in and out of the shot.

The Panasonic Lumix G100 has 5-axis image stabilization. It reduces camera shake in photos and videos. And you can turn the camera into a webcam using a USB connection. It’s the best digital camera to create quality videos and vlogs on a budget.

The Canon EOS M200 is small, affordable, and full of excellent video features. It’s one of the best digital cameras for videos and vlogging. And teenage videographers will love what this camera has to offer.

The standard 4K video gives you stunning footage, running smoothly at 30 fps. But you can increase the quality using the 4K cinematic mode, which records at 4x the resolution of full HD video. And the vertical video mode is ideal for shooting footage for social media content.

The Wi-Fi options let you connect to the Canon Camera Connect App, giving you remote shooting and online sharing. And the Bluetooth lets you geotag your location when you shoot.

The rotating screen lets you see yourself when shooting vlogs or selfies. And there’s a self-portrait mode. It smooths skin tones, changes the exposure for a brighter face, and blurs the background for a fantastic bokeh effect.

The Canon EOS M200 is an excellent choice as a teen’s first digital camera for video. You can create different types of videos, whether for movies or streaming. And buying one won’t break the bank.

The Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III is a mirrorless camera with a micro four thirds sensor. It’s lightweight and compact. And it has all the features to make it one of the best cameras for teens in the video category.

This digital camera from Olympus gives you excellent video recording options. The standard 4K footage shoots at 30 fps. It’s incredibly smooth, with excellent color tones and detailed definition. You also have Cinema 4K at 24 fps. And there’s Full HD at 120 fps, rounding out the rich video capabilities.

The autofocus works well with photos and videos. It uses a 121-point phase-detection system that tracks subjects once they’re locked in focus. And the 5-axis image stabilizer reduces camera shake, improving your footage when shooting by hand.

The Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III isn’t the cheapest camera on this list. But it is one of the best compact mirrorless cameras for video. And the photography specs are great too.

The Canon EOS Rebel SL3 is an excellent dual-purpose camera. As a DSLR camera, you get fantastic results for still photography. But this model has the features to make it one of the best Canon cameras for teens who like video.

The APS-C sensor has a resolution of 24.1 MP. Even when shooting in low light, there won’t be any disappointment with the photo quality. The autofocus uses eye-detection technology that can track faces. That’s ideal for selfies and vlogs.

The video results are excellent too. And the 4K video shoots at 30 fps, giving you smooth movie footage. There’s an external microphone jack for professional sound recording. And there’s a hot shoe connection for more external media possibilities.

The Rebel SL3 can transform into a webcam using a USB connection to your computer. And you can link the camera to your phone with the Canon Camera Connect app. It makes moving and sharing images online easy for anyone.

The Canon EOS Rebel SL3 is one of the best options for an indecisive teen. It’s no problem if they like video one day and photos the next. This digital camera has all the features to cover both bases.

Teens with a hunger for excitement need a camera that can handle whatever comes their way. And the Olympus Tough TG-6 can take anything you throw at it. It’s waterproof down to 50 feet. It’s dust-proof, shock-proof, and crush-proof. It’s tough by name and tough by nature.

The Olympus Tough TG-6 isn’t just a solid outer casing. The features on the inside are excellent too. It has an image resolution of 12 MP, which isn’t outstanding. But you have five underwater shooting modes for amazing aquatic photography.

You can also shoot underwater videos at 4K. And you also have the option of recording at 120 fps for ultra-high-speed videos. These can also be turned into slow-motion footage.

The fixed lens has an optical zoom with 8x magnification. And you also have macro photography capabilities for capturing tiny subjects. Three macro shooting modes allow you to shoot with a 1cm minimum distance.

The battery life is good enough, so you won’t get caught short when you’re out in the wild. And there’s a load of accessories that accompany the Olympus Tough TG-6. There are lenses, filters, and lights. It’s the ultimate outdoor digital camera for teens.

The Olympus Pen series dates back to the days of film photography. The Pen range was one of the earliest mass-produced 35mm cameras designed with travel in mind. And they remain some of the best travel cameras today. And they’re perfect for a teen with a sense of adventure.

The micro four thirds sensor has a resolution of 16 MP, which is still pretty solid. And the smaller sensor makes for a handy camera you can slip into your bag. You get 4K HD video for making travel stories and movies.

You get a selection of scene modes, so you can create different atmospheres in different locations. And there’s a selfie mode with the tilting screen, so you can record yourself while on the road.

The Olympus Pen E-PL10 has a cool retro aesthetic. It’s compact and easy to carry. And it’s up to date with Wi-Fi connectivity, so you can transfer images while traveling. It might be expensive for a first camera. But you can opt for the older models, like the Pen E-P5 or Pen E-P1.

The popularity of small digital cameras has suffered thanks to the rise of smartphone technology. Everyone has a phone in their pocket, so they don’t need a separate digital camera. But some teens will still get a kick out of using a real digital camera.

The Canon PowerShot ELPH 180 is a great option as a first camera for a young teen. It’s cheap, so you don’t need to worry about it so much. But the quality of the photos is still good enough to get people excited.

It’s packed with fun features teens will enjoy. You have 20 MP image resolution and 720p HD video. And there’s 8x magnification with the optical zoom lens. The image stabilization system is a bonus as it reduces blur and camera shake in the photos.