Point and shoot for an old lady

[itsstillmatt]

We want to buy a point and shoot digital for a dear friend of ours who happens to still use a crappy old film camera. She is 83, which is probably why she hasn't changed up, but she loves taking pictures, and now finds getting them developed a bit of a pain. I don't know too much about cameras, and while I can go to Amazon and search for a highly rated little one, I was wondering if anybody had suggestions. In particular, I'd prefer something with a large viewfinder and relatively big controls, as her fingers and eyes are not as facile as they once were.


Thanks!

 

[whiteslashasian]

http://www.amazon.com/Canon-PowerShot-ELPH-300-HS/dp/B004J41T7Q

Canon, HS system for higher quality low light shots, Optical Image stabilization (older people tend to be a little less stable with their hands), the buttons seem large, the screen is large, and it's not terribly expensive.

The reviews are by and large very good.

Should do the trick.

 

[itsstillmatt]

Thank you. I really appreciate that.

 

[Rambo]

How good of a camera does she need Matt? Are we talking over 8x10 photos or just basic 4x6's? Also, do you think she could handle a touchscreen interface?

 

[whiteslashasian]



Thank you. I really appreciate that.

Anytime.

 

[Pilot]



http://www.amazon.com/Canon-PowerShot-ELPH-300-HS/dp/B004J41T7Q
Canon, HS system for higher quality low light shots, Optical Image stabilization (older people tend to be a little less stable with their hands), the buttons seem large, the screen is large, and it's not terribly expensive.
The reviews are by and large very good.
Should do the trick.

Thank you. I really appreciate that.

I just purchased this camera. It is great. Nice quality photos. Really simple, but still has a few options to customize stuff. It is pretty small though, not sure if that is a concern.

 

[TheFoo]

Matt, take a look through dpreview.com. It's the Styleforum of digital cameras. You should be able to quickly browse through the last year of reviews for a point-and-shoot that will work. The Canon ELPH linked to above may be smaller than ideal for your friend. It doesn't sound like she needs the ultimate in portability--just something reasonably small. Something like the new Canon S100 is still compact, but boasts a larger screen, somewhat larger controls, and superior image quality.

That all said, I'd be worried about getting her a camera that overwhelms with new-fangled features, as most little digital compacts these days are wont to do. If she is more classically attuned and is happy working with simple aperture and shutter speed controls, there are some more high-end compacts that are lower on tech features but provide better performance and a more intuitive interface. The Fujifilm X100 and Leica X1 are chief amongst them. Pricey, though.

 

[whiteslashasian]

Those are much better cameras, especially for those who know manual settings and how to best use them to their advantage. They are also several magnitudes more expensive.

I guess Matt just has to take price, image quality, and ease of use into consideration when choosing.

If your friend is only interesting in taking snapshots and using the Auto mode, then the HS 300 should be quite sufficient.

 

[Tarmac]

Does she use a computer? I find non-technical people have the hardest time with getting the photos out of the camera and into their preferred format. I've seen years-old digital cameras that have never ever had their images transferred anywhere.

 

[itsstillmatt]

I bought the Canon HS. I think it should be perfect, and if she never changes over, no big deal. At least she can if she likes.