good digital P&S for older folks?

[henry l]

Still on my digi cam gifting rampage!

 

Now I need to buy one for a 65 year old relative who wants one but

wants as little technical fussing (poking tiny buttons, scrolling

tiny menus, teeny tiny lcd screen, etc) as possible.

 

I've heard the Kodaks are good this way -- decent pics and not a lot

of fooling. Am I correct? Any good alternatives?

 

Thanks much,

 

Hank

[hclim]

Have a look at Fujifilm Finepix A202.

[bill_tuthill]

What 65-year person wants to mess around with USB card readers,

CDR backup, and Windoze viruses and spyware? Unless your relative

is a computer wizard, Medigap insurance would be a more thoughtful

present.

[the_macman]

There are also Macs on this planet :) Thanks god. You can't get any easier than iPhoto + a

simple digitalcam. I got this 71-year old client who bought an iMac in october, first

computer he owned. He came back for a bigger hard drive in april which he installed

himself... Though chances those people aren't Mac owners, anyhow, there are ways :)

[poul]

if your old folks are anything like mine, consider canon s1 IS - image stabilizer comes handy for shaky hands.

[bob_hollifield]

who the hell needs digital...I'm 65 yrs old, took my F3 with a 180 f2.8 to shoot a bluegrass band with Delta 3200 avail light...they loved the pics. They didn't ask if they had been manipulated or not..LOL

[henry l]

Hey!

 

so he wants a digital P&S ... who am I to question my elders? So far two recommendations I'll check out. More would be great.

 

thanks!

[ben_lanterman1]

I use my Canon 1Ds this way most of the time anyway. I have gone for days

just turning it on and pushing the shutter release. Most of the other buttons

can be safely ignored if desired.

 

If you haven't yet, look at dpreview.com for information of a lot of digital

cameras that have been tested. Something in the 4 to 5 megpixel range

made by any of the fine major manufacturers will deliver a fine image capable

of being printed 8x10 with good results.

 

It depends a great deal of what they want to take photos of. Most user

friendly comsumer cameras will not have great properties in speed of focus or

shutter release times. Just be sure and test the camera out in person to see

how it handles/feels. Render it down to 3 or 4 finalists and then see what an

8x10 of a test scene looks like from each. Pick the best one and you will be

happy (most likely).

 

I still have the Canon G1 I bought about 4 years ago and it is fine. I don't

believe it has ever been off of the P setting other than experimenting. The

real shots were all in P mode.

 

The cameras with a switch showing people, trees, mountains, and the like are

good for the totally unfamiliar beginner.

[jim bob]

I recommend the Canon A80. The control dial has two custom settings that can be programmed. I suggest one for outdoor and one for indoor settings. After that it is a very capable point and shoot, as well as one that offers, if desired, full manual control. Read the reviews. Many consider it to be the ideal shirt pocket camera. Street price is about $350. By the way, I am nearly 68.

[craig_gillette]

The primary thing I'd look for besides the larger, clearly marked controls are diopter adjustments for the viewfinder. It's a little hard to believe that a person can handle loading film, etc., but isn't capable of slotting a card in a camera or a reader.

[vrankin]

Hank:

 

Bob at Imaging Resource says Kodaks are tops for simplicity, color and easy sharing. My 5 mp Kodak DX4530 is doing a great job for me and it couldn't be simpler. Check it out... great ratings for the purpose you stated. They're going in the low to mid $200's.

 

Of course, the techno-whizzes might disagree with crediting the Kodak brand entirely here, but we've seen some pretty awesome Kodak digital images on Photo.net lately.<div></div>