Camera Labs

Since I have a load of excellent camera gear, I must know the answer to this, right? WRONG!

Help! I have been asked by an Australian friend to recommend a point and shoot for her granny. She is described as technophobic, and doesn't understand menus and fiddly controls.

She has no computer and will take her camera to the nearest department store to get cheap prints. But she wants good sharp colourful images ... budget under A$500

Any advice or recommendations?

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Brian,
Canon 5DII, 7D, EF-S 10-22, EF 50 USM 1.4, EF-S 60 macro EF 16-35 L USM, EF 24 -15L IS USM, EF EF 100-400L, Canon SX130

A 35mm film (or SLR) camera with lots of film rolls?

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Ruben

Panasonic DMC-FZ18, Panasonic DMC-FZ28, Canon G5, Canon 350D, Canon 50D + BG-E2N
Tamron 17-50 2.8, Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L USM,
Canon 18-55 II plus lots of Minolta MD/M42 lenses and bodies

Canon Powershot S95 / S100?
Good sensor, good lens, smaller and easier to control than the G12.

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Canon EOS 500D + Canon EOS 5D Mark III
Canon EF 24-105mm 4L IS USM + EF 100-400mm 4.5-5.6L IS USM + EF 100mm 2.8L Macro IS USM + Sigma 12-24mm 4.5-5.6 EX DG HSM + Canon Speedlite 580 EX II + Nissin Speedlite Di 466

Jiko - We older folk do rather better with a viewfinder - than when holding a very light camera out in front - with perhaps not as steady arms and grip as the young folk - and trying to peer at a wee glossy screen in the sunlight, through our bifocals....

Added to that - older folk who perhaps haven't been buying new cameras at least every 2-3 years in the last decade - might never have even held, let alone owned, the new style of viewfinder-less camera, so could have problems with it.

Regards, Dave.

The number of pixels will not be an issue, any of todays point and shoot cameras will give good enough quality for a 6x4. So you want something with large buttons, good stabilisation and a fast time between button pushing and doing the maths (auto focus and light metering etc).

With a less technical user it is probably even more important to hold the competing cameras in a shop to compare as they care less about specs and more about usability.

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Nikon D90
Nikkor AF-S DX; 18-105 f/3.5-5.6G VR, 55-300 f/4.5-5.6G VR, 35mm f/1.8G
Speedlight SB-700

http://keystrokesukimages.com