Good Digital Camera for non-technical person?

[chayton]

I want to buy my mom a digital camera for Christmas, her old film camera is on its last legs and last time I talked to her she was complaining that she doesn't even have a place to take her film to be developed anymore.

So I thought ah-ha! The perfect gift would be a digital camera and a photo printer. But she's 70 and a real techno-phobe, and because I'm going to have to send it and won't be able to show her how to use it, it needs to be pretty simple to use. Basically I want her to be able to take it out of the box and push a button to take pics, and then plug in a cord and push a button to print.

I'm going out shopping this weekend and I'm wondering if anyone has any recommendations? I'm currently leaning toward maybe a lower end Canon powershot and maybe a Canon photo printer, but if anyone has any ideas of others I could look at while I'm out that would be helpful.

Money is definitely part of the issue, I can't go much more over $250 unless something changes between now and then.

I was sort of looking at the new polaroids they have now....3x4" prints are a little small though and it seems a bit more like a fun thing to have extra rather than to have it as your regular camera.

Any input appreciated, thanks!

 

[rockycatt]

how about a I PHONE

 

[chayton]

how about a I PHONE

lol we bought her a cordless phone a couple years ago and she's finally getting the idea that she's no longer tethered to the wall. An iphone would be too much for her I think.

 

[jetset]

The new Samsung top of the line cellphone has a fantastic camera (about 16 mp I believe)

I rarely bother even taking a camera when I'm travelling these days, because these new generation smartphones are so good.

 

[rshkrn]

any phone with 8-10MP should be good and useful, but if you want just a camera go for any 16MP one, should be easily in your budget, at that MP they are really almost all the same......

 

[Zabier]

I bought my wife a Nikon Coolpix camera a couple of years back. You seem to suggest your mum isn't too fussed on the highest level of technology and if my wife can work out how to use that camera then I'm pretty sure your mum can! Only priced at £40 too.

 

[chayton]

I bought my wife a Nikon Coolpix camera a couple of years back. You seem to suggest your mum isn't too fussed on the highest level of technology and if my wife can work out how to use that camera then I'm pretty sure your mum can! Only priced at £40 too.

Thanks for the tip, I ended up buying her a Nikon, it's pretty close in looks to a film camera and doesn't have a lot of extra stuff to freak her out. Got the camera for $90, printer for $90, extra ink and paper, extra batteries, case and card for around $270 total.