My 75 year old mother would like a little digital camera....

... any recommendations? What have others found works and doesn't work with people who don't have a lot of technology in their everyday lives?

 

hum .. that is really a good questions. Since a older person may need different type of camera than a regular person.

Good large display, big buttons (esp the on/off button), relatively light weight, stabilization support, easy to connect to PC for viewing / printing (like using a dock) or easy access to memory card (take it out or put it in) ....

Sorry .. I do not know any particular models but those are the features that I think an older person may need.

 

Dao, that's pretty much right on.

So, anyone have a recommendation?

 

I had a Sony DSC-H3. I didn't really like it, so I gave it to my mom. She's not 75, but she isn't technically inclined in the least. She loves the thing. Sets it for auto and snaps away. She doesn't have a computer so she doesn't need a dock or anything like that, she just takes the memory card to the local photo place and has a bunch of 4x6 prints made.

 

Yeah pretty much anything will do. Take her to your local electronics or camera store and see which one feels the best to her - because if you're looking for raw features alone, hell even the camera on an iPhone will do the job and it'll do the job simpler at that.

 

Have you had her try out your G9 for size? Not specifically for the G9 but just to see if she has an easier time manipulating the dials or the buttons (G9 has both). Then have her try out a subcompact (your D-lux3??) and see if she has an easier time with the compact body or a larger bodied G9. That should give you an idea of what design to consider.

My lumix TZ5 for example:
* 10x optical makes for less foot zoom.
* Big LCD screen
* Built in handle
* The main function selector is a dial on the top of the body.
* If you place the dial in iA mode, it is completely automatic. It will switch between modes (action, landscape, face recognition for portraits, flash, ISO select) automatically. It places a box and tracks a persons face to make it very easy to confirm focus for portraits.
* Turning the camera on and off is a physical sliding switch instead of a button
* Moving between display and record mode is also a physical sliding switch instead of a button.
* Almost the entire operation of the camera is via the dial or the two physical switches mentioned.
* There is a button on the top of the camera to automatically zoom all the way in or all the way out. Might be a little easier than holding the zoom selector left or right.

Now the bad points, the buttons for other features are small. The TZ5 is a superzoom but compact in size which might be hard for older hands to hold steady. The SLR like P&S with a large built in handle might be easier but also might be too large to carry.

These are all me just thinking out loud and not really sure. I'm just speculating that the sliding switches might be easier than the buttons.

 

Kodak digital point and shoots seem to work with very little effort and they even have an easypix program that can be downloaded on your computer to easily upload pics from the camera. My grandmother uses one.. and she's not exactly what I'd call tech-savvy.

 

I got my mother (age 72) a Nikon L11 last year (may be discontinued now). IQ was pretty good and not too hard for her to figure out how to work. It was less than $120 USD.

 

You might consider something like the Canon A1100 IS or one of the other Canon A series. Easy to use, easy to hold, good sized buttons, large LCD on the back, simple menu, face detection for easy focusing, good IQ are just a few of the good points. The ease of use of the Canon A series cameras was the first thing I thought of. We are getting ready to provide digital cameras for all the officers on the department. If you are giving a camera to that many cops it has to be idiot proof and the Canon A series was the most idiot proof we found and we tested all the major brands. If a cop can use it I know you mother will have no problem at all.
Canon PowerShot A1100 IS digital camera

p.s. If you choose the Canon A1100 IS get the pink one. Mothers love pink.