Digital camera for my 70 year old mum.
Digital camera for my 70 year old mum.
Author
Discussion

croyde

Original Poster:

26,373 posts

260 months

Wednesday 7th July 2010
quotequote all
We want to get a digital camera for my mum on her 70th but she is a bit of a luddite so it needs to be good but simple with a card that she can take to the photo place to develope her prints as she does not have a computer.

In fact how expensive is it to get the local Foto place to print pics off a card compared to using film?

Cheers for any recommendations.

LongQ

13,864 posts

263 months

Wednesday 7th July 2010
quotequote all
croyde said:
In fact how expensive is it to get the local Foto place to print pics off a card compared to using film?

Cheers for any recommendations.
They don't, you do. Should be easy but I hear rumours about some recent upgrades to shop based systems being major steps backwards in terms of usability.

As for a camera .... can she adjust (and will her eyes allow her) to using a screen rather than a viewfinder? If not, and many find it difficult, then your choice will be constrained by the need for a digital compact (I assume) with a viewfinder.

It's a very personal thing and can be difficult to get things right first time. Consider a first purchase to be an experiment.

Simpo Two

92,796 posts

295 months

Wednesday 7th July 2010
quotequote all
Take her into Comet so she can get her paws on every model and see what she thinks. No point in guessing!

In fact you could think of yourself as a 'sales consultant' - finding out what she wants/likes and then finding the most suitable.

Edited by Simpo Two on Wednesday 7th July 22:17

croyde

Original Poster:

26,373 posts

260 months

Wednesday 7th July 2010
quotequote all
Simpo Two said:
Take her into Comet so she can get her paws on every model and see what she thinks. No point in guessing!

In fact you could think of yourself as a 'sales consultant' - finding out what she wants/likes and then finding the most suitable.

Edited by Simpo Two on Wednesday 7th July 22:17
Cheers and I would but she lives abroad.

The Kodak Easy Share models look good. Nice and chucky like her film compact.

XG332

3,927 posts

218 months

Thursday 8th July 2010
quotequote all
Canon 95is, Viewfinder, built like a brick, small, and currently £99 at jessops.
You can thank me later.

croyde

Original Poster:

26,373 posts

260 months

Thursday 8th July 2010
quotequote all
I might. laugh

Olivero

2,157 posts

239 months

Thursday 8th July 2010
quotequote all
Another vote for the Canon, and she can take the camera/card into Boots to get photos printed.
Just make sure they (Boots) reformat the card afterwards so you don't end up with duplicates.

LongQ

13,864 posts

263 months

Thursday 8th July 2010
quotequote all
Olivero said:
Another vote for the Canon, and she can take the camera/card into Boots to get photos printed.
Just make sure they (Boots) reformat the card afterwards so you don't end up with duplicates.
Just so.

But a couple of posts back croyde mentioned that the lady in question 'lives abroad', thus making the Boots reference that I think we both offered somewhat pointless (maybe) and suggesting that the question about costs, in the absence of any useful geographical information as to where 'abroad' might be, was not entirelt thought through.

Mrs. LongQ, who was quite an avid snapper of family and school events back in the days before her Olympus AZ200 35mm camera started to play up, recently bought herself a Kodak Easy thingy. I'm sure it is easy but she has realised, after 2 months of no use, that she needs to study the manual - just like any other device. I'm really glad I had absolutely no input to the selection whatsoever.

croyde

Original Poster:

26,373 posts

260 months

Thursday 8th July 2010
quotequote all
Sorry guys it's Holland and she'll take it to the local Hema I would think.

The question about costs of film vs digital came to me as I posted for most of us snap hundreds of pics and keep them on our computers and just print off the ones we like but she will take a load and then have them all printed so in the case of the UK, as I'm sure Holland is more expensive, I just wondered if this would not work out more costly then using her film camera.

Cheers.

LongQ

13,864 posts

263 months

Thursday 8th July 2010
quotequote all
croyde said:
Sorry guys it's Holland and she'll take it to the local Hema I would think.

The question about costs of film vs digital came to me as I posted for most of us snap hundreds of pics and keep them on our computers and just print off the ones we like but she will take a load and then have them all printed so in the case of the UK, as I'm sure Holland is more expensive, I just wondered if this would not work out more costly then using her film camera.

Cheers.
Ah, OK, not been over to Holland for a while so I have no idea of prices but I would imagine they would be reasonably competitive compared to film. All the stuff comes from (mostly) Japan so there can't be too much in it.

My family tell me that Boots costs them nothing 'cos they nearly always have free print vouchures after buying other things.


Mrs. LongQ would always have double prints of all films and throw most away. I doubt digital would be more costly if some thought was applied. Many recent TV's will display the contents of a memory card (SD type) so they also act as giant photo frames. SD cards can be quite cheap. There is a case for saying that an SD card is like a film but visible without processing - just print the special ones.

XG332

3,927 posts

218 months

Thursday 8th July 2010
quotequote all
Jessops

Film, £5.50
24exp 6x4 next day

Digital

24 6x4 nd would be about £3

Alot cheaper because film has to be run through the processor as well as the printer.