Need Opinions: Camera for Grandma

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS II USM Lens

12/11/2013 09:05:17 AM · #1

Hey DPC Community,
I am in need of your opinions. My mother-in-law, whom I love dearly, is in need of a new camera. My wife and I would like to get her one for Xmas. Grandma is in her 70's and very active. She needs something simple (I must emphasize, simple) but I also want her to get good image quality. Good low-light performance would be a plus. Size-wise, it does not need to be really small; what she is shooting with now is, well, a bit of a brick for a P&S.

hahn23

Canon EOS-5D Mark IV

12/11/2013 09:56:52 AM · #2

There are many good options to suggest. But, I keep coming back to iPhone 5s. (Or whatever smartphone OS she prefers.) I'm pretty sure it's the video capability in addition to the good quality still photography which makes me think it's a good option.

Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L II USM

12/11/2013 10:27:05 AM · #3

A smartphone camera is an option... but that would entail a change for her in the 'phone she uses, and I'm not sure we want to do that. A specific-purpose camera would be preferred.

Cory

Canon EOS-1D Mark IV

12/11/2013 10:39:12 AM · #4

Simple, easy to use? Good IQ?

No idea. Maybe an S series Canon? Or are those too complex?

sfalice

Canon PowerShot SX60 HS

12/11/2013 11:03:33 AM · #5

Kirbic - what is "grandma" shooting with now. That would be helpful information to determine what she might be comfortable with in a newer camera.

Ann

Olympus OM-D E-M1

Olympus 12-40mm f/2.8 Pro

12/11/2013 11:09:19 AM · #6

Canon powershot S120? Or Fuji XQ1? Or are those too expensive?

Trotterjay

Sony Alpha NEX-7

Sony Sony / Carl Zeiss 24mm f1.8, e-series

12/11/2013 11:54:27 AM · #7

Don't overlook the Nikon Coolpix line of camera's.

giantmike

Canon EOS R6

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM

12/11/2013 11:54:36 AM · #8

My dad has the Sony Cybershot DSC-HX30V. He's no photographer, I had to teach him what all of the basic were this past summer.

But he has gotten some very nice quality photos in a number of situations. Low light, of course, it where it falls short.
Looks like the newest model is the HX50V, which doesn't seem to get as goo of reviews.

Looking at low light for my mother/father in law a few months back, I came across the Panasonic FZ200 which has f/2.8 for the entire 24X zoom range! They haven't purchased yet, but were looking to do so soon.

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

12/11/2013 11:56:19 AM · #9

Originally posted by sfalice:

Kirbic - what is "grandma" shooting with now. That would be helpful information to determine what she might be comfortable with in a newer camera.

Good point... what she has now is an ancient Kodak P&S, don't know the exact model. It is probably 10 years old, and around 4 Mpx. I think that most if not all newer cams will have greater resolution than she really wants to deal with, but we can always set it up for her so that it shoots at a smaller size.

robs

Canon EOS R6 Mk II

12/11/2013 11:59:52 AM · #10

My parents had the same req and I got a Canon powershot A520 (linkie). I'm sure there is an update.

The main reason I picked this..... AA batteries... no special charging e.t.c. They have a laptop (cut down to just a few things that I simplified) and I had them use picasa for the management - they pull the card out of the camera and it auto sucks in - I gave them instructions on how to email from picasa.

As for deleting... well (I might get burnt alive here saying this).. they buy another card when they fill the old one :shrug: It's nonsense but it saved me lots of hassle to have them treat it like film. The local shop says "do you need any digital film with that" and it drives me nuts.....

Canon 12x IS USM (S3 IS built-in Lens) -- 36-432mm (35mm EQ)

12/11/2013 12:00:40 PM · #11

Originally posted by Ann:

Canon powershot S120? Or Fuji XQ1? Or are those too expensive?

Nope, they are not too expensive. Probably near the top of what we need to spend (anything more will really be overkill for her). I will look closely at both those options. Liking the f/1.8 on the XQ1.

GeneralE

Canon PowerShot S3 IS

12/11/2013 01:01:26 PM · #12

Another possibility would be the Canon D10 or comparable waterproof/shock-resistant model ... it could eliminate a lot of worries about dropping it or getting caught in the rain or something.

One thing I hate about most of the newer P&S cameras is the lack of a viewfinder -- I'd make sure she's OK with shooting holding the camera at arm's-length in front using the LCD, as it could be harder for an older person to keep it steady in that position (I know it is for me!).

Skip

Canon EOS-1D X

Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS USM

12/11/2013 01:19:00 PM · #13

my 80yo mom is pretty happy with her nikon coolpix L20. she rarely prints anything bigger than 4x6, but has gotten decent 8x10s. the on-board flash is adequate both indoors and outdoors. she pretty much sticks with "A" mode, except for when she gets adventurous ;-)

Nikon AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II

12/11/2013 01:19:24 PM · #14

Originally posted by GeneralE:

The viewfinder observation is on-target, IMO. I will have to check out if her current one has a viewfinder, and if so if she uses it. If the new camera is viewfinder-free, it is going to have to have a relatively large display, since most of us old farts can have trouble with viewing small displays close up.

MattO

Nikon D4

12/11/2013 01:27:03 PM · #15

Fritz, look at the Canon G15, I just recently purchased one to take to a couple of concerts here that didn't allow cameras with removable lenses. The zoom is not as great as others but the ISO is good and the lens is F1.8-F2.8 from widest to longest zoom.

We printed my son a blanket from the photos of it from the Selena Gomez concert we attended, and they look awesome.

Matt

Skip

Canon EOS-1D X

Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS USM

12/11/2013 02:28:13 PM · #16

Originally posted by MattO:

i also like the Canon G-series, but wonder if it would be too much for 'gramma'...my kids love it because it doesn't weigh as much as a DSLR while giving *almost* as much functionality. that being said, i don't think my mom would get as much out of it as she does her little camera.

Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS USM

12/11/2013 03:20:39 PM · #17

I'm kinda in agreement with Skip on the Canon G-series. Great cameras, no doubt, but she really needs uncomplicated. One button would be great! ;-)

Skip

Canon EOS-1D X

12/11/2013 04:21:00 PM · #18

my wife has a Canon PowerShot A3100 IS (which is probably available used) that is about the same as my mom's Nikon, except that it uses a rechargeable battery. my mom's camera uses AA, which as robs mentioned, makes for few headaches (less stuff to lose or keep up with or to have to pack for a trip).

Beetle

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

12/11/2013 04:26:57 PM · #19

Originally posted by kirbic:

... but she really needs uncomplicated. One button would be great! ;-)

I don't understand why you are so worried about that part. They ALL have auto functions, and many cameras now have some "smart" function thing that covers pretty much all situations.

My new Sony RX100MkII is very complex, but does an awesome job in its "intelligent auto" function....... all I have to do is push a button :-)

sfalice

Canon PowerShot SX60 HS

12/11/2013 05:03:22 PM · #20

Originally posted by Beetle:

Originally posted by kirbic:
... but she really needs uncomplicated. One button would be great! ;-)

I don't understand why you are so worried about that part. They ALL have auto functions, and many cameras now have some "smart" function thing that covers pretty much all situations.

My new Sony RX100MkII is very complex, but does an awesome job in its "intelligent auto" function....... all I have to do is push a button :-)

Beetle has a good point here. As does Paul about the viewfinder.

1. Sure they 'can' be complicated, but most P & S cameras can be completely automatic.
2. That viewfinder, for someone who is used to that feature is a real plus. Besides, those of us who wear bifocals are not overly fond of that display framing feature.

3. Next important part is some patient instruction in using the camera you do find. None of this stuff is hard, but it is all likely to be new. Remember those of us who use this stuff every day picked up these features one by one as they came out until they become second nature. Your "grandma" is going to have to learn a lot of features at once. So, gentle instruction, plenty of writing down of 'what to do when' and then some repetition is going to help that lady with whatever camera you decide on. And you'll all have fun doing it.

tnun

Ricoh GR III

Pentax DA 18-135mm F3.5-5.6ED AL [IF] WR DC

12/11/2013 05:28:16 PM · #21

We need to know more about your mother-in-law. What does she like to photograph? Does she like arty things? Does she like fast moving things? Does she shoot in the dark? How is her vision? How is her grip?

Years ago I would have recommended the Nikon Coolpix L10 - very very simple. not much of a screen, and no viewfinder, but very dependable and the best quality for the jpeg pixel. For a camera with a viewfinder and some nice zoom, a Panasonic FZ7 or FZ8. But now things are much too hotted up: more and more megapixels at the low end and much less quality. It is such a waste.

(What looks good to me is the new Canon Powershot L120. 400 big ones at b and h - probably more than you want to spend, and overloaded with options, battery hungry, but a great improvement over the L110 which it replaces and which now goes for half price).

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED

12/12/2013 01:10:25 PM · #22

Again, thank you all so much for your thoughts on this. Grandma is basically a very casual shooter, family snaps are her MO. Because she shoots so much indoors, I want to make sure she can get good results, so I am first considering cameras that have relatively fast lenses and good image stabilization, and avoiding the "super zooms" the range of which she really doesn't need.
@ Alice: Good point, and I will probably wind up with something that has more control than what she needs, and just helping her to set it up the way she will want to shoot, most probably selecting one of the auto modes based on what she is shooting.

Neil

Fujifilm X-T30

12/13/2013 01:14:41 PM · #23

Well if you're a multi-millionaire or it's a gift from a number of people, I'd buy the RX-10 or RX-100 for her.

Otherwise, getting into more reasonable gift price territory, this seems like a great option with good indoor performance, as long as she doesn't need a viewfinder.

//www.photographyblog.com/reviews/canon_powershot_sx280_hs_review/conclusion/

I didn't look at reviews for this HS camera, but if she want's small, this seems a steal:

//www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006UMM1AY/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A13BNE3P7C8THK

Cory

Canon EOS-1D Mark IV

Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L II USM

12/13/2013 01:32:57 PM · #24

Still seems to me, given your previous posts, that the S series Canon's are the ticket. FYI - my S95 and my GF's S90 are both killer good. Don't hesitate to buy older versions.