camera for my father

steph wrote:
Hi group,

My mother wants to buy a digital camera for my father as a gift. And
my task is to choose one!

My father is 68 years old and he doesn't like computers and technical
gadgets. He likes photograpy, but he only used to cameras with film up
to now - has never used a digital one. I know, if he gets one that's
too complicated, wigh cryptic menues and too many useless functions,
he'll never use it and it's going to be a waste of money.

So basically I'm looking for a camera that somehow resambles an old
analog camera, that is a camera with automatic exposure and focus,
with view finder (not ony a screen on the back) which produces fotos
of decent quality. price should be around 300€. so far i didn't find
any model that fits my needs. any ideas?

thanks,
stephan

Any Kodak model under $200. They are easy to use, and produce pictures
that should be satisfactory to him, and he will be comfortable with the
brand name. Emphasize that he can take the 'electronic film' to
Wal-Mart and get prints just like he did with the film camera, but that
he gets to reuse the 'electronic film'. He should be quite happy.

On Sun, 07 Dec 2008 03:13:19 -0600, Ron Hunter wrote:

steph wrote:
Hi group,

My mother wants to buy a digital camera for my father as a gift. And my
task is to choose one!

My father is 68 years old and he doesn't like computers and technical
gadgets. He likes photograpy, but he only used to cameras with film up
to now - has never used a digital one. I know, if he gets one that's
too complicated, wigh cryptic menues and too many useless functions,
he'll never use it and it's going to be a waste of money.

So basically I'm looking for a camera that somehow resambles an old
analog camera, that is a camera with automatic exposure and focus, with
view finder (not ony a screen on the back) which produces fotos of
decent quality. price should be around 300€. so far i didn't find any
model that fits my needs. any ideas?

thanks,
stephan

Any Kodak model under $200. They are easy to use, and produce pictures
that should be satisfactory to him, and he will be comfortable with the
brand name. Emphasize that he can take the 'electronic film' to
Wal-Mart and get prints just like he did with the film camera, but that
he gets to reuse the 'electronic film'. He should be quite happy.

If an approach like that is taken, it would be very good to walk him
through the process a couple of times before turning him loose - and
follow up periodically.

ray wrote:
On Sun, 07 Dec 2008 03:13:19 -0600, Ron Hunter wrote:

steph wrote:
Hi group,

My mother wants to buy a digital camera for my father as a gift.
And my task is to choose one!

My father is 68 years old and he doesn't like computers and
technical gadgets. He likes photograpy, but he only used to
cameras
with film up to now - has never used a digital one. I know, if he
gets one that's too complicated, wigh cryptic menues and too many
useless functions, he'll never use it and it's going to be a waste
of money.

So basically I'm looking for a camera that somehow resambles an
old
analog camera, that is a camera with automatic exposure and focus,
with view finder (not ony a screen on the back) which produces
fotos of decent quality. price should be around 300€. so far i
didn't find any model that fits my needs. any ideas?

thanks,
stephan

Any Kodak model under $200. They are easy to use, and produce
pictures that should be satisfactory to him, and he will be
comfortable with the brand name. Emphasize that he can take the
'electronic film' to Wal-Mart and get prints just like he did with
the film camera, but that he gets to reuse the 'electronic film'.
He should be quite happy.

If an approach like that is taken, it would be very good to walk him
through the process a couple of times before turning him loose - and
follow up periodically.

You're all making assumptions. "Only used to cameras that use film up
to now" doesn't mean that he has a point and shoot and takes his film
to Wal-Mart.

--
--
--John
to email, dial "usenet" and validate
(was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)

On Sun, 07 Dec 2008 13:15:14 -0500, J. Clarke wrote:

ray wrote:
On Sun, 07 Dec 2008 03:13:19 -0600, Ron Hunter wrote:

steph wrote:
Hi group,

My mother wants to buy a digital camera for my father as a gift. And
my task is to choose one!

My father is 68 years old and he doesn't like computers and technical
gadgets. He likes photograpy, but he only used to cameras
with film up to now - has never used a digital one. I know, if he
gets one that's too complicated, wigh cryptic menues and too many
useless functions, he'll never use it and it's going to be a waste of
money.

So basically I'm looking for a camera that somehow resambles an old
analog camera, that is a camera with automatic exposure and focus,
with view finder (not ony a screen on the back) which produces fotos
of decent quality. price should be around 300€. so far i didn't find
any model that fits my needs. any ideas?

thanks,
stephan

Any Kodak model under $200. They are easy to use, and produce
pictures that should be satisfactory to him, and he will be
comfortable with the brand name. Emphasize that he can take the
'electronic film' to Wal-Mart and get prints just like he did with the
film camera, but that he gets to reuse the 'electronic film'. He
should be quite happy.

If an approach like that is taken, it would be very good to walk him
through the process a couple of times before turning him loose - and
follow up periodically.

You're all making assumptions. "Only used to cameras that use film up
to now" doesn't mean that he has a point and shoot and takes his film to
Wal-Mart.

--

I doubt he develops his own.

ray wrote:
On Sun, 07 Dec 2008 13:15:14 -0500, J. Clarke wrote:

ray wrote:
On Sun, 07 Dec 2008 03:13:19 -0600, Ron Hunter wrote:

steph wrote:
Hi group,

My mother wants to buy a digital camera for my father as a gift.
And my task is to choose one!

My father is 68 years old and he doesn't like computers and
technical gadgets. He likes photograpy, but he only used to
cameras
with film up to now - has never used a digital one. I know, if
he
gets one that's too complicated, wigh cryptic menues and too
many
useless functions, he'll never use it and it's going to be a
waste of money.

So basically I'm looking for a camera that somehow resambles an
old analog camera, that is a camera with automatic exposure and
focus, with view finder (not ony a screen on the back) which
produces fotos of decent quality. price should be around 300€.
so
far i didn't find any model that fits my needs. any ideas?

thanks,
stephan

Any Kodak model under $200. They are easy to use, and produce
pictures that should be satisfactory to him, and he will be
comfortable with the brand name. Emphasize that he can take the
'electronic film' to Wal-Mart and get prints just like he did
with
the film camera, but that he gets to reuse the 'electronic film'.
He should be quite happy.

If an approach like that is taken, it would be very good to walk
him
through the process a couple of times before turning him loose -
and
follow up periodically.

You're all making assumptions. "Only used to cameras that use film
up to now" doesn't mean that he has a point and shoot and takes his
film to Wal-Mart.

--

I doubt he develops his own.

That's the thing--find out, don't assume. For example kids today
might assume that someone who was shooting large format was into
old-timey non technical stuff because the equipment is made out of
cloth and wood.

If he's got an SLR with a bag of lenses then a digital point-and-shoot
isn't likely to be all that interesting to him, while a body that
works with his lenses very likely would.

--
--
--John
to email, dial "usenet" and validate
(was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)

On Sun, 7 Dec 2008 19:05:04 -0500, "J. Clarke" wrote:

ray wrote:
On Sun, 07 Dec 2008 13:15:14 -0500, J. Clarke wrote:

ray wrote:
On Sun, 07 Dec 2008 03:13:19 -0600, Ron Hunter wrote:

steph wrote:
Hi group,

My mother wants to buy a digital camera for my father as a gift.
And my task is to choose one!

My father is 68 years old and he doesn't like computers and
technical gadgets. He likes photograpy, but he only used to
cameras
with film up to now - has never used a digital one. I know, if
he
gets one that's too complicated, wigh cryptic menues and too
many
useless functions, he'll never use it and it's going to be a
waste of money.

So basically I'm looking for a camera that somehow resambles an
old analog camera, that is a camera with automatic exposure and
focus, with view finder (not ony a screen on the back) which
produces fotos of decent quality. price should be around 300€.
so
far i didn't find any model that fits my needs. any ideas?

thanks,
stephan

Any Kodak model under $200. They are easy to use, and produce
pictures that should be satisfactory to him, and he will be
comfortable with the brand name. Emphasize that he can take the
'electronic film' to Wal-Mart and get prints just like he did
with
the film camera, but that he gets to reuse the 'electronic film'.
He should be quite happy.

If an approach like that is taken, it would be very good to walk
him
through the process a couple of times before turning him loose -
and
follow up periodically.

You're all making assumptions. "Only used to cameras that use film
up to now" doesn't mean that he has a point and shoot and takes his
film to Wal-Mart.

--

I doubt he develops his own.

That's the thing--find out, don't assume. For example kids today
might assume that someone who was shooting large format was into
old-timey non technical stuff because the equipment is made out of
cloth and wood.

If he's got an SLR with a bag of lenses then a digital point-and-shoot
isn't likely to be all that interesting to him, while a body that
works with his lenses very likely would.

--

A P&S might rekindle one's interest in photography because they didn't want to
haul around that bag of lenses with the tripod anymore. I for one am grateful
that I no longer have to haul 25 lbs. of photo gear everywhere I go. The
convenience of an excellent P&S camera made me reconsider places I refused to
travel to before, the shots I wouldn't bother to risk taking, new possibilities
I hadn't even considered before. You'd be surprised how it opens your eyes once
you get rid of those d/SLR bricks and anchors.

On Sun, 07 Dec 2008 19:05:04 -0500, J. Clarke wrote:

ray wrote:
On Sun, 07 Dec 2008 13:15:14 -0500, J. Clarke wrote:

ray wrote:
On Sun, 07 Dec 2008 03:13:19 -0600, Ron Hunter wrote:

steph wrote:
Hi group,

My mother wants to buy a digital camera for my father as a gift.
And my task is to choose one!

My father is 68 years old and he doesn't like computers and
technical gadgets. He likes photograpy, but he only used to cameras
with film up to now - has never used a digital one. I know, if he
gets one that's too complicated, wigh cryptic menues and too many
useless functions, he'll never use it and it's going to be a waste
of money.

So basically I'm looking for a camera that somehow resambles an old
analog camera, that is a camera with automatic exposure and focus,
with view finder (not ony a screen on the back) which produces
fotos of decent quality. price should be around 300€. so
far i didn't find any model that fits my needs. any ideas?

thanks,
stephan

Any Kodak model under $200. They are easy to use, and produce
pictures that should be satisfactory to him, and he will be
comfortable with the brand name. Emphasize that he can take the
'electronic film' to Wal-Mart and get prints just like he did with
the film camera, but that he gets to reuse the 'electronic film'. He
should be quite happy.

If an approach like that is taken, it would be very good to walk him
through the process a couple of times before turning him loose - and
follow up periodically.

You're all making assumptions. "Only used to cameras that use film up
to now" doesn't mean that he has a point and shoot and takes his film
to Wal-Mart.

--

I doubt he develops his own.

That's the thing--find out, don't assume. For example kids today might
assume that someone who was shooting large format was into old-timey non
technical stuff because the equipment is made out of cloth and wood.

If he's got an SLR with a bag of lenses then a digital point-and-shoot
isn't likely to be all that interesting to him, while a body that works
with his lenses very likely would.

--

There is a very strong suggestion in the OP that the father is basically a
technophobe. Whether or not that is an accurate assessment can only come
from the OP. Even if he HAS an SLR with a bag of lenses, the implication
is that he is not 'into' computers.

Jack S (vern/Keoeeit/anti-dslr-troll) wrote:

A P&S might rekindle one's interest in photography because they didn't want to
haul around that bag of lenses with the tripod anymore. I for one am grateful
that I no longer have to haul 25 lbs. of photo gear everywhere I go.
Yes, getting old is a bitch. One just has to accept less than the best.

The
convenience of an excellent P&S camera made me reconsider places I refused to
travel to before, the shots I wouldn't bother to risk taking, new possibilities
I hadn't even considered before. You'd be surprised how it opens your eyes once
you get rid of those d/SLR bricks and anchors.

Well, that's an interesting revelation!!!
So, Vern/Keoeeit/anti-dslr-troll now claims he *owned a DSLR*!!!

Ok, let's assume that was a typo and he meant slr. Which one/s did he
own? Exactly *why* on earth was he foolish enough to buy it/them?

On Sun, 07 Dec 2008 19:23:43 -0600, Jack offed:

A P&S might rekindle one's interest in photography because they didn't want to
haul around that bag of lenses with the tripod anymore. I for one am grateful
that I no longer have to haul 25 lbs. of photo gear everywhere I go. The
convenience of an excellent P&S camera made me reconsider places I refused to
travel to before, the shots I wouldn't bother to risk taking, new possibilities
I hadn't even considered before. You'd be surprised how it opens your eyes once
you get rid of those d/SLR bricks and anchors.

But all of the award winning photos you've got locked away were
taken with your old film SLRs and its fine lenses. Your new P&S
cameras are more convenient, but due to their inferior image
quality, you're now the laughing stock of your peers, sock puppets
excluded.

On Mon, 08 Dec 2008 11:41:14 +1000, Mark Thomas wrote:

Well, that's an interesting revelation!!!
So, Vern/Keoeeit/anti-dslr-troll now claims he *owned a DSLR*!!!

You caught that too. I'm not surprised.


Ok, let's assume that was a typo and he meant slr. Which one/s did he
own? Exactly *why* on earth was he foolish enough to buy it/them?

He hadn't yet discovered the superiority of Instamatics.