Easiest camera to use for people in their 70's?

I've been thinking about getting a digital camera for my parents, who are both in their 70's. After spending a week on vacation with them and some of their friends (who are also in their 70's), I'm really looking for a "fool proof" no-frills camera. While talking to their friends who have digital cameras, I kept hearing things like, "I keep taking movies instead of pictures by mistake", "I don't know how to make it take pictures after I'm done looking at the pictures I've taken" and "I don't know what most of these knobs do". Remember, these are people who grew up without tv, and their radios only had 2 knobs.

They don't need zoom, or more than 2 shot modes, or a lot of megapixels (their eyes aren't that good anyway). I'd considered getting them a Fisher Price kids camera, but I thought I'd ask your advise as well.

Something drop-dead simple. The circular controller/OK button on most cameras just confuses them - especially if they can't see the icon that is supposed to represent some function that they can't understand.

I'll try to put them into context here. It took me about a week to teach them how to double click. They don't know the difference between a CD and a DVD dispite my efforts. Their VCR has been blinking midnight for about 20 years.

It doesn't help that I'm in technology research for a Fortune 10 computer company. :-)

Why doesn't AARP join forces with Kodak?

lol ...

bless their hearts!

Most cheap Canon's are simple to use.
Honestly, you may want to think about gluing the mode dial to auto, marking the shutter button and other important buttons with red Sharpie or stickers of some sort.

hope I helped!

I would try Kodak Easyshare. You can get them in all different kinds of versions. Some have less megapixels, shooting modes, and are relatively easy to use and figure out.

circuitcity has alot of low end easy to use cameras
check it out

Unfortunately you can't find many cameras anymore that don't have a ton of features and buttons... I had the same problem last year when trying to find a digital camera as a christmas present for my 86 year old grandfather (he was a photographer during WWII but his eyesight is bad now and he wanted a digital camera.)

What I did was I went to Best Buy and looked through all the cameras they had... they have a very good selection usually, and all of them are sitting out for you to look at. I looked for a camera that was a brand I was familiar with, a large LCD screen, and large buttons. I ended up deciding on a Nikon, I don't remember which model it was now though.

It might be worth looking for an older used camera, one that won't have as many features. The only problem with that is you run the risk of the camera not working very well because of age/abuse.

Just be reminded that digital photography often requires ownership of a computer or laptop in order to edit or download images from a digital camera. Spare your parents that grief by sticking with a simple point and shoot disposable camera where they can simply take it to any number of department stores and have prints made without any hassle. Remember, that disposable film cameras are relatively expensive and do not tax your parents' patience to learn another new technology. Leave digital photography to the newer generation! Don't tax your parents into having to learn new and complex steps in order to operate a digital camera. As they say, "keep it simple!"

Good luck!