Best digital camera for my shakey mom?

August 26, 2014 2:41 PM

My mother needs a new point and shoot digital camera. I need suggestions. Snowflakes inside...

My mom loves taking photos, but struggles to get blurr free photos as she has moderate-severe tremor in her hands. Her old (and broken today by my daughter) camera had a stabilizing feature, which did seem to help, as did using 'sport' mode (high speed) as much as possible. I think a bright flash would also help. An optical viewfinder is what she is used to, and would be nice, but not essential. A battery pack, as opposed to endless AA batteries would please me. Image size is not essential as most shots are just for sharing and having snaps. She doesn't do anything fancy with her photos. Price is somewhat flexible, but I am looking for a point and shoot, not a DSLR camera. Suggestions please?

posted by Northbysomewhatcrazy to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (4 answers total)

I bought a Sony RX100 mk I for work based on the linked review, and it's pretty awesome for a point and shoot.

Your mom could also consider getting a small tabletop tripod.
posted by showbiz_liz at 2:51 PM on August 26, 2014

I have rather unsteady hands as well and also purchased a Sony RX100. The RX100 has a "handheld twilight" (or something similarly worded) photo mode that quickly takes multiple photos and combines them together to reduce camera shake, and while it's designed for nighttime shots, on my my less steady days I've used it in the daytime to nice effect.
posted by lunch at 3:33 PM on August 26, 2014 [1 favorite]

Consider a monopod. Much quicker to set up and to re-set than a tripod & some double as a walking stick. Not a substitute for stabilization, but an addition.
posted by morganw at 4:16 PM on August 26, 2014 [2 favorites]

my Mom with Parkinsons uses an old Canon elph. Somehow she has managed to ride the tremor while she snaps and gets almost perfect focus every time. I don't know how she does it.
posted by aunt_winnifred at 5:34 PM on August 26, 2014 [1 favorite]