I was looking for a Christmas gift for my Mom a couple of years ago and she was in need of a new camera. She had a basic film camera from the 80s, so this thing was huge and didn’t necessarily take the best pictures in the world. I figured I would upgrade her to a digital camera and shopped around for quite a while. She just needed a basic point-and-shoot camera to take everyday pictures. I had had great luck with my Canon cameras. They were easy to use and they take great pictures, which would be an easy transition for my mother. Her old camera was a Canon so I figured it would probably be easier than taking on a completely new gadget. I visited Circuit City and Best Buy to see what I could get for the holiday season. I was able to pick up the Canon A400 bundled with a Canon printer for around $200. It seemed like a steal. My Mom would have a camera and something to print her pictures out on.

Now I realize the Canon A400 is somewhat of a budget camera with limited features, but this is exactly what my mother needed. It is a 3-megapixel camera with decent zoom features and uses SD memory cards. The size is relatively small but not as small as some of the other Powershots such as my Canon SD200, but compared to her old camera it was a whole lot smaller for her to carry around. The camera had a little bit of a learning curve for my Mom, but after a few uses she was able to use it without assistance. It took pretty good pictures. It’s not digital SLR, but it works for everyday use.

There were a few downsides to the Canon A400. First, it could be a little smaller, but I guess if I paid a little more money I could buy one of Canon’s smaller models. Another downside, which can be argued, is that it uses AA batteries. For the most part, I like cameras, which use rechargeable batteries. One can argue that everyone has AA batteries so you can pick them up at pretty much any retail store out there. If you keep the rechargeable battery charged or even pick up a second for backup I find it much more convenient and cost effective. Other than those two issues there really isn?t much to complain about.

If you need a basic camera, look for a similar Canon A400 bundle. When this camera is bundled with a few accessories and a printer I find that $200 is well worth the money. Otherwise if you just need a camera I would recommend a camera with rechargeable batteries. In the long run I feel that that is a better choice for most people. It is a great starter camera for those using old point-and-shoot film cameras looking for something new, but not something that will overwhelm them. Non-technically inclined individuals will find this camera easy to use. I mean even my Mom can use it. As always, feel free to post any comments on this article.