Buying adviceChristmas present for the wife, who 'doesn't do cameras'

Bit of an odd one. Wife has decided she wants a "proper little camera" for Christmas because she's sick of her phone pictures of the grandkids looking smeary indoors. She will not touch my Nikon, says it's like holding a brick, which tbf it is.

Budget maybe £500-600. Has to go in a handbag, has to be idiot proof, and she will NOT read a manual. Was thinking one of the Sony RX100s or the Canon G7X but the G7X seems to cost a fortune for an old camera now? Anyone bought for a non photographer before?

Honestly, a newer phone might be the right answer. Most compacts in that budget won't beat a recent phone indoors unless she uses flash.

mfrost said:

a newer phone might be the right answer

She's had her phone a year and it's a decent one. She wants a camera. I've been married 31 years and I'm not daft enough to tell her she actually wants a phone. Try again

davey1892 said:

the G7X seems to cost a fortune for an old camera now?

lol fair. Yes, G7X III prices are silly. It's turned into a TikTok thing and you're paying for the hype rather than the camera. It's a 2019 compact, it's fine, but it's not worth what people are asking for it.

I'd look at a used RX100 VI or VII instead. The longer zoom is much more useful for grandkids running about the living room, the AF is properly quick, and they fit in a jacket pocket never mind a handbag. Menus are a bit of a maze, honestly, but if you set it up once on auto with face detection on she'll never need to see them. Get her a spare battery too, they're tiny and they go fast.

The one thing I'd avoid is anything she has to think about. If it isn't on and ready in two seconds she'll go back to the phone and it'll live in a drawer.

OneMoreLens said:

I'd look at a used RX100 VI or VII instead.

I have the RX100 VII and use it almost entirely on auto. It's great in good light. Indoors in winter it's ok but it doesn't work miracles. The pop-up viewfinder is fiddly, I never use mine. The zoom is the best part, I use it for the grandkids at the far end of the table.

davey1892 said:

Has to go in a handbag, has to be idiot proof

LX100 II if you can find one. Bigger sensor, proper little dials, and the Mrs can just leave it on A and it's grand. Bit chunky for a handbag though My sister has one and she's no photographer either, she loves it.

Had a look at both in a shop in town today. LX100 was too big for her bag (she brought the bag, she knew what she was doing). Went with a used RX100 VI, mint, £430, with a spare battery. Set it up on auto with the flash off. Thanks all, it's wrapped and hidden in the loft

Little update, she loves it. Already better pictures of the grandkids than I got on Christmas Day with the D750, mostly because she was down on the floor with them and I was stood at the back with a brick. Not sure how I feel about that