Compact with viewfinder?

[Jay12329]

A friend is looking to introduce her mum to digital cameras. She is in her 70's and the biggest technophobe I've ever met. Won't even use a credit card, always cash!
The biggest stipulation is that it has an optical viewfinder, the next is that it is simple to use, discounting bridge cameras. Only thing I've found is the canon a1200, but the viewfinder is very poor and the use of AA batteries is a bit of a turn off.

I'm stuck Any help would be appreciated.

ta
J

 

[Nuffles]

The A1200 is a pretty nice little camera, especially for under a hundred quid. You won't find any other compacts other than Canons with viewfinders, and even from Canon they're getting a bit scarce. AA batteries aren't brilliant but older folk tend to like them because they know how they work, whereas trying to charge a lithium battery (especially one you take out of the camera to charge ala Canon and Panasonic) can be daunting. The viewfinder is corrected for parallax error too (to within some extent) and zooms with the lens.

 

[tijuana taxi]

Not sure if you can still get one, but i have a Canon A720 is, goes for absolutely ages on a couple of AA Lithiums and has a viewfinder of sorts.

Can't fault it and sounds like it would be ideal for your mum, used mine for my building surveys at work and has been lugged around in my rucksack so plenty strong enough.

 

[fixedimage]

Might not quite be what you're after but it's got a viewfinder, it looks like it'd be pretty darn easy to use. It's small.

There's the same camera but with another name than Yashica on it available from UK sellers for about a tenner less.
I'm gonna get one for a laugh.