Camera as gift - what to get?

[sphmaz]

When we go to Disney my SIL is going to take our dogs for us for the 5 days we are gone. She is a SAINT in my eyes for doing this! :) She will have 4 dogs in her home. Anyway, she is saving us a ton of $$ and we would like to repay her in some way. Her Kodak digi cam broke and she's been trying to save for a new one but unforseen things come up and she still has not been able to get one. So - DH and I thought we would buy one for her as a "Thank You" gift for watching the dogs. I am looking at the Nikon Coolpix L4 and Canon Powershot A430. We are trying to stay under $200 including buying a bigger card for her. Are these decent cameras? I've been reading reviews, they seem good. Which would you buy or do you have any other suggestions? She just needs a simple point and shoot, no frills as I know she will always have it in auto mode. ;) And I know she will not buy Kodak for herself because that's what she had and I now it was a nightmare for her trying to get it repaired and whatnot. I'm not sure the whole story behind it though.

TIA!

[Hom74]

I don't have any recommendations, but what a thoughtful gift to get her :)

[Mar1anneC]

I've heard alot of good things about the Canon Powershots. I have a Sony cybershot and like it alot but it gives redeye. dpreview.com has good reviews of digital cameras.

[Nettio]

I don't think you could really go wrong with either. My husband has a Nikon Coolpix and I have a Canon Powershot and we both really like are respective ones. My sister has a Sony Cybershot and it takes really great pictures as well. It's really just a personal choice.

Here's a side by side comparison of the two from dpreview: Side by side (http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/compare_post.asp?method=sidebyside&cameras=canon_a430%2Cnikon_cpl4&show=all). They look pretty much equal as far as I can see.

So yeah either would be great and I agree, what an awesome gift!