Good camera for under $400

[Eventer29]

Getting mom a camera for Mother's Day. Yeah I waited till the last minute! lol
Looking mainly at Nikon and Canon, but others brands are fine w me. I dont know much about cameras or photography. Mom takes some good pics of us riding and the horses but she is not what I would consider an educated photographer. Would like a decent zoom as it is not always possible to get right there near the jumps or whatever she is shooting. Must be good for action shots! What I am kind of looking at is BuyDig.com - Nikon COOLPIX P510 16.1MP 42x Opt Zoom 3.0 LCD Digital Camera 8GB Black Bundle
or BuyDig.com - Canon Powershot SX40 HS 35x Zoom 12.1 MP Digital Camera w/ 2.7" Vari-Angle LCD but def open to other options.
I know that each photographer has his/her own preferences but which of these might be better for action shots of the horses (will ask in the horse forum as well)
Or what would your recommendations be for a good camera for her for under $400? Also have to ad that she refuses to use an lcd screen and must have the eye holey thing (viewfinder maybe?) to look thru.

 

[Gilligan]

I've had a Nikon Coolpix S6100 (16.0 mp and 7x zoom) for about 2 years and have to say its the best all around camera I've ever owned. Compact and robust yet crisp pics. Comfortable to carry simply slipped in a pocket.

 

[kom526]

A viewfinder is a must have. Make sure that whichever one you chose will accept regular alkaline batteries. Having to buy rechargeable, proprietary batteries can be a pain when you can have the option of just hitting a CVS and picking up a pack of AAs.

Most point and shoots (esp. the larger ones) have a "sports" mode which sounds like a priority for your purchase. I've had good luck taking shots of my son playing soccer and of our rugby team.

 

[czygvtwkr]

I replied on your other thread in the horse section with

Canon PowerShot G15 Camera - Express Review

 

[belvak]

I love my Nikon P510! The zoom is fantastic and it's easy to use. You can use the auto settings, or set your own. It's light weight too.

 

[czygvtwkr]

Did you get a camera yet?

 

[aps45819]

I just picked up a GoPro Hero 3 silver.

It's freakin amazing.
Duct taped it to a pole and watched the barnacles on the pier posts feeding then set it on the dock and got a time lapse of the sunset.

 

[DipStick]

If you look hard enough, you can probably find an older Canon body and some basic lenses for under $400.