Digital Camera Help

[Gametheory]

I am ecstatic about photography in general and am really looking to get to know every aspect of it. I also love using the word ecstatic. Anyway, as of now I am really clueless with cameras. Well.. my mothers boyfriend is sixty years old and she wants to buy him a camera and she came to me. Now.. the worst part, is she needs it for tonight.

Can anyone give me some suggestions or point me in the right direction in purchasing a digitial camera that would be suitable in this case.

I'm positive the camera would only be used when taken to family gatherings and such.. nothing to special.

 

[diogo]

Two simple to use, compact, cheap but very good digital cameras are the canon a520 and the canon sd450