Mum deserves a special gift on her day, and there is no better gift than camera to let her capture all the happy moments in her life. Whether you're on a budget, or are prepared to spend any amount; whether you want to buy a point-and-shoot, or an advanced digital SLR — we've got it covered in our guide to the top 10 cameras for Mother's Day.
10. Nikon D5000
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Price: $1499 (body only)
Type: Digital SLR camera
Resolution: 12.3 megapixels
If mum is an enthusiastic photographer, then a digital SLR might just be what she wants. She can manually change all the exposure settings, and she can also pick and choose the lens she wants to use. Basically, it will let her explore her artistic side. The Nikon D5000 is perfect for that and it's also the easiest digital SLR to use; it has an automatic mode and plenty of scene modes so that she can get started straight away if she doesn't yet know how to adjust the manual settings.
9. Leica D-LUX 4
Rating: 3.75 out of 5
Price: $1249
Type: Advanced compact camera
Resolution: 12.3 megapixels
Leica is known for its high quality lenses, which are used in many of Panasonic's cameras. However, there is prestige in owning an entire camera that is made by Leica. It is as much about the style — the lines, the edges, the overall look — as it is about image quality. Much like the Canon PowerShot G10 (see number 7 on our list), the Leica D-LUX 4 looks like a retro 35mm camera. It has a wide-angle lens that is perfect for landmark photography, portraits and even landscapes. It is definitely for the mum who enjoys the finer things in life.
8. Ricoh CX1
Rating: 4 out of 5
Price: $599
Type: Compact camera
Resolution: 10.1 megapixels
The champagne colour, the metal body and the ease with which it can be used will ensure that mum loves this compact camera. It doesn't have the manual controls of the Canon or Leica compact cameras, and it is a little expensive, but it takes sharp and clear images.
7. Canon PowerShot G10
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Price: $749
Type: Advanced compact camera
Resolution: 14 megapixels
This camera is for the mum who demands excellent picture quality and wants to change settings manually, yet doesn't want to lug around a large digital SLR camera. It's one of our favourite advanced compact cameras and it looks great — it has a style similar to the 35mm cameras of old.
6. Nikon CoolPix S620
Rating: 3.75 out of 5
Price: $579
Type: Compact camera
Resolution: 12.2 megapixels
Stylish design, a large sensor and fuss-free operation are hallmarks of the Nikon CoolPix S620 compact camera. It is a fast camera that produces sharp images with accurate colours. Mum might enjoy the focus tracking feature, which, in theory, should let her keep the kids in focus while they run around in the backyard.
