When my wife upgraded her digital camera she gave me her old 1.3 megapixel Sanyo. Apart from being a bit heavier than many of the new cameras I think it is about perfect for your purposes. No zoom mechanism to get screwed up through dropping or vibration. Plenty of pictures can be stored on CF card. 4 AA batteries which are available anywhere. My daughter has a 2 megapixel Canon which is very similar in features (or lack of).