This is an age old dilemma.... used to get about a dozen rolls of Boots 200 print film every Christmas and smile sweetly and say 'Thank you' when I opened them and thought "Oh gawd...three more rolls of print film... that's £25 worth of processing I'll have to find to use it!" As I shot mostly slide or B&W, I could develop in the kitchen sink for pennies.... shortly after opening the present, I was usually listening to " know it's not very exiting, but went into a camera shop and REALLY didn't know what else to get you you'd actually use". So, yup, it IS difficult... WE photograph's are difficult.
So, advice.. taking a different tack; I have more camera gear than I ever use on anything but an occasional basis. After opening a present that was two large tobelerones sandwiching two multi-packs of boots print film, from my Godmother once Christmas, and listening to the " really didn't know what to get you for your cameras"... I quipped she'd already given it me.... a 'view-finder'.... which perplexed her.. "I've never give you a camera?!" she queried... and took some explanation I wasn't talking about a view-finder camera, or a camera's view-finder, but a car, she'd helped me sort when I got my fist proper job after uni.... sh still looked a bit perplexed... "It's a view-finder! Helps me find views to take photo's of.. would have a lot of photo's of my living room or kitchen, or possibly the local park, without it!" I explained.
Cameras only take pictures. There's a lot of gadgets you can get to go with cameras to help take pictures, BUT, most important thing i having something to take a photo of.
Which begs suggestions; your brother we presume is a keen photographer, so likes taking photo's and looking at photo's.... as such he probably has as much camera gear as he can make use of, more at best probably wont help him that much, at worse will get a sweet smile and a thank-you and sit on a shelf for the next twenty years.... SO, what could he REALLY use?
Suggestion he's main carer for a cancer patient resonates, and that alone begs suggestion that probably far more than he needs another bit of camera paraphernalia he could use a BREAK!
Now, take that where you will, but think day out; maybe even with sick mother, BUT some other relatives to help out on that score, gve them BOTH some 'quality time'; take them somewhere you ca all enjoy, and there are things to take photo's of.... don't give him more kit to take photo's of this rather depressing period of his life, MAKE some happy memories, for him, and you all.... ad some picture opportunities for him to look at when times are tough and he thinks he's dealing with it all on his own.....
Think outside the box, get creative.. talk to the rest of the family, see what you ca come up with as far as combined budget and ides.. need not be an all expenses paid cruise of the med, could be as humble as some-one baby-sitting mm for a day, so he can go to an exhibition or something, and come home to a take-away and not have to cook! Think time, not money, THAT is the most precious gift you can give.... and if you are just a little canny, you can probably mix things up, a day out, a meal out, a little brief lift of burden and some opottunities to take photo's as well as touch base with freinds and family, and be reminded he's NOT all on his own, and does feel supported.....
An emotional tripod is far more valuable than one to stick a camera or lights on.....
You wanted suggestions... well, that's mine... but take the notion where you will or can... and DON'T rail-road your thinking fixating on 'cameras' and photo-equipment.. think picture, think experience think TIME.
Remember it's the thought that counts, but observing that some-one is keen on photography and so buyng them a mult-pack of film (or something else camera related) isn't actually offering much thought.. just bottomig that one thought.... think outside the box.... get creative ad think 'pictures' not 'cameras', think time not money.
Best I can offer really, but get off the railroad even so many photographers get stuck on obsessing over equipment, and forgetting the pictures, less even the big picture...
Remember you can enjoy a beutful scene without having a camera to take a photo of it...but the best camera in the world is pretty much redundant if you don't have anything worth pointing it at to take photo of.
