Nikon, Canon, Pentax, Olympus, Sony! OMG! There are just too many choices. Which camera should you buy? Which one is the best? Within each brand of camera there are a bunch of types of cameras. Which one is best for you? 

Well, you are right. There are a lot of brands out there and there are even more types of cameras to choose from. So, how do you make an informed decision? If you ask a professional photographer, they usually have a reason for shooting the brand that they shoot, but that doesn't mean it's the best brand. I shoot Nikon, but when I started out I shot Pentax. If Pentax had kept up with the digital surge I probably would still be shooting Pentax. Unfortunately, they fell behind and it took them a while to catch up. They do have a beautiful full frame DSLR available now, but I am too deep into Nikon to go back.

So, I still haven't answered the question. Well, most people don't know that one camera company is just as good as the other. Some of them do one thing better than another while the other one might do something else better. The reality is, you really can't go wrong choosing any of the major brand cameras. Your choice really has to do with a few things: What are you planning on doing photographically? What is your level of expertise? What is your budget?

What are you planning on doing photographically?

This is probably one of the most overlooked details when planning to buy a camera, yet I can't stress enough how important it is. If you are on the market for a camera and you plan to just take pictures of friends and things around the house, then you can probably save yourself a lot of money and just buy a point and shoot camera. In fact, you may even be able to continue using your cell phone. The point and shoot camera is basically a cell phone that can give you better, printable images,  but you can't surf the internet or make phone calls. They are limited in the types of photographs that you can take. They are great little travel cameras when you just don't feel like taking the larger DSLR or you have safety concerns.Most point and shoot cameras have a zoom for close ups but they are nothing like your SLR or DSLR lenses. 

If you are into nature and want to be able to bring your subjects up close and personal while keeping a reasonably safe distance away from them, then I would go with a DSLR. The main advantage to a DSLR is being able to have total control over what your photograph will look like. Being able to change lenses gives you the ability to take any kind of a shot that comes your way. The DSLR isn't only good for nature. Because of the ability to change out the lenses and control the exposure, you can take pictures of just about anything. Of course, we have a difference in price when you go from the point and shoot to the DSLR, but you don't have to buy the most expensive camera on the market to get an award winning photograph. There's a lot that goes into producing an image that is good enough to be enlarged and hung on the wall. The cost of the camera is not the most important consideration.

If you decide DSLR is the road you want to go down, there are several types of DSLR's on the market. You will have to choose between your standard DSLR, full frame and mirrorless to name a few. If you are just starting out, there is little reason to spend the extra money for a full frame or mirrorless camera. This brings us to our next question.

What is your level of expertise?

There are many levels of expertise in photography. You can be a beginner with a very firm grasp on composition. You can be a beginner that has never picked up a camera before. The important thing to do is assess your level of expertise. Be honest with yourself. Again, it doesn't matter if you are a beginner that has never touched a camera before, or a professional. You might be surprised at how little camera you actually need. One of the most important features of a camera that you want to be aware of is image size or megapixels. The more megapixels your camera is capable of achieving, the better chance you have of capturing an image and enlarging it without concerns of it being fuzzy or out of focus. However, once again, there are a lot of other factors that go into producing a quality photograph that is good enough to make enlargements of. Just remember, the more megapixels you have, the more memory you will need because those megapixels will have to be stored somewhere. The more megapixels you have, the less pictures you will be able to shoot at any one time. They will fill up your memory card quick. Fortunately, if you have a 24MP camera, you will be able to shoot at lower megapixels to save space. An image shot at 8MP can still be enlarged to make a beautiful wall decoration.

What is your budget?

Let's face it...some people have enough money to do whatever they want to do. Unfortunately, there are more of us that can't do this and we have to stay within a budget. So, will you be missing out if you don't have unlimited funds to buy a camera? No, not at all.  You can buy the bottom of the line camera and outshoot many of the people that think that the camera is what makes the photographer. The camera is an instrument that allows you to capture images that are in front of you. The important thing is your ability to control that camera. 

So, what kind of camera should you buy? I would go the route of a DSLR because of the ability to control all aspects of the photograph. Which brand should you buy? As I said in the beginning, I like Nikon. However, if I was just starting out I would look at each manufacturer and see which one fits into my budget. If there are more than one that fits your budget, I would find a store where I could actually hold the camera in my hands. The feel of a camera is an extremely important part of buying a camera. When I had my old Pentax, it felt good in my hands, but when I turned to Nikon, it felt even better. 

I'm sure many of you thought I was going to tell you the exact camera to buy, but that would be personal preference. Buy what you can afford. Make sure it has a good feel to you. Make sure that it fits into your desired results in photography and to ensure that, sign up for a photography class. Here's a plug for my photography classes. You will get 6 weeks of lessons to help familiarize you with your camera and the intricacies of photography. The classes are taught by me, a professional photographer with over 40 years experience. It will be the best $60 you have ever spent.