It’s kind of like asking which car you should drive. There are lots of them out there in different price ranges, and many serve different functions. I may recommend a sporty little Honda when you were looking for a Lotus. Or a Mini Cooper when you wanted a big 4×4 Yukon. But there’s one thing everyone wants from a camera, and that’s good pictures. Here are two cameras that come with the Andrew Stamp Of Approval ™. I’ll try to elucidate the use cases for each one to aid in your buying decision.
This is the camera you buy if you want something that fits in your pocket. It’s not the cheapest camera you can buy that’ll fit in your pocket, but it’s probably the best in this class. They retail for just under $500, and I’d like to shoot this camera for a while. It’s essentially a Leica camera (snobby art student camera brand) with a cheaper brand name on it. One of the biggest benefits to buying this camera is that you won’t be tempted to buy any lenses for it; it doesn’t change lenses. You can buy some adapters to make it act like it has a wide-angle or telephoto lens, but you won’t be tempted to plunk down another 4 grand to buy the good glass.
These are the cameras you want if you’d like to really learn photography. I think an SLR camera (one you can change the lenses on) is the best way to put yourself in the driver’s seat. You say you’d rather buy Canon cameras? Well, those will work just fine, too. The best camera brand to buy is the one that all your friends shoot. You can swap lenses and advice with each other most easily that way. The D40 is in the $400-$500 range, while the D90 will set you back about a Grand. With either of these cameras, you’ll have the opportunity to buy lenses later on. Even though lenses can be wicked-expensive, they really unlock a lot of the potential in your camera. You can do some neat stuff with good glass.
This is the camera to buy if you’re buying a gift for me. 🙂
But, seriously, people make good picture, not cameras. I had a great time a week or two ago shooting a Pentax K-1000. It’s old and manual-everything, but I shoot it to remind myself that I can make good photos without a computer, and without my fancy cameras. So no matter what camera you have or which you end up buying, go enjoy taking pictures with it. I promise that more pixels don’t equate to more joy. Mostly.