What kind of camera should I buy?

Boy, I get asked that a lot. People will ask me if they should buy a DSLR or a point-and-shoot, some will ask me what brand is the best. Others still will ask me what model of a certain brand is the best. For all these questions, there is not a solid answer either. If you were to ask me "What is better: ketchup or mustard on a hot dog?" I can give a you solid answer, biased on my own tastes and dislikes.

But when it comes to cameras I cannot because there are far too many factors to consider before making a decision.  I personally use Nikon cameras and lenses, but that is not to say that Canon is bad. In fact, Canon makes very good cameras and excellent lenses, some are better than what Nikon offers. It all boils down to a few factors really:

• What kind of photography are you going to do?
• What level are you invested (is it a simple hobby or do you hope to go pro?)
• What is your budget?
• Do you have photographer friends? What gear do they have?

So, if you were to actually ask me this in person, those are the questions I would ask you. And even after I got all your answers, I would not give you a solid answer but would recommend a few different options.

For instance, if you are planning on doing a lot of event photography or sports photography, I would recommend a DSLR and not a P&S. But if you were only going to YOUR child's events and sports...I might suggest you go within your budget, even if that means a simple Sony CyberShot

Also, look at any photographer friends you may have. My first digital camera was was a Lumix-DMC7 point-and-shoot that I loved until I learned more about photography and realized that the camera was not going to let  me accomplish my creative goals. I was all set to buy a Canon 40D but a photog friend of mine had a Nikon gear. Realizing that we could borrow each other's gear if I went with Nikon was deciding factor for me because I was then able to achieve zoom ranges without the additional cost.

The bottom line is: know what you want to do, how often you will want to do it and look to others who are doing it that you may know. With all these factors in place, you will likely come to a decision that you are happy with.