Besides the very good advice you have been receiving as responses to your query. There is a good reason to consider this: Consider buying an inexpensive pocket camera, as Paul has mentioned, take a lot of photos with it, and when you find what it limits you to, take note and this will be a feature or features you will need to have in the camera you purchase for your use.

You may find that the pocket camera does everything you need and you have not spent a lot of money. Also you may find that photography is not something you want to invest a lot of money into, you haven't done that. There are a lot of really good pocket cameras for under $500.00, and used ones for very low prices.

There are times you may want to have a camera, but don't want the hassle of carrying a large camera and lens(es), just throw your pocket camera into your pocket and you are ready to go.

You, like most people nowadays, probably have an iPhone or Android which could serve the same purpose. Find out what you are limited with, on your phone, and use those things to determine what you really want in a camera.

I haven't suggested a brand, but the big three are the best ones to stick to. Use your own judgement to determine the camera you would like. One point is you may have friends who have and use cameras they could help you if you can't get satisfactory responses here on UHH, but the responses I have seen are very good advice.

Buy the camera and lens(es) you can afford. Although DSLRs are still being sold 'new', they've all been discontinued, whether the manufacturer says so publicly or not. You can get a used or refurbished camera for far, far less than buying new. Certainly, don't spend 2024 money on a 'new' camera first released 4+ years ago and now discontinued. Modern camera equipment is all built for extended use, even the entry-level models last for 10+ years. The pro- / semi-pro models are built for heavy everyday use for even longer. Buying one of these models, lightly used, could easily be the first and last body you need, allowing for more money to be spent on lenses.

Here at UHH, the focus is mirrorless full-frame cameras: digital technology marvels with sensors the size of 35mm frames of film. Removing the space needed for a flapping mirror gives options to adapt most every brand's SLR-style lenses onto that mirrorless body -- MILC - mirrorless interchangeable lens camera -- another buyer value of a mirrorless choice.

What brand is up to you. They're not all the same. But, anyone still selling digital cameras in 2024 has to keep up with the intense competition, where anything less than the tier-1 $6000 models is essentially the same in performance and capability. See if you can find a store where you can physically handle a few options, where one might 'feel' better to you than the others.

Handling some models might also help you decide if an interchangeable lens camera is even what you really want / need. A full-frame model is larger and heavier, even before you mount a larger and heavier full-frame lens. What types of subjects interest you? When you hold that camera+lens, would you want to carry that weight around for 4+ hours, even 8+ hours? Would a pocket-sized model, really about the size of a deck of cards, be a better choice? Depending your subjects, a MILC or DSLR might not be what you want or need.