billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

Your best camera is called a "photography course". Your best place to do business is B&H Photo, NYC.

Mwestavr

I bought a Pentax K-50 with 18-135 lens and am delighted

Papa Joe Loc: Midwest U.S.

Hello Ms. Jersey,
I'm sure you'll get tons of suggestions. My opinion:
Don't spend a huge amount on your first camera. Get a decent camera (8 or higher meg) and just get out there and shoot everything and anything that you would enjoy photographing. As the need presents itself (I promise you, it will), for features you want but can't accomplish with your 'beginning' camera... you will then know which features to look for and what to expect to pay. There is no 'perfect camera'. Only the one that satisfies your special requirements and needs. You can get a pretty fair camera for anywhere from $100.00 and up. Consider your first investment just that - an investment into your overall plans. I've seen 'prize winning photographs' taken with the most simple, inexpensive cameras available. Learn with your first camera.... the important things, composition, exposure, depth of field, etc. etc. Then, and only then will you be able to pose a more meaningful question, based on your needs/desires. Good luck, and keep us posted on your progress.

StevenG Loc: Long Island, NY

I can't advise on the best camera. As far as purchasing, I generally buy from B and H and have never had a problem. I think you will find most on the forum have great things to say about B and H and Adorama.
Steve

TN. Photo taker

It doesn't matter after more experience you will want a better one!!😊

camerapapi Loc: Miami, Fl.

In the first place, do you have any basic photography knowledge? If you do please understand there is no such a thing as the best camera and of course, the perfect camera has not been made yet. If you do not have any basic knowledge of photography buy an entry camera with a kit lens and begin by learning basics. Refurb or a used one saves money.
It is not the "perfect" or "best" camera that will give you the best photographs it is always the expertise of the photographer although good gear properly used always means better photographs.
Buying a camera to always use it in Program is like using your cell phone now. As you learn basic photography and how to properly use the exposure meters for the correct exposure you should see a significant change in your photography and the quality of the images you make.

ebbote Loc: Hockley, Texas

Welcome to the Hog, enjoy.

gvarner Loc: Central Oregon Coast

Lots of introspection to do. What doesn't your cell phone do for you? Do you want to take snapshots of most anything or think ahead and compose? What's the final output, a photo on a screen or prints? Most cameras can do multiple things but you should decide ahead of time what those things are to help narrow down your search.

mikewskier Loc: NE Florida

Ms. Jersey,
Besides all of the great advice you are getting I suggest you find a photography group and shoot with them before you purchase. Many of the members I shoot with started with the group while using their cell phone. You will see that the camera does not take the picture. But, there are personal styles and likes that you will be exposed to that can help with the decision on what to buy.
If you are in the Jacksonville area we have many groups for you. I live in Yulee which is north of Jax and our group is very active.

Tet68survivor Loc: Pomfret Center CT

Whatever you decide on, get one higher up! But in reality get the camera that does what you want to do! Digital cameras are changing every day, so what's good today may not be tomorrow! I'm on my 3rd one, and as I keep growing and learning, my abilities change so does the camera!

PHRubin Loc: Nashville TN USA

Welcome Ms Jersey,

Determine what type of camera you want, P&S, Mega-Zoom, high end compact, DSLR, mirrorless. Handling a potential purchase beforehand is highly recommended. So, rent before you buy. Selecting a brand if you go DSLR or ILC (Interchangeable Lens Camera) is important because you quickly become attached to it with lenses, flash, and any other brand specific accessories.

Places to purchase: Adorama, B&H, Cometa and KEH are all recommended by Huggers.

SusanFromVermont Loc: Southwest corner of Vermont

First, decide how much you can afford to spend on a camera and a couple of lenses. Shop around for gear that will keep you within that budget.

Second, decide what type and brand of camera you would be comfortable with. Brand is not all that important, because cameras these days all allow the user to take decent pictures. Nikon is what I use, Nikon and Canon are the big names and have the largest selection of lenses to choose from. Quality is good to excellent, depending on what model you buy. If you want a DSLR, and the weight is not an issue, I suggest shopping for one of these. If you want a Mirrorless camera, they tend to be lighter, and I have heard great things about Sony. One way to decide on the camera is to go to a camera shop and hold different models in your hands. It is amazing how important this is, and it also gives you a chance to chat with the salesperson. You will get many recommendations for specific cameras, but ultimately the final decision is yours. Read specifications and learn what they mean, then you can use the differences between them to guide your choice. Do your research.

Third, if you have a local camera shop you ought to be OK buying from them. If online purchase is what you decide on, there are several "trusted vendors" that are well-recommended on this forum: B&H, Adorama, Cameta, KEH. They are good sources for information [especially B&H whose website allows you to do side-by-side comparisons on a lot of items]. They handle both new and used gear. They each have a reputation for honesty and good service, including return policies. Keep in mind that if you find a "real deal" on a new camera or lens, that is almost too good to be true, it probably is. Nikon and Canon [and probably some others] set limits on the prices of their gear, and their vendors have to follow those guidelines, even for when items go on sale. If you are going to buy new or refurbished, the camera companies' websites are also good places to look. However, I have found that the deals are often "sweeter" when buying from one of the above trusted vendors, because even though they cannot dictate the price, they will add other merchandise to the purchase, which is equivalent to receiving a discount! The add-ons vary from vendor to vendor, and I have even seen B&H offer more than one package for the same gear to suit the needs of their customers!

These are basic steps to follow. My own personal philosophy of purchasing photography gear is to buy the best you can afford. By doing that, you will have a camera to grow into, rather than one you will end up growing out of all too soon. The learning curve will be steep whatever camera you choose, unless you buy a point-and-shoot, but from what you have said that does not sound like what you want. And a camera that has all the different shooting modes will also have "Auto" to use for taking pictures when you are not yet able to use other modes. It will be necessary to try other modes, and experiment with them. Pick one and stay with it until it makes sense and you understand what it does. Then move to another one and do the same thing. Probably should leave manual for last, because for that you need a good understanding of the way that the three "basic" functions interact - ISO, Exposure, Shutter Speed.

When you do buy a camera, take the time to read the manual from cover to cover. There will be a lot you don't understand at first, but it is important to get a general idea of what your camera is capable of, and of the buttons and dials that are used to control it. Next, read the manual again, with camera in hand, locating all the features and even trying some of them to see how they work. After that, go to the section that deals with how to set the camera up. There are functions that have choices, each of which affect camera performance. The camera will be set to typical settings when you receive it, so you could use it as is. But go through that section and get familiar with it. Whatever you do not understand, skip. You can go back to it later. There is a lot to learn!

Learning about photography can take various forms. Books about your camera, books about composition, books about just about everything. Videos that demonstrate what the instructor is talking about. Websites about photography, including forums as well. In fact, you might be interested in CreativeLive.com - they have Photo Week coming up, with online tutorials on a multitude of subjects with a great selections of instructors. It is free during the week of October 9-13, broadcasts start at 12 noon eastern time. They also sell the videos of the whole week's classes for $200.00. From past performance, I suspect the price goes up once Photo Week ends. Worth checking out.

bfstuff

Consider your price range and budget. Most brands have beginner, intermediate, and professional levels of cameras. I would go with the highest beginner or intermediate capability level your budget permits, but remember to leave room for lens software and accessory (tripods, filters, etc.) purchases later. Then decide on type (DLSR vs Mirrorless) and brands (Nikon/Canon/Sony, etc) you want to try. Do your research online, in the price range in your budget, based on features that are important to you. Read and consider the reviews of each. After you've narrowed your search down to a few cameras, then go to the camera rental sites, or borrow them from friends or acquaintances, if that option is available. Try each of the different brands on your list and give it a workout for a week or two. I think brand selection is important at this point (your first serious camera purchase) because, once you choose a brand, people tend to lock into that brand pretty much for life to save buying new lenses with different mounts. After you've tried them all, then make your decision based on your personal experiences, not just marketing hype. You may want to try a couple of different lenses with each as well. Often it is cheaper to buy just the body and get the lens you want separately. Most people aren't happy with just the kit lens that comes with a package. Later they buy a more versatile (walk-around) lens & rarely use the kit lens again. My walk-around lens is an 18-270 zoom. It is versatile enough to cover most situations I encounter, and I rarely ever use my kit lens now. Once you have made your final decision, then make your (now informed) purchase and have fun. Be sure to include a couple of spare batteries and memory cards! Stick with your chosen camera body & preferred walk-around lens until you decide more on the type(s) of photography you really enjoy. After some time you can buy other specialized lenses and accessories for your chosen passions. Always base any future upgrades on your needs, not because of some cool new feature that is touted in this year's marketing campaign. Avoid GAS!

cambriaman Loc: Central CA Coast

Welcome to The UHH! There is much to learn and the thing to do after you get famiiar with the language of photography is get a basic rig and practice, practice, practice. Keep notes or learn what the image file data (EXIF) for each exposure tells you of your camera settings. Experiment. You'll take a lot of poor images, but you quickly learn what doesn't work. Then you'll really make progress. Good luck!

IBM

How new , not past the eye phone , or still using the point and shoot , if it's your first SLR , Buy the cheapest lowest price nikon or
Canon, a used one or a refurb , for no more $300 body only , find a used short zoom 18- 125 mm for $200 to $250, if you know
Nothing or very little about the inner workings of a SLR, get some good books and teach yourself, or get someone to help you ,
If your not committed to learn and your almost 40 years old , it's going to take a few years , I been at it since 1964 . And I'm still
Learning , then if you still like it after you know what your doing, now go out and get that new $3500 camera . Or buy a two year
Old refurbished as I would ,.