This blog is little different from my normal post so stay with me. A friend asked me today about buying a new camera more specifically DSLR'S and the first choice to make is what brand? The two main choices would be Canon or Nikon. There are other camera brands such as sony, panasonic etc which all do a really good job but my experience is limited with those brands.
I am a Canon fan boy I have found them to be the most user friendly. For the beginner photographer they would be my go to brand for ease of use and availability. Nikon make excellent cameras and their higher end range they probably are the better choice technically speaking.
When choosing a camera the more you can spend the better so firstly work out your budget. You can get set up with a decent Body and twin lens kit for under $900 and if you are a beginner photographer that kit should keep you going for at least two years.
The lens is more important than the body. If you are shooting with a $250 body with a $2500 lens you will get outstanding results. If you are shooting with a $2500 body and a $250 lens your results with be limited by the quality of the glass in the lens and make the benefits of an expensive camera body useless.
My go to set up is the Canon 7dII with a Canon 17-55mm f2.8 lens and the Canon 70mm-200mm f2.8. I use a Canon 70d as a second Camera body. The 70d you can pick up for around $950 new and the 7dII body for around $1700 new. If you use the 17-55 on my 7d then on the 70d you won't be able to tell the difference between photos. Moral of the story here is invest money into lenses before a good camera body. Top of the line canon L series lenses are compatible with the majority of Canon bodies so you can always upgrade your body later, Its not as flexible the other way around. (If you want to know why then send me an email info@abelphotography.com.au and I can explain in a little more detail)
A lot of people think that by simply purchasing a good camera your photos are going to be great. Thats the same as saying buying good paint will make you a great artist. You will need to spend time studying the craft of photography. A great source is youtube! just search for something like "rules of photography" or "composition tips." If you are in Hobart I would be happy to run small class free of charge to teach you the basics. Send me an email if you would be interested. Actually I lied, it will cost you a beer ;)
When buying a camera you need to decide if you are predominantly shooting videos or stills as this will be a huge factor when deciding what camera will be right for you.
So to answer your question, What recommendations would you make for me? My first DSLR was a Canon 70d With the 18-135mm kit lens and that was my second camera but first DSLR. I had Panasonic GF3 before that. I can say that the 70d was a perfect camera to learn on and I would recommend it to anyone starting in photography. The equivalent of that camera now is the Canon 80d. I would definitely look into what mirrorless cameras can offer as they are often more affordable and smaller in size.
I hope this helps.