For beginners getting into photography, the first step is choosing a camera, so the most frequently asked question is probably which one to pick.
In fact, most experienced photographers can't give you a definitive answer either.
If you ask seasoned photographers, most will only tell you how great the model they use is, or mention a certain camera that others say is good.
A person's knowledge is limited, and few photographers have had the chance to try out every camera. Nowadays, camera manufacturers release several new models every year.
Even I myself haven't used many cameras. I'm sure there are many excellent ones among those I haven't tried. But since I haven't used them, my knowledge of them is blank, so naturally, I can't provide accurate advice to others.
So even if you ask experienced photographers, they can only share their own experiences based on the cameras they've used within their knowledge. But this isn't necessarily accurate, as there might be great cameras they haven't tried.
On the other hand, whether a camera is good or not is actually a subjective judgment. No camera is absolutely good or bad; each one has its own strengths and weaknesses, and it's impossible for a single camera to meet everyone's needs. Therefore, the key in choosing a camera isn't about picking the "best" one, but finding the one that's right for you.
A camera that meets someone else's needs and helps them take great photos is a good camera for them. But if you pick the same camera, you might not be able to bring out its performance, and it might not fit your shooting scenarios. So a great camera in someone else's hands might not live up to that title when it's in yours.
Only you know exactly what kind of camera you need. Even if you ask others, they can only give you vague, clichéd advice like "choose Canon for portraits" or "Nikon for landscapes," which are just parroted sayings.
But that's not the case. You can see many landscape photographers using Canon and portrait photographers using Nikon. There are no absolutes here. No matter what camera you use, you can shoot all types of subjects. It's never the camera that controls the image—it's the person behind it.
So instead of asking others which camera to choose, ask yourself: What's your budget? Are you planning to use it just for daily recording, as a hobby, or do you want to take a professional path? Do you care more about the appearance, image quality, or brand? What do you hope to gain from photography?
If you can figure out these questions, you'll probably no longer need to ask others for advice. Because after such filtering, there won't be many cameras that meet your requirements.
In short, there's no standard answer to which camera to choose. If you ask others, you'll get a lot of different opinions. The key is to find a camera that meets your own needs.
If you really can't decide, choose a camera released in the past year within your budget. This way, your camera's configuration will be relatively up-to-date, and you won't have to worry about it becoming obsolete in a few years.
If you want to take a professional route, just look at what most professional photographers are using and choose the same—it's basically a safe bet.
If you're just playing around and taking daily photos, pick the one you like the most, the one that catches your eye. Nowadays, the performance differences between cameras aren't that big. For home use, you can barely notice significant differences between models of the same grade.
Whether a camera is right for you ultimately depends on how it feels to use, not just the spec sheet. If you're unsure, go to a physical store and try them out yourself—you'll get a much more concrete feel for the camera. Choosing a camera is like the fable of "the little horse crossing the river"—you have to figure it out for yourself.
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