People often ask me to recommend a camera for them to buy. Often not a straightforward task as there is so much out there to choose from these days. Budget will always be a key driver, and like most things in life the more you pay the better you get, but laying out thousands on a full frame DSLR might not always be the right way for everyone, all of the time. There is often a lot of snobbery amongst camera enthusiasts that will say you need a DSLR, but not always.

Also there is the everlasting Nikon vs Canon debate that I don't hold much truck with. Nikon make great cameras, I use them as that is what I am familiar with and I have brought into their system of lenses and other kit. Canon also make great camera's, my own wedding was shot by a  photographer using a Canon DSLR and the photos he got were great. Panasonic, Olympus, Sony, Fujifilm also all make some excellent kit. 

I am lucky in that I have a range of cameras to pick from: full frame and compact sensor Nikon DSLR's and lenses, an Olympus Micro 4/3rds (compact system camera), a couple of Panasonic Lumix TZ compacts (one always in my work bag), a GoPro and a Fuji waterproof compact, a couple of film SLRs and even a "box Brownie". 

Its often said that the best camera is the one you have with you! Smart phones with increasingly good cameras make that easy to have something with you to capture something happening. Usually you want a bit more though. 

This last weekend I was up in the lake District with friends. For a couple of reasons (camping, and needing to travel light in the hills while attempting the "Old County Tops" route) I did not want one of my bigger, and more expensive! cameras with me. I still wanted to have more than a phone. So I took along my Panasonic Lumix TZ70 compact. Nice and light for my epic 32 mile hike round the Lake District, and when I found myself at the Grasmere Sports and Country Show on Sunday I still had something to capture the action on - especially the fell runners (including Tim Farron MP) clearing the hurdle on the way back to the finish. I was a little envious of the official photographers with their DSLRs but I made good use of what I had and captured a good few images I am happy with. 

So one piece of advice, when you understand your budget (including factoring in cases, memory cards, lenses, filters, tripods and all the other odds and sods you might need for your new hobby!), is to buy the camera you will use and enjoy. As a rule yes DSLR's are great and have more flexibility to be creative and make good use of different lenses, external flashes etc. However they can be expensive, and heavy. If you want to be able to travel light micro 4/3rd, bridge, or good quality compact camera's have a lot to offer. In particular micro 4/3rds has a lot to offer and I really enjoy my Olympus OMD EM10 Mk2 and the clutch of lenses I have for it now. If I want to travel light, but be flexible, and more discreet than a big DSLR its a fantastic bit of kit for the price. If I am doing some serious work, like a wedding or an event then my Nikon D750 and D7200 really come into their own. A bit of wild swimming action it's the GoPro Hero3 that gets you immersed in the action. Out in my canoe then the Fujifilm waterproof compact has the flexibility and robustness I need. If I just want to have fun then the Olympus OM10, or my father in laws Pentax P30 film SLR's are great. 

If nothing else available, I have my smartphone! If you want some advice on choosing a new camera please give me a shout and I will do my best to point you in the right direction.