As a photographer I understand why its so important to have all the right equipment such as lenses, tripods, and camera cases but one of the most important parts is the actual camera itself. If you don't buy the right camera like an SLR and instead you buy a compact like a Sony DSC you can almost expect your pictures to not turn out right. There's a big difference between compact cameras, SLRs, and larger cams like the Hasselblad!

Compacts are designed to be small, light weight and portable. These are usually the most inexpensive and smallest of all the cameras. Compact cameras are a good idea for people that are willing to sacrifice things such as advanced features, advanced lenses, and quality. Small format is good for an amateur that is just getting into photography but isn't willing to spend a bundle on it. Medium format cameras are good for professionals or people wanting to do photography professionally.

Medium formats come very close to large formats, and are a good way to test out the waters. And lastly large format cameras are fit for a king. Not only are they larger in size compared to the other three, but they are large in price as well. You can find large format cameras for as expensive as $5,000 or more depending on the brand you're looking at. These cameras are obviously fit for professional photographers and a lot of people in the fashion industry use these!

You can start out at any level you please, but make sure if you buy a camera that is $5,000 that you know you're going to use it, you are going to know how to use it, and you're going to really get your money out of using it! I took the middle road and bought a medium format camera because I knew I wanted to be a professional photographer eventually and I wanted a really good camera that was going to stand up to the places I would be traveling and doing. Here are a few examples of each level along with some popular brands you might find:

Compacts -

Olympus Stylus 760

Samsung Digimax S1000

Canon PowerShot SD950

Small & Medium Format -

Pentax K110D

Olympus SP510 UZ

Canon Powershot SX110

Large -

Calumet 45NXII

Sinar F 4x5 View Camera

Hasselblad H3D II-39MS Digital Camera

I mean all these cameras are great but again, if you are starting at a certain level be sure to look at the cameras available within that level. There's no sense in buying a large format camera if you have never even touched a camera before, do you really think you are going to know what each function does? What each button does? What aperture is and what hot shoe means? Probably not! When I bought my camera it cost around $400 and I had never touched a camera before, besides a regular little compact camera.

I did it backwards but was determined enough to figure the darn thing out on my own without help or instructions. But like with anything else in life just because "they" say you can't be self-taught (photography, writing, acting, cooking) doesn't mean they are always right! But in most cases I really would suggest working your way from level 1 to level 2 and then to 3. It gives you an easier understand about what everything is for!