I pink puffy heart my camera. People ask my all the time what I shoot with. I'm Canon through and through. Got nothing against Nikon or anything else... I just have a little crush on my Canon. Which Canon, you ask? Why, it's a Canon 5D Mark II. And it. is. awesome. AWE-SOME. When I first got started I bought a Canon 20D. It was a great camera for me... but I wanted more. After taking several classes, spending tons of money on equipment, (I'll go into both of those some other time) I finally splurged and got myself my dream camera. Don't get me wrong, there's still a TON that I want (again, a list for another day) but I am so content with my camera.
One piece of advise I would give to someone who is camera hunting is don't feel like you have to "go big or go home". I know several amazing photographers who use a Canon Rebel and they take awesome pictures. Look around on Craigslist if you don't have the funds to get a new one. (But MAKE SURE you check for certain no-nos. Email me and I'll tell you what to look out for.)
People have also asked me why Canon. I don't have a solid answer for that one. Like I said before, I've got nothing against Nikon. In fact, one of my very best friends shoots Nikon. A mentor of mine once told me to "get what your friends have". It was solid advise. This way, I can borrow a lens to see if I like it. I can call and ask technical questions. I can ask if they are running into the same issues as I am with one thing or another. Most of my photography friends shoot Canon so I leaned that way from the beginning and ended up finding a Canon camera to begin with. Bottom line, though, is that when you are looking to buy a pricey camera with the ability of switching lenses, you can't really go wrong. Get what feels good when you're holding it. What works with the size hands you have? (These suckers are pretty darn big, especially once you have a massive lens on them.) Ask around. Ask the people at the camera store what they shoot with and why? Have they ever shot with another type of camera? If so, why did they switch? Then ask another employee what they shoot with and why. You'll be shocked at how much you can learn from just asking around. And, don't waste your time going to Best Buy or something like that. Go to a REAL camera store. One where all employees are photographers. You'll make a much more informed decision doing it that way.
All in all, a camera is a great thing to invest in. It's the gift that keeps on giving. No matter how many times Bryan rolls his eyes, he loves that I take pictures of the kids. And so do I. That's why I got into it to begin with... and I haven't looked back. It's been a great journey that is FAR from over!
