"Oh, you're a photographer? Let me ask you a question. I'm looking to buy a camera. What do you recommend I get?"
If I had a dollar for every time I'm asked that question, I wouldn't need to charge for photography.
I never know how to answer this question, either. Because to be completely honest, the answer is: It depends.
Are you serious about photography? Do you want to learn about f-stops and shutter speeds and light balance?
Or do you just want to take photos at holiday parties? Or are you snapping your children at sporting events?
Because truth be told, no camera is going to work if the person holding it doesn't truly know how to use it.
Besides, I don't work for any camera manufacturer. I can't tell you the ins and outs of every point-and-shoot, DSLR, and SLT on the market. There are hundreds of them out there and they're constantly getting updated.
But I can tell you basic photography and I can steer you in a direction.
So, what kind of camera should you buy?
If you want to learn more about photography, truly learn about it, buy a camera that scares you.
If that's a point and shoot with interchangeable lenses, get it. If you're comfortable with a small camera but the thought of learning what an ISO does starts to blur your vision in fear, go for that.
And then use it. Take hundreds of photos of the same thing but change one tiny setting each time. Actually see in real time what your camera is doing.
That's the beauty of digital photography. Instant gratification. Learning while doing. Being up to your eyeballs in the process.
Get a camera that scares you, tame it, and then become a real photographer.