I have used everything from an old Brownie box camera [sold a mag cover of a shot from it for $75. when I was 16] up to studio cameras. My suggestion is b4 you spend big bucks for anything... go for used equipment. You can get some very nice equipment at the larger camera outlet stores or ads from the back pages of photography mags, and if you are just beginning you need to learn the fundamentals first. Automatics are nice, but IMO you don't really learn serious photography with them. Going used allows you to not only pick up your basic camera, but with the bucks you save over new you can pick up some accessories to go with the camera.