The perfect camera?

There is no perfect camera. Not even for each of us: there might be a perfect camera for each of us in a specific situation, but in the end it’s all about the perfect compromise.

It all boils down to the two questions we considered earlier. Your shooting requirements and your budget will help you find the perfect camera.

What kind of photographer do you intend to be? Fun? Amateur? Professional? The need for RAW limits your choice drastically, as does the need for full manual controls of the camera. Just want to have fun? Choose whatever fits your hands best, set the camera to full auto mode, and start taking pictures.

How do you intend to use the camera? Everything “serious”, especially if you intend to sell your pictures, can hardly be done without full control of both the camera and the picture file. DSLR is the way to go.
If you are serious about photography, but need something for light travel shooting perhaps a P&S may be your choice.
Check for RAW format and full manual control and you will end up with just 3 or 4 choices, all of them more expensive than most entry-level DSLRs.
Just want to have fun? Choose whatever fits your hands best, etc…

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Go out and shoot!

The perfect camera is just a useless paperweight if you don’t go out and shoot. An old FM2n with an even older AI-lens and a scanner (or a traditional lab) does take pictures as good as the best of all digital cameras. Fight back against the urge to buy gear just for the sake of having the newest “thing.”
Stop dreaming, fiddling around with camera bodies in shops and wasting time on the internet (except on Nikonians, that is), just go out and shoot with whatever you have. The worst picture is the one you missed because you were not there when it happened!

Nikon FM