Choosing a camera comes down to two decisions: body type and sensor size — and neither needs to be complicated.
Body type: Mirrorless is where things stand today — every major manufacturer builds their newest lenses for mirrorless mounts first, autofocus is faster, and what you see in the viewfinder closely matches your actual exposure. DSLRs still work fine if you already own one, but no brand is developing new lenses for that system anymore. Compact cameras trade creative control for pocketability — fine if that's genuinely your priority, limiting if you want control over background blur or low light.
Sensor size: Full-frame gives the best low-light performance and shallowest background blur, but costs accordingly. APS-C — smaller, cheaper, found in most beginner cameras — teaches you everything about exposure and composition a full-frame body would. Micro Four Thirds goes smaller still, trading some low-light capability for a lighter kit.
The takeaway: unless you already own a DSLR, start mirrorless, and don't feel pressure toward full-frame as a beginner — APS-C is genuinely enough to learn on, and you can always move up later once you know what you actually shoot.
One more thing worth knowing: megapixel count matters far less than marketing suggests. Modern budget cameras sit around 20-26MP — more than enough for large prints and cropping. Chasing higher numbers isn't where your photos will actually improve.