Which camera brand to buy?

I'm wanting to get into some higher class photography, just a better quality camera then your standard digital camera.

I know that the brands are all about equal, but that the minor differences are fit for which features you want.
In other words, each brand is for specific uses.

I was wondering what the differences between just the basic camera brands. (Canon, Nikon, Sony, Olympus, etc.)

If you just tell me a few differences for a few brands, that'd be great!

Thanks!

BTW, ONE THING I WOULD LIKE TO DO IS BOKEH PHOTOGRAPHY ( WITH LIGHTS AND STUFF, I KNOW THAT HAS TO DO WITH LENSES, BUT I WAS ALSO WONDERING WHICH CAMERA WOULD BE BEST FOR THAT!

Nikon and Canon have the most complete camera systems including a wide range of cameras, lenses, flash systems, and specialized equipment for special types of photography. I would not recommend any of the other brands for someone who is just starting and may take any of a number of specialized paths in photography. To me, the Nikon cameras are the most comfortable to work with and are well designed for control of the camera in daily use.

To achieve great bokeh, you generally need a DSLR camera, which has a much larger sensor than the typical point-and-shoot camera. Point-and-shoot cameras with their small sensors use short focal-length lenses that necessarily have a lot of depth of field, which means it can be hard to throw backgrounds and light sources out of focus to achieve the effect you are looking for.

In the DSLR range, a full-frame camera (minimum about $2500) is better than the less-expensive APS-C format cameras in achieving desired bokeh, and an APS-C camera is better than a 4/3 format camera, but all are capable of providing good bokeh. You will also typically be looking at fast (and relatively expensive) prime lenses to achieve the best bokeh in your photos. Zoom lenses have complex optical formulas that often means their bokeh varies throughout their focal range, and may be good in some parts and bad in other parts. Prime lenses (single focal-length lenses that do not zoom) typically have simpler formulas and many have pleasant bokeh.

Nikon even makes two specialized lenses, the 105 mm and 135 mm f/2.0 AF-DC Nikkors, that are specifically designed to give you control over bokeh, controlling out-of-focus areas both in front of and behind the focus point.

My personal recommendation for you would be the Nikon D90, the lowest-priced current Nikon DSLR camera that gives you autofocus capability with the full range of Nikon lenses including the AF-DC Nikkors and a number of other prime lenses with good bokeh.

Nikon and Canon have the best reputation as DSLR manufacturers, though other brands are good as well (if they weren't they'd quit competing a long time ago).

For point-and-shoot cameras, I'd choose either Canon or Panasonic.

As for bokeh photography, ANY camera with interchangeable lenses can do that. It's a matter of choosing the lens with a suitable focal length (preferably telephoto) and a large aperture (f/2.8 or bigger). Here's an article that will help you choose out a suitable lens for whatever you shoot:
http://www.dpreview.com/...ide_01.htm