Asking advise on buying a camera is like asking advise on what condoms to buy. Everyone is going to tell you to go with the Magnumn size with ridges for her pleasure.
Any of the major brands will have good points and bad points. Canon and Nikon are the industry leaders, but that doesn't mean that other brands won't fit you bill or do exactly what you want/need. What you need to do is define what that bill is. Any camera in experienced hands can be used to take great photos. Camera's don't take great photos, photographers do. Camera's just record what the photographer tells it to record.
Define what you want, Point and Shoot, Bridge Camera, Mirrorless or full blown DSLR. Then figure out what featurs you want/need. A good place to compare features is:
Digital Photography Review You can compare camera bodies and lenses.
Go to a photography shop or if you need a big box store and look at the camera's and see what it is that interests you. Once you have an idea what you want, then start comparing camera's or systems to find the ones that fit your needs.
Finally look at the price point you want to stay within. Your decision is going to have to include compromise as there is no perfect camera or system. You have to decide what compromises you are willing to accept.
