[Nomi]

They simply do not produce DSLRs at that price range. They've dropped to $600 as of late for the lowest end brand, but you'd be hard-pressed to find a fully functional used DSLR for $350. Save up $600 and buy yourself a proper body, kit lens, and something resembling a protective case/filter set. Some older, incomplete kits (or body only) DSLRs float around eBay but this is a dangerous place to buy; DSLRs should really be purchased new or in-person used from a reputable shop with warranties on their used goods. I really want to stress the not buying used from eBay bit. A lot of people get screwed.

If you look into new, cheap DSLRs, I would go for Nikon. Their consumer-level DSLRs are sturdy and reliable and for the kits, it's a fair price.

If you're looking for advanced features in a low price range, check out the Canon Powershot S3/S5 IS. You can easily grab a used S3 for cheap, or a new S5 if you prefer. They are incredibly high quality cameras with SLR features and 12x optical zoom. If you want better than point and shoot without the financial pounding of a DSLR, you absolutely cannot go wrong with this line.


As for basic quality understanding: the body and the lens both matter very much. With low-level cameras, they're marketed as Megapixel=quality. This is simply untrue. The quality of the image sensor greatly impacts how good the picture will be. A lower-MP camera can produce a MUCH more beautiful image if it has a better sensor. For DSLRs this also applies, but lenses have more of an impact. A high-quality lens and the correct camera settings can make a drastic difference in image quality. For a beginner, I wouldn't worry all that much, as most basic kits will give you what you're probably looking for. The finer details must be learned, and better lenses can always be purchased later. Any newer DSLR will room for improvement in terms of quality if you buy better lenses. You won't 'max out' by body restrictions anytime soon.

I learned DSLR on a Nikon D100 with an amazing lens set, then had access to a Nikon D70, D70s and then a Canon Digital Rebel XT. I preferred the Nikon D70s above all else, but it lacked the vertical grip option the D100 carried. Those are pretty outdated now I suppose, and I haven't had DSLR access since high school, but I've always loved Nikon bodies over Canon (conversely, I prefer Canon lenses to Nikon lenses). The consumer-level Nikons (I have used a D40 recently, that's as up-to-date as I am) are very sturdy and the lenses aren't bad if you're buying a kit. Can't go wrong with them. They're also fairly idiot-proof and beginner-friendly, with picture-coded preset options instead of leaving you with a bunch of dials you don't understand. The Nikon D40 should be somewhere around $400-500, which is astounding given that I started when you'd be hardpressed to find a body under $1k.