@Toromino what are you looking to do with it/what are your priorities?
do you want a full dslr system with multiple lenses, a point and shoot, etc?
sussing out those needs is probably a good start. :> i will say that a used or refurbished dslr from a good dealer is not something you should be scared about buying. (if anything, i think it's like a car: let somebody else break it in for you and buy used!) B&H is a pretty darn solid dealer of such. ^0^
Well, I'm totally inexperienced with this. My initial thought was to get something thats at least better than my smartphone camera. :D
@Toromino yeah that makes total sense!
my dad's written a few books on astrophotography so i'm borrowing a lot of his knowledge LOL, but i think i can at least give you something to springboard off of.
1. do you want the ability to change lenses on the camera? (if not, look at 'point and shoots', those may do!)
2. do you want the ability to manually focus the camera yourself? (y'know, twirly the lens so that, say, the front part of the picture is in focus, but the back is blurred?)
@Toromino honestly, if you'd like to test the waters to see how an SLR type camera works - a DSLR i keep talking about is same camera, it's just digital instead of film - you can probably find a basic film SLR secondhand for... pretty darn cheap.
don't be scared if you look those up on B&H or KEH (another large good camera seller) - those pro shops are selling the collector's pieces. you can probably scoop up a "granddad got this in the 70s, used it once, idk i guess we sell it?" for a song.
@Toromino the big downside to a film SLR is, well, it's film. you can't do the regular digital camera thing of "let's just shotgun the everloving hell out of this and one of 'em will come out okay". you have a set number of pictures you can take on each film roll.
however, since the lenses are largely* interchangeable with dslrs, and dslrs feel/act much the same way, it could be cool practice.
*sometimes you have to get an adapter or there's one fucken weirdo, but y'know
@Toromino the other downside to film is that unlike digital photography, you just don't know what you have until you get the photos back. and, of course, you have to pay for photo processing. ...unless you want to build a darkroom, which is a whole 'nother pile of fuck l m a o
but honestly, if you're like "i'd like to get into this for about 500 dollars", leap in headfirst with a used DSLR. if you're like "i'd like to get into this around 50 dollars", scoop up a cheap old film SLR. :)
@Toromino (well, okay, it was a sports photographer and he was surrounded by rioting football fans. still. vintage olympus SLRs make rather good makeshift weaponry.) (that was a very roundabout way to say 'they have some pretty good build quality' but you get the idea)
@Toromino oh right before i forget it again! https://www.format.com/magazine/news/photography/free-photography-course-study-at-harvard-online this i believe is still up and may be of use to you! there's also an analog/film course up i think? or at least remember hearing last?
but no matter what kind of camera you choose, you'll still learn some cool basics about processing your photos digitally (no matter what you took those photos with), as well as what all the buttons/terms are (most of which are applicable to non-digital slrs too), composition, etc. 📷 💖
@Toromino this is a pretty overwhelming amount of shit i know, but i grew up with a lot of this in the background so it may as well be of use to someone lol!
my advice for vintage film SLRs - honestly Olympus was the brand of choice around here (before switch to digital). for one thing you can use a fucking OM-2 whatever like a goddamn weapon if you start swinging it around on its strap. about to get mugged? BLUDGEON THEM WITH YOUR OLYMPUS (my dad does know a photographer that actually did so)