There are a number of older 10-, to 12- to 16-megapixel models on the used market. Entry-level cameras that retailed for $349 to $399 a few years back are now available with a kit lens in the $175 to $250 range in my area at pawn shops and on Craigslist from motivated sellers.
As far as it goes, my recommendation is the Nikon D3200 as a solid, plentiful and affordable used first d-slr. Why? pretty good sensor performance, low cost, and the ability
to mount and to shoot photos with basically any F-mount lens, manual focus, screw-drive focus, or the newer style of in-the-lens AF-S lenses (which stands for
Auto
Focus
Silent-wave motor in the lens). This allows you to choose from 70 million or so manual-focus F-mount lenses made between 1959 to the present era, by Nikon, but also by multiple other manufacturers; there are a LOT of pawnshop-type lenses in F-mount. I recently bought a nice 70-200 f/4~5.6 for $29.95 from a pawnshop. Of course, to autofocus this 1990'sera lens requires a higher-level Nikon body, or an older one, like a D70 or D50, which both have the screw-drive focus motor in the camera body, but still, it's a 70-200, 1990's-era lens for $30.
Basically: the "baby Nikon" models can mount, and shoot, any Nikon F-mount lens made from 1959 to the 2017 era,
with varying degrees of automation, depending on the lens's original era of manufacture.
In Nikon lenses, the "pre-Ai era" or "pre-Ai" lenses (1959 to 1977 or so for most models) do NOT MOUNT on the higher-end Nikon models but they DO mount on the D60, the D40,D40x,and the entire D3000-series and the entire D5000 series cameras, so those specific cameras are the ones that can use many,many lenses that are older, but which are not desired by "enthusiasts" with higher-model cameras that require those 1959-1977 lenses to have been modified by a camera repairman in a process called "Ai-ing or Ai-modifying".
In Canon, the majority of newer lower-priced
Rebels in the T-series would be my choice; I would try to avoid the X-series, the early Rebels like the XT. In D-series Canons, the 30D would be my recommendation, 40D if you can get one in your price range, which is unlikely I suspect.
There ARE some VERY low-priced, older d-slrs on Craigslist...I saw a clean Nikon D70 last week for $99, and the VERY handy DX-Nikkor 18-70mm era-specific wide-range kit zoom for $99...and a Nikon D80 body for $75.
I have my original Canon 20D...it's "okay", but the sensor is ISO-limited and old now, but in good light, it shoots okay images.
KEH.com on-line might be a place to start doing some research.
If you just want a d-slr, a body and an 18-55 kit zoom would be a good start.
