Camera

No, you go to B&H.

Well, on the other hand, you want to learn photography more than equipment. I would get a dslr that has the most features I could afford that are now actually in use by pros – but used. B and H has good used cameras I believe. Keep in mind that many features on cameras are not used by even pros. Get something to learn photography with and see what the equipment is actually like. I got a Canon T1i a year or two ago with a lens for under $200 or so.

I realized after posting my previous post that it contained many mistakes which may make it hard to understand. I am reposting here with the mistakes fixed and the moderator can delete my previous post if possible.

. DSLRs dont autofocus in video, only mirrorless cameras do

. DSLRs and mirrorless cameras need seperate lenses. Even when buying used they will be way over your current budget. In addition, cheap and dark lenses (with an aperture f4 and smaller) which generally includes kit lenses as well ( the lenses included with the cameras) will make the quality of your photos look like it was taken with a very cheap camera. A good lens is as important as a good camera. You can get a 50mm F1.8 lens which is generally a good lens that is also cheap however they are only useful for portraits and not for candid photography that you generally take in camp. For everyday candid photos you need a zoom lens and a USED good quality, bright zoom lens can cost upwards of $500.

. The best cameras in the closest price range to what you mentioned are the compact cameras, the Sony DSC-RX100 mark 3 and the Canon 7x Mark 2 (the Canon has a longer zoom lens). In new condition they are above your budget but you can buy them used in good condition on ebay in the $350-$375 range. These two cameras have great, bright lenses that are good for low light photography and for good quality images in general. These cameras also come with manual controls which is crucial for professional photographers and videographers, you have to expose the images by using manual control and not letting the camera decide the exposure in automatic mode. These cameras are excellent for learning how to control the camera to shoot professional photography and videography.

Eventually when you do have the money, you can buy a good mirrorless camera and a fast bright lens and also an external flash with a trigger and lightstand ( make sure the camera has a hot shoe to be able to attach a flash) and at that point, once you mastered basic camera exposure settings, you can learn lighting on and off camera.