So I’ve been borrowing my cousins old Canon Rebel T3 for like six months now and honestly I’m totally hooked on photography but the tech on that thing is just so dated lol. I finally saved up enough from my side gig to get my own rig and I’m super stoked to actually own my own glass and not have to give it back every two weeks. I’ve gotten pretty comfortable shooting in manual mode and I understand the exposure triangle and all that jazz but I’m hitting a wall with the autofocus on this old beast especially when I’m trying to catch my dog running in the park... it just hunts forever and misses the shot half the time.

I’ve been looking around and everything everyone talks about now is mirrorless mirrorless mirrorless but idk I just really love the optical viewfinder? There’s something about seeing the actual light and not a tiny screen in my eye that makes it feel more real plus the battery life on these old DSLRs is insane compared to what my buddy gets on his Sony where he has to carry like three spares. My budget is firm at $1000—that’s for the body and hopefully a decent starter lens like a 50mm prime or a kit lens to get me through my sisters graduation ceremony in late June. I live near some cool hiking trails in the PNW so it’s gotta be at least a little bit rugged I guess since I’m always out in the mist.

The problem is I’m looking at the market and it feels like Nikon and Canon have basically stopped making new DSLRs for beginners? I was looking at the Nikon D7500 or maybe a Canon 90D but those seem to be pushing my budget if I buy new and I'm scared of getting scammed on eBay. Is it even worth buying a new DSLR in 2024 or am I just setting myself up for failure with lenses that are gonna be hard to find later? I really want that tactile feel and the mirror click but I dont wanna waste my money on a dead end system. What would you guys pick if you had a grand and wanted to stick with a traditional DSLR setup right now?