There Are Pandas, and Then There Are Pandas.
And this isn't either of them! The Pandas we're talking about here, are watches, not bears. And what got me thinking about them (again) was a link posted this morning by @cm.rook who pointed a few of us to the very attractive (and not terribly priced) Yema "Rallygraph" Panda which, in it's most traditional arrangement, looks like the one on the left, but can also be had in the version on the right: The model on the left is a true Panda, while the model on the right is called a reverse Panda. The reason for that distinction is clear--Panda bears, only come in the first arrangement. Now at this point, everyone should be thinking about the most well-know Panda, The Rolex Panda, which is actually a Daytona, and among Rolex Daytonas, the most famous of which is the Paul Newman Daytona, which was famous first, because it was Paul's, and second because it sold at auction for $17.8 million (US Dollars). The story of that auction is well-known so I'll only...
Nov 8, 2019
Without too much info about your shooting preferences, I can't really make any specific recommendations, but here are some general ones: - consider used cameras - it will help you pick up better cameras, esp. at the $500 price point - consider lenses - if you're buying an ILC (like the E-520), the lenses are equally as important as the camera itself, so think about that with your budget - Canon Rebel SL, T, Ti series - T (like T6) and SL (like SL1) are nice budget options that you may be able to get new under your budget; maybe a Ti camera if you buy used - Canon lenses - I recommend looking at getting a kit lens + a prime, or just a prime (50 f/1.8, 24 f/2.8) - Nikon D3x00 series - this series (even the D3400) sits below your budget, even new with a kit lens! If you don't want to buy used, this is definitely a great option - Nikon lenses - same as Canon lenses, except check out the 35 f/1.8 - Sony a6000 - a mirrorless option!
Some good places to get more recommendations include DPReview (articles and also their forums) and subreddits like r/askphotography.
Even if you outgrow the D3400, and upgrade to a D7500 or FX body, keep the D3400 for when you don't want to haul the heavier camera out. For casual stuff, a lighter camera will get used more, giving you pix that you otherwise would not shoot. I speak from experience, and missing a LOT of family pix, cuz I did not want to haul out the big 35mm camera.