What Camera to get, beginning with DSLR?

Is there a camera similar to the Nikon D3200, but at a cheaper price?

Added (1). It doesn't have to be Nikon. I just mentioned it cause it was one of the first names that popped up when looking for beginner DSLR. It can be Canon or some other brand. But kinda looking into the ones less than 400. If i can get something similar yet at a much lower price, that would be fine by me.

If that's the camera you want, and price is your major criterion, buy used on Ebay for under $400

Nikon D3100 is a little more affordable and still a great DSLR and because it was the previous version of the D3200 it is very similar.

Do remember to budget for a good lens too, Nikon does NOT make terrible lens so you will be safe with a kit lens, but there are lenses that preform better.

Keep in mind aperture and focal length when choosing a lens to pair up with your camera.

Do research on DSLR terms so you can better understand what some of the abbreviations mean.

Nikon D3200 is a Good choice. You are right that canon is the most trust able name in DSLR camera. You must go with Canon EOS 600D which is almost the same budget as nikon D3200. Just have a look in source link for Canon Eos 600D.

If you want new, there are no dSLRs that are less than 400 US dollars.

You'll need 550-600 US dollars for most entry level new dSLRs from Sony, Canon and Nikon, Pentax's entry is just a little bit more when it's not on sale.

You can get dSLR quality in a smaller form factor, take a look at Sony's NEX 3N it usually runs about 499, it's more compact and has a dSLR sized image sensor.

$400 is not enough. You need at least $500~600 to get something decent.

Wasting $400 on a used camera to save $100 on a new camera doesn't seem like a very good solution.

But if you can verify condition, then it might be a valid alternative.