I'm looking for a DSLR camera. I would like it to be under $500. Do you know of any?

I have already looked at the nikon d3100 and I don't like the picture quality. I'm leaning towards the canon eos rebel t3 because of the picture quality and price. I would mostly be taking pictures of the beach and of landscapes and also up close nature like flowers and plants. If you have any recommendations or suggestions I would appreciate it very much, thank you.

If you believe the Rebel T3 has better picture quality than the D3100, consider this:

Realize that Nikon sets their DSLRs up by default to produce natural colors, while Canon sets more saturation in their colors - which while it will make them more brilliant, are unnatural. They do that to fool people into thinking their cameras are better.

But you can set up any Nikon camera for more saturation if you want - Nikon just chooses to set them to natural looking colors, as they do not have to resort to such trickery to sell their cameras.

And the DxOMark sensor test comparisons confirm this is true:

http://www.dxomark.com/...2%29/Nikon

You will see from this comparison that the Nikon has more color depth and dynamic range, both necessary things to have good color rendition, and more low-light capability, which means lower ISO, and that always improves picture quality.

Get a used D90 for 450. The cheapo SLRs are too small to hold anyway.

You will get differing opinions most based on personal preference.Me, I'm a Canon guy and that's all I recommend. The t3 is an excellent camera. I have two Canon dslr cameras and am about to buy a third. I've never been disappointed in the quality.

I would definitely recommend the t3 over the Nikon D3100.It would even be better if you could get the t3i which is one of the best entry-level DSLR cameras out there on the market. Also get it with the 55 mm lens which is a good lens to start with.
The t3 is sold at amazon with the 55mm lens for $409
http://www.amazon.com/...004J3Y9U6/

But i personally recommend that you spend the extra and get the t3i for $579
http://www.amazon.com/...004J3V90Y/

I would recommend you the Canon EOS 60D. The reason i recommend EOS 60D is its improved and enhanced features, some of the major upgrades are as follows:
18.0-megapixel CMOS sensor and DIGIC 4 Imaging Processor; ISO 100-6400 (expandable to 12800)
Body only; lenses sold separately. It has improved EOS HD Video mode with manual exposure control; Vari-angle 3.0-inch Clear View LCD monitor. It has 5.3 fps continuous shooting; enhanced iFCL 63-zone, Dual-layer metering system. Compatibility with SD/SDHC/SDXC memory cards. Excellent image quality up to ISO settings unthinkable just one camera generation ago. As befits its positioning bang in the middle of the EOS range, the 60D loses the joystick standard on high-end models, but it does retain the all-important rear control dia. It has Good quality 1080/720p video output with a range of frame rates and control over exposure. Very good low-light performance, with low noise levels and good retention of detail. Here is the professional say about this camera

http://www.amazon.com/...9RQCCZ49L/

I'm a Canon guy so I would recommend a Canon. The T3 is a fine camera that can be had for around $450 at places like B&H photo. I've also heard good things about the SL1 and had an opportunity to use one briefly. It's much smaller than the T3 but it's also a bit pricier. It also takes great pictures. It will put you above $500. But if size matters, you may want to look at the SL1.

I prefer Pentax cameras…

… And i'm siding with AW Boater on this one, there isn't much of a difference in either 'specification' or 'performance' at 'entry level'… So i'm wondering what it was that you didn't fancy about the Nikon images?

The best way to choose your first camera is to pop into a camera store and try handling the different brands and models, they all feel different and you would prefer one more than the others, that's the camera I would advise you to buy…

… It's really easy to buy a good quality camera, the difficult bit is operating it… Great images come from good photographers… The camera is just the tool.