What's a good starter camera for an outdoor loving first time dad?

I've always been interested in photography but like many of you I have too many expensive hobbies as it is, so buying a good camera has been put off. But I recently had my first child and I think now is a good time to invest in a decent camera. My hobbies are everything outdoors and I'll likely take the majority of my pictures on hikes in the mountains, in the desert, or at the beach. I'll definitely be taking a lot of pictures of the wife, kid & dog.

My budget is between $500-$1,000 all in. All in meaning lenses, gear, etc. Can anyone recommend a good starter camera? Preferably something I can build on once I get better.

Thanks.

 

@JVL1985

My camera suggestions are simply going to mimic the road I went down when I bought my DSLR - a Canon T1i in 2010. Also keep in mind that I'm cheap.

If you aren't sure how much you want to get into photography and buying gear, I'd suggest going used. If you're patient, you can scour Facebook Marketplace as people are always selling their cameras that they ended up not really using. My only problem with buying electronics from someone online is you don't know how they were handled.

That said, I'd probably suggest going through somewhere like Adorama. I've purchased photography items from them in the past and they have a great used gear section, complete with condition ratings.

Put all that together and I'd go with a combination like this:

Used Canon EOS Rebel T3i DSLR Camera - Black (Body Only) E
$200 and excellent condition
This is an older body and with your budget you could easily upgrade to a newer or more professional body.

Used Canon EF-S 18-55mm F/3.5-5.6 II Lens E
$54 and excellent condition
This is the kit lens that comes with most cameras like the T3i so while it's not a fantastic piece of glass, for $54 you can't really go wrong and it will let you know what kinds of zoom ranges you frequent. Keep in mind that this is an EF-S mount so if you went with a pro camera, it won't work as they take only EF mount. The less expensive cameras can use either EF or EF-S lenses.

Used Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM Lens D
$110 and a demo lens
The EF 50 is a fantastic lens and the f/1.8 gives you amazing low light capabilities over the f/3.5-5.6 stock lens and gives you decent bokeh for portraits. If you do upgrade bodies, this lens will work on anything in the Canon lineup.

That will give you a pretty good start for around $400.

If you want to go the new body route, something like a T7 with an 18-55 and 75-300 lenses for just under $600 isn't bad.

Canon EOS Rebel T7 DSLR Camera|2 Lens Kit with EF18-55mm + EF 75-300mm Lens, Black

https://www.amazon.com/Rebel-EF18-55mm-75-300mm-Double-Zoom/dp/B0101RW3QK

No matter how you make it to this point, keep in mind that there will be additional things that you'll need/want - a tripod, camera bag (I opted for a Lowepro backpack), remote shutter release (so you can be in the picture without having to run!), etc.

I'm certainly FAR from an expert but if you have any questions, I'll see what I can do to help.