I know it's not going to be in vogue or seen as correct by many, but my experience in learning to use a camera back in the 70s and 80s was something that I can't replicate with today's technology. Now, that is to say, that it's not just about technology being different. It is. But it's also about the basics. Light, optics, a box, media, and so on. As such I can manage to shoot any sort of camera or video type device fairly well.
There are two approaches to photography, IMO. Professional and Artist. One does it for a daily living and the other is looking for a life-long hobby. Technology and tools differ greatly for both. A DSLR might seem the way to go, but I'll recommend taking the "Prime lens - keep it simple" approach one step further and say that you should get a (manual) film camera.
These are everywhere and people are literally throwing them away. But what you can learn on an old SLR, for instance, is something that DSLRs just don't do. My first SLR was a Minolta with one 28mm lens. And I made due with it for nearly two years, taking pictures of everything and anything that I could. Digital cameras do so much for you now, which is nice, but they also rob you of tools like knowing and being able to see why things are the way that they are. For instance, how to manually tweak the exposure - and to be able to tell when it's going to need it. Sure, the DSLR does it for you to a point, but the skills are still necessary, IMO, or at the least, worth learning.
It also is good to have to manually focus, because 90% of the time my DSLR was doing it slightly wrong - it would either focus where I didn't want it or the depth of field was all over the place because it thought it knew better. If I didn't have experience doing it manually, I'd not have known, though, to nudge it a bit, and then probably have wondered why the shots were so-so, most likely. It took me just as much time per shot, if not longer, with an auto-focus DSLR as it did with my manual focus camera. It certainly wasn't "point and shoot" easy.
*note - this doesn't mean a manual focus camera should be manual aperture or speed or not have a proper electronic viewfinder to aid you. I'm not recommending a rangefinder camera, after all - heh)
It didn't enforce good habits, either. It's too easy to shoot and shoot and shoot and then delete the junk ones instead of developing skills to get it right the first time. Now, most of this is patience, but some it also is that with film, there's no second chance. It ingrains a proper "get it right the first time" method of shooting that I see lacking lately.
And they are really complex. Having a shutter speed, aperture, and a couple of program modes and that's it was more than enough for me as a beginner back then. The 20+ buttons and menus on most of these new models kind of gives me a headache and I'm an actual gear-head who does computer work for a living. Sure, I can understand it. But why should I have to read a 200+ page manual to do so? There's something to be said about simplicity as well. (not even getting into computer software, either) I can't imagine having the patience to learn it all if I was just starting out now.
Would I recommend it to someone who was doing it as a career? Of *course* not. But a DSLR plus software, printer, and lenses and all of that can easily run into 2-3K. Learning to use a $50 35mm camera you get at an estate sale is a lot of shooting to reach that price range. And for the person with a tight budget every week, it's about the only practical approach.
Get a cheap camera. Stick some film in it. Start shooting.
EDIT:
http://www.adorama.com/VVV3800.htmlThey still make this type of camera new, in fact. This comes with a 28-70mm lens as well. With these prices new, there are tons of them for about half this price used that are like new or only a year or two old. They are popular with photography classes at most colleges - cheap, simple, and often sold when the person graduates.
ebay item # 220386113650 is a good example of the low prices. (looks like a 50mm lens though...) Despite the low price, it's mechanically as solid as a rock.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/5982..._Autofocus.htmlThis is a good film camera just with auto focus(body only) - Again, easy to find used models all over the place. IT has all the aperture, shutter, and other modes, though, so it might be a better option. My original Minolta was similar - just without the auto focusing. These also are popular with photography classes, so many models can be found like new for under $100.