Loved my Canon 350D and wish I didn’t sell it! Very easy to use and all the controls make sense. A 350D body and a couple of lenses can be had for quite cheap on ebay now. Don’t be put off by the “low” megapixel rating unless you’re planning on doing massive photos for print.
Have tried to get on with Nikon but I don’t really like how they work (menu/control system really). Apparently their kit lenses are better and the AF a bit faster.
I’m just getting back into photography and using my sisters old Canon film slr which takes great photos. Film makes me feel so “niche” 😆 (it’s also a hell of a lot cheaper to start with, but more frustrating as you get no instant feedback on whether your shots are any good)