[m j b]

I agree with Brian and the other Brian. And Dan.

SO, what's a guppy?

Anyway... when I started to get into digital, it was between the Nikon and the Canon. The ergonomics of the Nikon felt better to me, so I went that way. The Fuji is an awesome little camera, but I got so used to the functions and controls of the Nikon that I had to go back.

As others said, and the strongest advice to me in the past was, buy good glass. The body isn't as important.

I'll suggest, since you set a budget, that you buy a used mirror DLSR. Really top quality pro-level stuff is obtainable at a huge discount on eBay and such. And if you get a nice example that isn't cosmetically trashed, you can resell it for close to what you paid when (if) you decide to go mirrorless.

So, get a body that's a generation or two behind, and get an older lens that perhaps doesn't have VR (don't need it anyway) and a solid, quality tripod, build yourself a light box, and you'll be set.

I don't post process because I'm lazy and I work with computers all day, so I don't want to work on them any more just for fun.

Attached is one of my favorite photos, illumination provided by a flashlight. The only processing was to crop & resize for the forum and add the copyright tag just in case some bozo tries to use it for an eBay scam or something...