So I am super excited because I finally saved up enough cash to buy my first real camera! Im currently living in Chicago and have been using my phone for everything but the quality just isnt cutting it anymore especially since Im planning a big trip to visit my sister in Seattle next spring and really want to capture some decent photos of the mountains and stuff. My budget is around 600 bucks which I know isnt a ton in the camera world but I figured Black Friday is the best time to stretch that money as far as it can go.

Problem is I have absolutely no idea where to look. Like do I just check Amazon? Or do the actual camera stores like B&H or Adorama do better deals? Im kinda worried about buying something and then finding out it was a bad deal or like missing out because I was looking on the wrong sites. Everything seems so overwhelming with all the technical jargon like mirrorless vs dslr and lenses and sensors and I dont even know where to start looking for the sales themselves. Do stores leak their ads early or should I just wait until the actual day of? Also are there specific brands that usually go on sale or is it just random?

I really dont want to mess this up and end up with a camera that I cant even use or that breaks immediately. Im sorry if this is a really dumb question but I just dont want to waste my savings on something that isnt worth it. Where should I be watching for these deals so I dont miss out on the best prices?