I'm very new to the world of photography and don't have any equipment except my phone. I'm looking into getting a macro setup to shoot Mushrooms, Slime Molds and Insects.

I'm completely open to used equipment, mainly using KEH/Ebay to search for deals.

Seems like mirrorless is the more popular option, but DSLR is also still great.

I'll still need external Flash/diffuser, SD cards, tripod, software, but I'll exclude that from the budget.

Attempting to learn about all the intricacies of photography/macro photography is overwhelming, but also damn interesting. Would love some suggestions that are around the budget, can be a little over too. I would just like something I could work with for a long period of time.

The brands all seem to be fairly competitive and have similar quality, so it hard to find out where to turn. Any recommendations would be a great jumping off point for finally pulling the shutter.