Be prepared to spend more on glass (lenses) then the body of the camera. That's where the picture quality comes from. In that price range I'd probably go for a used Canon entry level body (T3i) pair it up with a 50mm f1.8 or the new EF-S 24mm STM (Which going to have a price point of $150, killer killer deal)..
After that you wanna save your pennies for lenses like the EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8, and the EF 70-200 f4L. Both can be found used for a decent price. I have the 17-55 f/2.8 on my Canon 70D 90% of the time, especially if I'm in the boat.