To at least answer your first question, you probably would be satisfied with any manually operating Nikon camera (new or used, if still functioning). Nikon tends to be a brand very high in quality, and is associated with photography from such fields as National Geographic. Kodak can be, too, but I would prefer Nikon if possible.
As far as whether it be film vs. digital, that depends on how much you are willing to continually spend throughout your usage of the camera for rolls of film, paper & chemicals, or a computer, wires & a photo printer. Some still say that film is better than digital in that its quality is not limited in the range of pixels, nor is it as limited for color range and light absorption as digital. Still, digital photos are ready to see and use the instant you take them, so it's give and take.
