I wouldn't worry about buying secondhand if you go to a proper dealer, I've had a couple of S/H cameras over the years and never had a problem with any of them. Do you need a DSLR? If you want the best image quality you can get, the best low light performance available and the ability to add different lenses to give you more photographic options then yes you do... but they are much bigger, heavier and more expensive than compact or bridge cameras. I use a DSLR for most of my photography but have just bought a good compact for those times when I cannot have it with me (due to size/weight). Decide what you want from a camera and that should tell you what kind of camera will suit you best.
As for brands, I'm a very happy Canon user and I love the results my camera gives... but I know others who use Nikon, Olympus, Sony, Pentax and Panasonic who are getting stunning results. As has been said any of the DSLRs on the market can deliver great results, more important is the photographer behind the camera and the lens in front of it. Lenses are the big expense with DSLRs, I'd hate to think how much I've spent on lenses over the last few years...
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