@izbiggs I moved your post to the Photography, Equipment, Tips, Q&A for more responses. Also take a look at
the section as many things have been discussed before regarding basic use/tips/etc related to mantids in particular. If you have any specific questions just ask. Overall I'd say get a reversing ring to fit your lens (I commented in your photo topic), get a shutter release, and a decent tripod - that will get you much better results than much else.
A cheap camera is a relative point to be sure - I know some members have free phone cameras to well over $10,000 if you include lens/accessories/etc. Older DSLRs can be had affordably but cost a fortune and were top of the line when they were released (including their materials, especially lens glass), so even if priced cheap they are far from it. Many brand-new models don't do what some of them can do even if the new ones are currently more expensive and have a larger pixel count.
Like many others I got hooked on a brand, Nikon in my case; although, I've owned various cameras (bridge and DSLRs) from Canon, Fuji, Pentax, Nikon, etc. If you are asking about models then my most recent models have been D3100, D200, D100, D80, D70 (current). I tend to stay with the older models as they have internal lens motors allowing auto-focus of older lenses that can be had much more affordably. In which case the D200 has been my favorite so far, plenty of power and resolution for cropping - and I think the best native colors.
Sure if I ever win the lottery I would get some top of the line flagship model D5 (I think currently) and goodies, but I'm happy with what I got.
Speaking of which if you have a smartphone, the apps Camera+ and Lapse it are great options to get better pre-production shots than the standard camera options. While post-production image work can do many things (Lightroom, Aftershot Pro, Photoshop, GIMP, etc...), a set of clip-on lenses can make a huge difference in quality and macro shots overall. If the photo doesn't have the quality or zoom to start with software can't fix everything. You can get fancy with shutter releases, tripod adapters, and many accessories too for even a smartphone.
While I'll grab my DSLR anytime I plan on taking photos, having a smartphone setup that is always in a pocket is great for shots that would be missed otherwise.
