I'm still mostly shooting film again and recently got a 28mm lens for my (film) Canon. Something feels off with digital for me suddenly. Similarly to you, it feels colour related, but it could just be that summer is here and the light is so harsh that without a strong ND filter everything just feels blown out and desaturated.

Cameras released in like the last 5 years are basically all the same though. A few minor improvements on the technical sides in their own way but nothing particularly major if your goal is just to take pictures. You should be able to find something from any brand that isn't too expensive. Fine to buy them used as well, just check the shutter count on them beforehand so they're not too high.