Something that really frustrated me with my camera purchase was how the hard interface was used to upsell higher priced models. I bought a D3500, the low end of that sensor line, and there's a lot of options I have to change through the menu. Things like ISO or timer delay (I also have to re-set this for every shot), things that typically are accessed through a dedicated or function button. The crux of it is that moving to a more expensive model with those buttons is not a strict upgrade: the camera is larger, heavier, and has worse battery life.
Yeah, price segmenting and protecting higher end models is unfortunately common with most technology companies. It becomes particularly obvious when folks install magic lantern (or similar) on their camera bodies and see what unlocked firmware will make use of on their camera.
I feel you, they definitely are out to make a profit and that definitely affects the value you get for your money (as opposed to what the hardware can actually do).
