I think Russians would be easier to start with. My first hamster, Larry-Jasper, is a Winter White.
Maybe if I explain my reasoning for my choice because I was in a similar position.
I wanted a hamster that was very cute (so every hamster lol), would be quite easy to tame and was happy to be handled. I also wanted one that would be quite active. To me, this meant a Russian Dwarf. To decide between those, I figured I may as well make use of my local breeder, which cut out hybrids from the choice. Next I though about the differences between a WW and a Campbells. The main thing for me was the risk of diabetes. WW aren't prone to diabetes but Campbells are. I wanted to not have to worry about that with my first hamster, while I was learning.
Therefore, I chose a pure bred Winter White!
I hope you can find the species you want