tis is a bit of "how long is a bit of string" it really does depend on the type of photo's you want to take, your knowledge of using a camera, and how much you want to spend.
For instance: I recently bought a digital camera for £350.00 in Comet, I told the assistant exactly what I wanted the camera for ie: taking action shots of dogs on the beach etc. We bought the camera that was recommended, we could not get a decent action shot unless we had full sunlight and even then they weren't great, and then about 8 weeks later it refused to work properly so I took it back to the shop and they sent it away for repair, apparently a single grain of sand had got inside the lens mechanism and the camera was a total right off, not covered by warranty or insurance.
A loss of £350 because i was wrongly advised.