I'm a photographer, this is my kinda of thread, lol.
In ranges;
Point and Shoot, I like the Samsung zooms, the Nikons and the Kodak Easyshares. Small, affordable and usually under £100. I had a Kodak Easyshare C613. Cost me about £60 and took some amazingly nice photos over the years. Some below. Good application range, too. No flexability though on settings, it's like it or lump it with these.
The Fujifilm FinePix S1500 series, around and above, digital is basically a DSLR looking camera with the ability of a point & shoot zoom. Less buttons, less confusion, you put it on the setting you want, sport, landscape, macro, portrait, and you fire away. You might get some manual focus in if you're feeling adventurous.
It takes some VERY smart photos for a reasonable £150-200 price bracket. It's not the kinda of camera you'd want to cart everywhere with you but it's a very good mid range for more "I want to take some today, I'll pick it up" rather than a "I'll keep it in my bag for any occasion!" camera. Again, great application range, does macros nicely (the bug shot I had a lens macro glass on it)
Pic below of one i took on one of those cameras;
Now to the big stuff. The proper DSLRs.
I have a Canon EOS 40D, it's a big boy and the body alone fetches £300+. The lenses are anything from £100 to £1500. This camera however in stock setting with stock USM lens (£450 as a kit usually) is the cat's whiskers. Below photos taken with the stock lens. No extras. (the bottle green fly had a x2 macro glass on the lens end, a pack of these is about £5!)
You can get a EOS 500D for about £250 kit, and they're also called the XTi REBEL in other countries. Second hand, cheaper again. More versatility, but also more confusion if you're not used to SLR settings. They can be harder to get used to, but they do have presets so you can select a predisposed setup & point & shoot. They are BIG, they are HEAVY, they are VERY sensitive and DO need servicing at least every two years to keep them clean and functional. Lenses are SO sensitive to shock, so don't do a me and drop your most expensive one on the carpet and leave it useless!
The application of these camera is ENDLESS. Do what you want with them, they'll run rings around it. Subjects don't even have to be trying and you get a pro looking photo.
If you want to talk cameras and prices properly, PM me and I can help you out, if it's got a model number I've probably used it over the years
Regards,
Soph.