each angler has his or her preferance to rod strenghts but its down to you in the end .
if you fish for roach and perch on say canals all the time most anglers opt for the light rods(these rods can also land desent fish like bream up to say 4-5lbs)
if you target ponds or lakes containing tench ,bream and small rivers containing chub, a medium feeder rod of say 12 feet should do the trick.
large feeders are power feeders so are used for species like carp and bream fishing at ranges of 50 yards plus,and for powerful rivers for barbel and halling lots of waight,
i myself have two kinds of feeder a light feeder for canals and winter(as scalled down tackle is used)
and a medium feeder rod for my local river DON and tench fishing local lakes.
i use my barbel rods for fishing the method and larger rivers but each to their own.
but as your starting fishing id opt for a medium as it covers most situations and fish from small to large can be caught .
id be looking at spending around 40-50 quid for a good rod but each angler has a different price they are willing to go to so buy the best and longest you can afford.
tackle brands id be looking at are ....
shimano,
maver ,
browning,
middy,
the list goes on but again its down to what you are willing to spend.dont be affraid of looking in second hand tackle shops as you can pick up some bargains.
shop around on the net in shops like fishtec,chapmans angling,climax of Dronfield, all have good deals to be had so good luck and hope this has helped.