Why can't I get pictures out of my 60D as good as a Sony A450

I'm not saying it will solve your general problem with burnout highlights, but to me it sounds like the Canon EF-S 15-85 has the range you are looking for. Personally I see this as the perfect allround lens. A close to perfect combination of range, weight/size and image quality. And very similar to what you have in range. 35mm equivalent:

Canon: 24-136
Sony: 24-157

Yes, I agree 2mm is a lot in the short end, but the Canon and Sony are similar here. In the long end the differences won't feel as very much.

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Stig (Copenhagen, Denmark)

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