Great body/lens pairs

Timothy Hood wrote:

Thanks for those ideas. I think the discussion got derailed there.
I have the 50mm f/1.8 (I didn't mention that in the original post).
I find I am using the Canon 10-18 and 18-55 a lot. I've been quite pleased with the results I have achieved with the 10-18. I thought people had griped about the 18-135, but if it is on par with the 18-55 and 55-250 (at least in the 55-135 range), I would have considered it if I was starting my kit today, but for this situation I'm looking for the faster lens.

Some may wonder why buy the kit lenses if they are only going to be replaced later. Well, for one, I got a killer deal on Amazon that had both kit lenses in the bundle among other things. Also, in my opinion, some lens is better than no lens, and there wouldn't have been a budget to get these better lenses at the same time as everything else.

Any thoughts on the Sigma 17-50 vs. 17-70 and giving up some f-stop on the longer side? (17-70 is f/2.8-f/4 vs. constant 2.8 for the 17-50). If the 17-70 holds up, it might be a good option.

Hard to say on the 17-50 vs the 17-70.  I have both, for me both are tack sharp.  I don't shoot too often wide open at 2.8, but it's nice to have when you need it.  With a gun to my head I'd take the 17-70 for the extra 20 mm, but that's just my personal preference.  I'd miss that 50-70 range with what I shoot (mainly landscapes).