Alas, the Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM Lens is still a bit out of my price range. I was wondering about the Canon EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6 Image Stabilized USM SLR Lens. The reviews seem to indicate that it a decent lens, close but not quite L-series quality. Are there any Sigma or Tamaron lenses that would be comparable to the Canon L-series lenses? The Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Camera Lens also looks like a decent lens to have around. I'd just like to have some options. I'm going to see if there is a camera shop that is willing to let me try out the lenses on my camera and compare images before I buy. Thanks for the suggestions thus far.