gdgt

Do you have any other suggestions with some zoom? I plan to get the 50mm f/1.8 lens from cannon so I was hoping for something that will reach a little further when I need it.

Depends on what kind of zoom you want. Are you talking walk-around type (something that starts wide-ish) or are pure telephoto like a 55-250/70-200?

You gotta go for Canon's version of the 18-200m VR. There is just no better "walk-about" lens out there. Purists will scoff at the range, and the lens, but for bang for buck, it will make you a lover. Sure at the ends of the focal points, there will be some bend, but it can almost be chalked up to artistic effect at this point. Just as long as you are not shooting alot of architecture, it should be unnoticeable, and in a pinch can also be filtered out in Photoshop.

As a beginner, it also is the best. At some point, you might graduate to a 300mm for zoom, and get into your 12-24mm's and your 50mm fixed, but to start, go with the 18-200mm.

I mentioned this before, but Nikon might be coming out with a 18-250 mm Full framed lens. In that case, WHOA.

What about the 18-135mm for a walk about lens?

18-200 seems like too big of a range, focusing might be slower and noisier. 18-135 would be slower to focus than the kit 18-55 lens, but I think it would have some advantages over the 18-200. I would like to get the 18-135 for my everyday lens actually, and sell my kit lens (which would probably not even get me $100 since everyone has one).