The 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM is just as sharp as my 17-40mm F4 L, its a fantastic lens. I have been using a friends 17-55 IS for over a year with no dust issues, the only reason I didnt buy one was it costs $1600 and I got the 17-40 for $1250. The 17-40 is weather sealed too.

For landscape you cant go past the canon 10-22mm f2.8. Its crazy sharp with little barrel distortion and great IQ. It costs $1200. This will be on my shopping list after the 70-200 f2.8.

Have never used the tamron above before but it looks the goods, cant wait to see some snaps.

Tamron lenses are ACE!

They are all I have previously used on my film cameras, (have gone off photography a bit over the past few years but am starting to get back into it) and when I get properly set up digitally they will be the only lenses ill be looking at for my stock set of lenses.

Get some bellows and/or some extension rings if your looking at shooting macro.

You are just like the dude at the duty free. He said it's the only lens he will ever use on his DSLR's also, i just thought he was doing the usual salesman thing.. You don't work at the duty free in mandurah do you?

If you have a 350D or 400D or 20D, the main problem is the 1.3 crop factor with the smaller sized CCD used with the cameras. Your 'wide' 17 becomes a 22 which aint so wide no more.

I have a 17-85 IS and it does pretty much all I need but with my 20D, the wide aint as wide as it could be.

Does the 30D suffer from this?
I am thinking of buying a 30D body in the states in march and flogging the 350D body.

APS-C snsors are 1.6 crop but your totally right, you need at least a lens as wide as 17mm for landscapes etc, thats why the EF-S 10-22 mount was made by canon (16-35 eqiv)

all digital slrs have a crop factor except the Canon 5D and 1D which are full frame (35mm sensor).

300D,350D,400D,30D all are 1.6 crop, Nikons are 1.6 - 1.3 crop.

In March the new Canon 40D should get released, thats what Im buying for my trip to Europe in April. Will probebly just be a 10.2mp 30D though.

So will the 40D have a 1.6 crop as well or is it too early to tell?

Nahh mate, I dont know enough about the photog scene at the moment to warrant having a job selling the stuff. But throw me in a darkroom and I should be able to give a few pointers.

I would say that the new 40D will be 1.6 crop too, mild possibility it could be a 1.3 crop like the 1D mark II N. The announcement was rumoured to be on the 22nd of Feb in the US. The camera should get released at this years PMA expo in March.