I agree, glass is more important in many ways. I use 50d myself but try not to buy ef-s because some day i might upgrade to FF some day. if your going on a budget the 17-40f/4 is fine, unless you need that extra stop of light. In most cases there isn't a real need to get the 2.8 unless your making money off photography because its real hard to dish out 1.5k+ for top glass. I run into the same issues all the time when it comes to picking a lens. If your mostly a hobbiest 17-40f/4 is great for wide angles, 24-105f/4 is great if you can only pick 1 lens to take with you like to the beach or water park with kids, 70-200f/4 IS to save that extra 800 bucks to get something else. You seemed to be covered pretty well rounded. Don't forget all you need is a camera and a lens ^_~. Lenses stay with you for lifetime if treated well, bodies get replaced.