I just pulled the trigger on the 15-85mm, mainly because Canon is promoting a $100 discount (until 7/10/2010). I already have a zoom to cover the longer end out to 200mm, so this makes sense for me (and I generally shoot outdoors). The 17-55mm with a fixed f/2.8 would be nicer, but that lens would be roughly 70% more expensive.


Looks like the 18-200mm fills your needs quite wellfor a one-lens outfit. It pretty much covers the range that my two zooms will cover. Our next option will likely be a fast intermediate prime, no?


As Sheiky stated, memory is cheap and erasable... something I must also keep in mind since I come from the old days of film SLRs. Good film was not cheap, reusable, nor did it offer instant results (required processing).


Enjoy!