What is the best kind of lens to buy when just buying the camera body for the canon rebel XT/350D??

Well there's probably as many answers for that as there are users, quite frankly. Some stand strictly by the brand name Canon lenses as being best. But there's no denying that third party lens makers like Sigma and Tokina have really upped their game in the last few years and are really giving Canon a run for their money in quality for a lower price. So much so that Photography Magazine recently stated that in some categories, Sigma's lenses are even better than Canon's! That's quite a boast.

My feeling is this. Get the fastest lens you can afford. Try and break up the focal length between aroudn 18-85 and then 75-200mm. That way you'll have the wide angle and far off zoom covered. But if you would prefer to have an all in one solution, then that works as well. It's just that one lens covering that entire focal length tends to be a bit slower.

Read up on it. Find Lens buyer's guides form all the major photo mags. And don't let some enterprising camera salesman move you off the lens you want because he can make a better commission (called a spiff) on another brand.

No matter what you end up with, buy a 1A Skylight filter for both the main camera lens and your fisheye. Reason being? Insurance. They will take any impact damage and spare your lens. I can't tell you many times I have thrashed a 1A filter and saved my camera lens. It's well worth the $20 or so, believe me.