What is the best combination of better quality lenses to use with my semi-pro or consumer grade Canon EOS Digital SLR Camera? To answer that question, I have compiled a list of lenses that I have personally found to be the best choices for my style of photography and budget (maybe yours too).
This Buyer’s Guide specifically applies to owners of the Canon EOS Digital Rebel, Digital Rebel XT, XTi, EOS D30, D60, 40D, 30D, 20D and 10D Digital SLR camera bodies.

These particular models all share one very important attribute; they all have a digital image sensor, which is smaller than the physical dimensions of a full single frame of 35mm film. This has a profound effect on lens selection. These SLR cameras all have a “crop factor” of 1.6 X, which must be considered carefully as you are shopping for a lens for any particular application. The focal length of any lens that will be used on these models must be multiplied by 1.6 to reveal the true “Effective Focal Length”.

This has certain advantages and disadvantages that you must take into account as you search for the right lens to capture the images that you want. The good news is that an affordable 200mm long telephoto lens instantly becomes a 320mm monster telephoto on these models, and the extra “reach” comes with no additional cost! However, the bad news is that if you need a true wide-angle lens, you must buy a more expensive “Ultra-Wide” angel model to get the desired results.

If you are into "birding" or sports photography, where you need a fast, long telephoto, this can be a huge advantage! Conversely, if you specialize in large group shots or interior architecture, get ready to pay for at least one fairly expensive lens to meet your special needs.

There are “full frame” Professional digital cameras available that eliminate the need for “crop factor” compensation. As an example, the super expensive EOS 1Ds Mark II or the more reasonably priced EOS 5D. These models do not have the same lens selection requirements as the camera models that are listed above, and therefore, these “full Frame” bodies are not the subject of this particular guide.

With all of this taken into consideration, I can recommend an excellent combination of better quality “upgrade” Canon EF auto-focus lenses that will cover the most popular “effective” focal lengths on your smaller frame digital SLR. These are the lens models that I personally use most frequently on my EOS Digital. Remember, this guide applies specifically to photographers who want professional quality results, but need to get the best performance available for the price. I know that there are numerous better and faster lenses available. I am trying to narrow the choices down to the real “high value” models that offer professional performance at a fairly reasonable price.

Keep in mind that the lens is the "eyes" of your camera, it is far more important that your lenses be the best models that you can afford, as opposed to a "giga-pixel" $3,000.00 professional camera with poor glass. My wife still uses her ancient EOS D30, which only has 3.3 mega pixels, but with high quality lenses, she consistently captures excellent photos! Simply stated, put the majority of your investment into the glass, you will never regret it..

...read the full guide with pics here