benhasajeep offers a good alternative in your price range.Sorry for the lack of information, I'm still pretty new to photography. I'm looking for a longer zoom and certainly in the future may look into wide lens shots.
But my main goal is just a longer lense, maybe like a 55-200mm or around there.
I am going to make a different suggestion for your consideration. Wait a while, practice more and learn to get everything you can from the lens you have. Once you fully understand what you can and can not do with your equipment you will be in a better position to decide what you need next. You can also be saving additional money to budget for better glass.
The 70-200 range is a very common zoom to find in most photographers bag. Canon makes 4. None in your price range. However the 70-200 f4 is a fantastic piece of glass in this range and the cheapest of the 4. It has some distinct advantages. It is a constant f4 at 70mm or 200mm. It is a Canon L lens with the construction and quality of Canon's top line lenses. Image quality is very sharp in this lens for a zoom. It is a lens that can last you a lifetime. Granted it is almost double what your budget is now, but it is a lens that taken care of will give you years of service.
Just my 2cents.
Before I read that I was ready to just go out and buy a new lens, but that makes a lot of sense.
Thanks, now I'll start to set money aside each week and practice with my lens I have now.
Glad to hear it. When you are looking at that next lens I anticipate that your future post on the subject will probably be something along the line of:
"I have decided my next lens is going to be a **** lens. I am considering the **** the **** and the *****. Those of you that have experience with any of these lenses could you please advise me of the good and bad point to these lenses to help me in my decision."
There are a lot of good people on the forum with a lot of experience with different pieces of gear that can offer observations on the particular pieces you have select as being of interest for you. You will have picked the type of lens base on your knowledge and understood needs. Good luck.