What is the best beginner all purpose lens for a Canon 50D?

[JustAnEngineer]

The EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS kit lens covers a pretty wide range of applications, and it adds only about $75 to the cost of the kit compared to the price of the camera body alone. The Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 Di-II is a better quality lens for the same extremely useful range of focal lengths. Add the EF 50mm f/1.8 for wide aperture and the EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS for telephoto to the 18-55mm kit lens, and you've got even more flexibility, all without breaking the bank.