[kparlin]

I have a Canon EOS 300D with the kit lens. I love photography and want so badly to practice and get better, but I'm constantly frustrated when I take a bunch of shots only to find that I hate most of them because of the constraints of the lens (focal length, auto-focus speed, etc).

I'm still finding my way around the manual options, but I feel like if I had a better general purpose lens I'd get better results. Of course if I had unlimited resources I'd buy a bunch of different options, but like most people I have to research and save for the one I want.

I do plan to try to rent some lenses prior to buying, so at least I can get a feel for what I like. But I wanted to see if anyone had suggestions for an amateur on a budget!