I bought this lens with my camera.  It is a very good travelling lens,
as you don't have to change it often (and therefore less risk of
dust).  I have found that it can be unflattering with some portraits,
as it seems to flatten out the subject toward the corners, especially
at the wider F stops like F4.  They quite literally look like they
have been under a rolling pin.

Like all lenses though if you work within it's limitations you can get
excellent results.  I use mine a lot, and it was definately worth it.
Certainly a better choice over the 18-55 bracket lenses for me.

The only other issue is filter size, for me it meant repurchasing a
range of filters for the lens, as I had nothing in that size.

I would never rely on it exclusively, but it's nearly always on the
camera.

Glenn