I've replaced the kit lens with the 17-85 EF-S IS--quite pleased with
it!
Paul B.

I would recommend getting a lens other than the stock lens that comes
with most of them, it's not a great lens. When I bought my Digital
Rebel, I purchased the Canon 28-105mm f/3.5-4.5 lens, which can be
bought for anywhere between $150-200. I bought mine on ebay. It's a
great lens for the price, really sharp, I've had no problems with it
and would recommend it.

Another vote for the 17-85.  Very versatile.

   Define "better."   You have not told us what your needs for a lens are.
It would be difficult to suggest a lens that would be better for you without
that information.

   Frankly I suggest getting the kit lens.  It really is a very nice lens.
While it has the feel of something very cheap and it does not cost much, the
results it actually produces are rather good and it does make a good general
use lens for most people.

   Until you have used the camera and formed a personal opinion on what
might be better for you, that kit lens is IMO a perfect choice.

Today, Acerola made these interesting comments ...

What kind(s) of photography do you intend to get involved in? I
like the so-called kit lens when I want the smallest, most compact
lens I have when I just want to sling my camera over my shoulder.
It is an OK lens, but you get what you pay for.

Depending on what you want to do, you may want to look at good 3rd
party lenses from Sigma and Tamron, especially for lenses with a
long zoom range. If you want the utmost in quality, then look for
Canon's so-called L-glass zooms or primes, but be prepared to pay
for the quality, they are pricey.

Eventually, you will want a better lens than the stock lens that came
with the camera.  But dont assume that you'll need to upgrade right
away.

If you are serious about photography, you'll be building a system.  If
you have lots of money, you can buy a 10-22, 24-70, 70-200 and be done
with it.  For the rest of the world, the sensible approach is to build
a system piecemeal.

Where you allocate your resources will depend upon what type of
shooting you do.  For a lot of people, the 70-200 lens is one of their
most used focal ranges.  For me, it is one of my least used lenses.
My most used lenses are the 500/4 and the 17-40.  Quite a ways apart.
Others can advise you on which lenses in a particular range are good -
but no one can tell you which range is best for *you*.

So instead of having people tell you which lens to buy, start by
shooting with the lens that you have.  Eventually, you will figure out
what is the most limiting factor with this lens - perhaps you'll find
that the focal length is great, but images arent sharp enough or you
need a faster lens.  If so, get a better standard zoom (18-55/2.8...
Canon, Sigma & Tamron all make excellent lenses in this range).
Perhaps you want to go wider.  Perhaps you want to go longer.

I have more info on good lenses in the various ranges, as well as a
more detailed article on choosing starter lenses for your DSLR here:
http://www.photosafariindia.com/articles/beg2-lenses.html

Cheers,
Vandit

I'd suggest maybe getting the kit lens just cause it's cheap & handy &
you won't know the difference for a while plus a 28mm f/2.8 or Sigma
30mm f.1,4 which translates to a traditional 50mm 'normal' lens. That's
what people have used for ages and it's the most useful focal length for
general purpose shooting. The large aperture (small f-stop number) lets
you shoot in low light (invaluable for indoor family or party photos
with groups of people) and it permits a shallow depth of field which is
useful for artistic effect and creating soft backgrounds in portraits.
It's wide enough for most vacation scenery and generally represents wht
your normal eye sees so it's an intuitive way to shoot. The moderate
range means it's not difficult to make an excellent quality lens. You
can compare the two and learn the difference between fine glas and
consumer glass and be able to evaluate in time what other focal lengths
you might want.