Dean,
I wanted to send you an email off of the ActionFX list. I'm afraid if I get too specific about what I like, someone will buy the same things that work for me, however, they will have different needs and not be happy.
I currently have a Canon Digital Rebel (basically what the XTi was four years ago) with the kit lens plus three Sigma lenses.
The first extra lens I bought was:
Sigma 70-210mm f2.8
off ebay for ~$150 or so. If you're new to the world of lenses, the 70-210mm means that it zooms from a 70mm (good portrait) lens to 210mm (short telephoto). Because the sensor on the XTi (and my Rebel) is smaller than a 'full frame' digital, it makes lenses appear to be 'stronger' (with an effective zoom of 116mm-336mm (short telephoto to telephoto). The
f2.8 means that this lens lets in more light. A cheap zoom lens here would give you a f3.5 (lower numbers are better) which means you need a better lit subject to get a sharp picture. With the f2.8 aperture you can take pictures with a shorter shutter and get the same amount of light which results in sharper pictures in low light situations (or being able to take a shot without flash rather than having to use the flash). However, this lens is pretty heavy (not a big deal, but if you're going backpacking or being a tourist on foot all day, a lighter lens would be a benefit).
Taken with natural light:
Later I bought a pair of Sigma lenses similar to the link I posted to the ActionFX group (I also bought these off of ebay to save some money). The shorter lens I don't use very much (I already have the kit lens that is lighter and better) but I like the telephoto lens as mine can do macro photography.
So, my suggestion would be to purchase the Canon XTi with the kit lens. For landscape photos, the kit lens will actually do a very good job. (Landscapes usually use a wide-angle lens). For taking pictures of items for a website (I don't know if these are small items, or something like motorcycles), you may want an additional lens. If you do want pictures of small subjects, you'll want a macro lens.
For some great macro pictures, check out Beautiful Bugs:
For landscape photography, I've enjoyed The Luminous Landscape site. There are some great articles there (of a professional bent, but you can do much of the same thing with cheaper equipment). Here's a good list of items to have with you in the mountains when taking pictures:
Digital Photography in the Wilderness:
Essays & Articles:
In the end, you should buy something now and start shooting. Learn about your camera and how to 'see' good pictures. Figure out what you want to shoot. Once you've gotten to the point where you really know your camera and what you want to do, now you can start to look for additional equipment to take the next step. If you try to buy all of the equipment first, you may end up overwhelmed. You might also have purchased something that you don't use, and have missed buying something you
did need!
Take Care,
Tim Sherrill