Newbie Needs Recommendation

Ryan wrote:
Hi all,

Dude!

I bought a Canon EOS Rebel XS w/18-55 kit lens nearly two years ago,
and I am just now trying to understand the intricacies of the camera.

Ditto, except I've been at it for a lot longer.

My wife and I are headed to Quebec in October and I would like to be
able to take landscape photos. In doing my homework, I understand
that I need a wide-angle lens and would welcome recommendations on
brand and type.

As other people have mentioned, 18mm is wide angle. You can go wider,
of course, the 10-22mm Canon is an option, as is the (soon to be
released) 8-15mm, but I bet that you won't be really happy.

The problem with very wide lenses is that they make distant objects
look _really_ small. They'll turn a great mountain into a tiny bump.
Of course, a longer lens will have the problem of not being able to
capture all of a close object so there really isn't a simple solution.
It's a matter of skill.

Can anyone recommend the Sigma lenses, which are a
little easier to swallow in terms of the hit on my wallet?

Some people like them. I don't.

What would
you recommend for an amateur photographer who might want to "grow
into" a more mature setup?

Look at the pictures you have taken. Are they most wide angle or
mostly zoomed in, or somewhere in between? What do you most find
yourself stymied by? Do you often wish you could back up? Or zoom in
more? Answer that and you'll know where to look.

--
Ray Fischer