beginner zoom lens for under $200 (used)

i read the FAQs and due to the polls i keep leaning towards the expensive lens.. but under a tight college student budget, what would be a good zoom lens for a beginner? i just got a 10d + EF 50mm lens...
looking to shoot landscape and nature.. etc..

anything wallet friendly (even used - at going rate eBay prices is fine) for under $200?

Sigma 70-300 APO DG if you're looking at something to cover the longer end, or do you want something shorter? Your 50mm is pretty nice.

wow thanks for such a fast response..

yea the 50mm is real sweet.. it does the job for 80% of what i want
are UV filters/polarizers/hoo​ds really necessary? or can photoshop take care of most of it?

Yup, Sigma would be a good choice. I like my 70-300 APO Super Macro II

btw, always use a UV filter. Works good for protecting the lense. I've been out at the track and had a pebble stike my lense twice. Luckily it cracked my UV filter and not my lense

I almost always use a polarizer, especially in outdoor full sun

Always use a hood too, keeps stray light from coming in from the side.

Always use a filter on a good lens. When I buy a new lens, I always add the filter just because it is easier to replace a filter than a lens. And I like my 50mm 1.4 for landscapes. If you are on a tight budget, there are new Tamron & Sigma lenses for digital and they are fine. Good glass is going to cost you. You get what you pay for.

SuzyView

get either the Sigma 70-300 APO Super Macro II, or the tamron 28-70 f/2.8

I like the build and AF better on the Sigma 24-70 f/2.8.

For the long end get the sigma 70-300Apo DG as some have allready mentioned.
The tamron 70-300 (1:2 macro) is also a decent budget choice if you want to save every dollar for other lenses.
At the wide end you have only two choices- The EF-s 18-55 kit zoom* or the sigma 18-50mm kit zoom.There really is nothing else around that gives a wide angle view at a reasonable price.
*Note that the EFs kit zoom will have to be modified before it can work on the 10D.I'm mentioning it because it gives pretty good image quality if used well and is available super cheap secondhand because everyone is ordering it with their new camera then selling them on,sometimes not even using them.

None of the lenses i've suggested will quite match the 50mm you allready have....but then very few lenses do anyway!

Have to agree with what everyones already said, good advice for the budget and pretty god bang for your bucks value there also.

I would save a few dollars more for the Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 or the Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8. This way you will get quality lenses right off the bat. There are longer lenses, but for $200 or less not many in the really good quality range.

My first lens was the Sigma 18-125. It was an affordable and highly rated budget lens that has served me well as a general-purpose walkaround lens for use in decent light. I think the primary benefit as a first lens was that the focal range was wide enough that it allowed me to learn both wide and slight telephoto, helping me make more informed decisions about my next lens purchases.

Having said that, if I had to do it all over again I'd probably start with the Tamron 28-70. Why? Because this is the range I seem to use most and because the Tamron is a much faster lens which would facilitate low light work.

I have the Sigma 70-300, but don't use it as often as I use my kit lens. I find I am more stable with the sigma when I have the grip on my Rebel, but otherwise I shake a bit too much to use it without some support. I also find my shots are a bit soft at the 300 end, but the lens has come in handy quite often.
when choosing filters, even just for protection, I'd say buy the best you can afford to avoid degrading the optic ability of your lens. personally, I'd say no filter is better than a crappy one- unless perhaps, if you are in situations like Wrench where things fly at your lens.
after using the kit and the sigma, I imagine my next purchase will be the tamron 28-75. Its a nice piece of glass and I find myself working in that range most often. Its is above your budget limit (and mine too right now ), but a real nice choice.
~wu

The Sigmas 24-70 can be had for less than $350 from ebay in Exc+ condition. I would save some money for an extra few weeks to get it if you decied to go with a shorter zoom as opposed to the 70-300.

Another vote for Sigma 18-125DC. I don't have the lens but have seen great pictures taken with it. I was seriously considering it before i was given a Sigma 24-70mm.