Hi there!

A couple of months ago I bought a 50D ...At that time I didnt buy any glass with it except the 18-55IS (which, while sharp enough, is very slow on the longer end i.e. 35mm+, which I very frequently find myself in)

Now that I will be travelling in a few weeks, I am looking for some glass for this body which is less likely to fall apart over time than the 18-55...

I've narrowed myself to a few choices after extensive research:

- EF 24-70/2.8L USM: Pros: Sharp, fast, FF compatible...Cons: Not very wide, Expensive, hit-and-miss with regards to sharp copies? And ofcourse, no IS

- EF 24-105/4L IS USM: Pros: Sharp, fast AF, FF compatible, low vignetting and distortion on APS-C, (relatively) light, Cheaper than 24-70...Cons: f/4, horrid distortion on FF (not really an issue on the 50D), not very wide

-EF-S 17-55/2.8 IS USM: Pros: Probably the sharpest of the bunch, f2.8 AND IS...Cons: Expensive, stupidly cheap build quality for price, issues with dust creeping under front element, reports of IS dying on net...

I am leaning towards the 24-105L, because with the time I've had with my 18-55, I usually stay in the 24-35mm range for "everyday" photos, and I like doing portraiture for which I would find the 70-85 range on the 24-105 useful...Plus it has heaps better build than the 17-55...

That said, the 17-55 has absolutely awesome IQ from what I've read on reviews...but has some issues with dust getting into the barrel underneath the front element and there are reports of the IS going quit as well (lensrentals.com, dpreview, fred miranda etc)

I've more or less ruled out the brick as such..no IS, heavy, and trying 5 copies before I get the sharp one is not on...

I also intended to get a nifty fifty and 85/1.8 USM...but I've dropped the idea because both the 24-105 and 17-55 will cover 50mm quite well, and I've dropped the 85 because I've started saving for a 70-200/2.8 II in the future, which should cover the entire tele range and make any need for the 85/1.8, 135/2L redundant (OK, not as sharp, but close enough eh?)

Your thoughts ?

And also, I am getting a Speedlight as well...I can get either the 580 or the 430 (or the Metz 58 but not inclined to)...Instinct says portraits = bounce = get the juiciest one you can afford? Is that the right way to shop for a speedlight?

P.S. Just to reiterate, my camera is a 50D...

Sorry for the long post...