This lens can produce decent images if it is stopped down a bit. I bought it with my second DSLR, a 30D. It cost only $40 more with the lens than without. It's the only lens I have currently that goes wider than 28mm. I use it for wide angle landscape, street, and group portrait photography, etc. I met a professional photographer working at a wedding who used this lens with a Rebel XT for the entire shoot. There is considerable distortion at 18mm, which can be an issue for some for architectural applications, but I don't mind this effect. Even stopped down, the images are a little soft, but they come out fine with modest sharpening. I've produced 11x17 inch prints of some of the NYC images in the sample gallery and they came out great. I bought the optional lens hood and a B&W UV filter (both from B&H), because I refuse to use a lens without having both a lens and a filter. The build quality isn't particularly impressive, but I can't complain for the $. Overall, I think this lens is a fine value and will serve well as an economical option for wide angle applications.