Canon - EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM Telephoto Zoom

This is a very nice low end lens that most amateur photographers will enjoy. The auto focus is fast and does good most of the time. When taking photos of birds or say rabbits I set the focus to center only, or it will focus on the larger objects.  The quality and colors of the 8x10 prints are great. The IS - Image Stabailser really helps when taking photos hand held, and especiall when zoomed in a lot or in low light. If you use the IS for every shot it will use up your batteries faster. If you limit the time you have the shutter button pressed halfway down you can extend the life of your battery a lot. I keep it turned on all of the time except when using it with a tripod. You need to turn the IS off when using it with a tripod or you will damage the lens. When you buy the lens I would also get the lens hood. The hood not only helps with blocking the sun it protects the lens from getting scratched.  Overall I have no complaints, it has been working fine for around three years now, and is still my favorite lens.