For me, it's the 35mm f/2. On my crop sensor camera (Canon XSi), it's just about a normal lens. I've shot with it almost exclusively for about a year and have come to really love it.
At present I am using the Nikon 18-200...Its a good all-purpose and a superb travel everyday lens....I also own a Nikon 18-135 ....I am seriously thinking about purchasing the Nikon 14-24 lens...........................................Mick
From everything I've seen, primes really are something special. Havent had one yet, but i suspect thatll change soon enough. I've had a couple of 'frequent fliers' over the last few years. When I was shooting with my D200 I too shot with the 18-200 from Nikon. Perfect, no, but very very capable. The other lens I've used quite a bit, on both an Olympus E500 and now an E520, was/is a kit lens, believe it or not. Their older 40-150 3.5-4.5 is an unsung hero. Quirky, but sharp as a tack when wielded properly.
Every day walkaround is EFS 17-85 which I bought to replace my Canon 450D kitlens.
The IS is great, barrel distortion slight problem.
Lately I am realising my 60mm macro lens is more versatile than I gave it credit for so have been experimenting more with it.
My thanks to all who leave comments for my work and to those of you who like one enough to make it a favourite. To touch just one person that way makes each image worthwhile. . . . . . . . . .. . . . "The question is not what you look at, but what you see" ~ Marcel Proust
LynEve ~ I've been considering getting a macro lens for a while now. Sigma makes 24mm f/1.8 macro lens that is tempting. I've also looked at the Canon 60mm and 100mm. Hard to choose! (Which is why I don't have one yet ...)
Rob ~ I only have two lenses, both primes (35mm and 50mm). I've become spoiled by how lightweight and fast they are. Of course, zooming involves me moving around and sometimes you just can't make it work, but so far I've found the trade to be worth it.
If you're considering a third party 100mm macro, you might want to look into Tokina's version. No stabilization, but I've heard good things about it. I used to love my 12-24/4 from them.
I use the Canon 28-135mm kit lens that came with my Canon 40D. I don't care for it that much, but it has IS and I'm still a little wobbly. I prefer my Sigma 17-70mm lens, which gives a sharper image, but doesn't have IS (OS, VR, etc.) Sandi (Tigger) uses it without a tripod and is very successful with it. If I could, I would buy the Canon 24-105mm lens. For macro shooting, I find the Tamron 90mm to be a beautiful lens. I'd also like to get a Canon 135mm lens like JQ has for portraits and wonderful bokeh, but again the cost is prohibitive for me. For telephoto, I use the Canon 70-200mm f4 IS lens and that is a really super lens.
For me, it's the 35mm f/2. On my crop sensor camera (Canon XSi), it's just about a normal lens. I've shot with it almost exclusively for about a year and have come to really love it.