My favourite all time lens was my Canon 85mm f1.8 hardly ever off either of my F1's

A prime lens of very good quality and suited my vision at the time. Absolutely perfect for portraits, studio or outdoor, to which the wide f1.8 was so well suited

Also ideally suited to the rally and cycling photography i used to do because it would allow a bit of distance between me and the subject but also allow to be reasonably close compared to those using the more usual 135mm

on the 500D I like the Sigma 17-70mm which is very sharp, although having knocked mine once I think the 'floating' OS element maybe floats a bit more than it should!!

on the 5D I like the Sigma 24-70mm f2.8, again a super lump of glass with a bit of weight about it.

Like Dave I am a Canon user, not for any particular brand loyalty, but once you decide to go down the SLR route it is natural to become entrenched with the lenses that fit your brand of camera. 

I too possess a Canon EF 85mm f/1.8, but use it only for specific purposes. It is a versatile lens which on a full-frame camera becomes a classic portrait lens and on a crop-sensor camera becomes a medium fast telephoto (135 mm equivalent), useful for outdoor sports as Dave so rightly says.

However, for general purpose walk-about lenses I use zooms. My choice is based on getting reasonable results at a modest outlay. One note of caution is that the lenses designed for crop sensor cameras will not work on full-frame. 

For the crop-sensor camera I use the Canon EF-S 17 - 85 IS USM f/4 - f/5.6, and for the full-frame camera, the Canon EF 24 - 85 USM f/3.5 - f/4.5 

Click on the links for further details if interested. Both these zooms suffer  from Chromatic Aberration, but this is easily corrected by post-processing using the Canon software (Digital Photo Professional). 

Obviously there are superior professional lenses in the Canon line-up, but for me the 'L' pro lenses are in fantasy-land, and the two zooms mentioned above are readily available second-hand for the cash-strapped user.

Second hand is a great way to go Edward. My 5D II outfit is all used equipment albeit bought from reputable suppliers with reasonable warranty periods.

The 5D body was from Wilkinsons, Lancaster, a group that Rod is also aquainted with

The lenses all Sigma   12-24 f4-5.6,  24-70 f2.8 and 70-200 f2.8 were all from Mifsuds in Brixham. They also had a Sigma 1.4x converter which they threw in at a very attractive price. All 3 lenses were spotless on arrival with hoods and filters etc apart from the 12-24, the only minor thing being they do not have any stabilisation but that is not a major problem. Very helpful staff over the phone, next day delivery with guaranteed no quibble return if not satisfied

My mate had a 'spare!!' battery pack which completed the outfit

The 5D II body could only be used stock as the 5D III superceded it a couple of years ago but all the lenses were purchased for well less than half what the new price would have been

As to the L series lenses I have used a couple that my mate has and to be completely honest for what I do I could not really tell any tremendous difference although they were a delight to use , but do come in at a premium price

It's a bit like asking what your favourite piece of music is. In my case it shifts with my moods and can change daily. 

However my Sigma 10-20mm does give me striking images, changing perspectives.

Maybe tomorrow, I would choose my beloved 50mm prime lens.

it's almost tomorrow!  

A very good move I have to say. What models are you debating between as that will help us help you. Most cameras tend to come with a 'kit' lens usually in the range of 18-55mm which will give you a reasonably wide angle and short to medium telephoto. Any good shop will let you try it out in store. In fact for a short trip into Lancashire you are reasonably close to some of the Wilkinson group shops who I have always found to be very helpful. As to the macro side, well, specific macro lenses are available but at a price!! However you can get screw-in close up filters which screw into the front of the lens and produce perfectly adequate results. These can found for between £25-50 depending where you shop. I have a set for my Sigma 17-70 and they are fine. Needless to say you need to get the right screw thread size for your lens. Another alternative would be extension tubes which fit between the lens and the camera body and usually come in sets of 3 but are more expensive than close up lenses.

Google   SRB Griturn   for close up lenses. I have used them for several purchases and always found the quick and helpful

Thanks Dave, it's nice to get replies, Rod emailed regarding this too. I think I'm looking at either a Canon or a Nikon, I will be buying one with a kit lens. As I said to Rod, being a DSLR newcomer I think buying a body and separate lenses might be a bit much for me to start with. I'll certainly bear in mind the Wilkinson group of shops, although we do have a small shop in Halifax called Janet Greens which is very good. They deal in new and second hand cameras, small establishment but very helpful.

My youngest daughter has just bought a Nikon, can't remember the model and she's on holiday in Egypt at the moment so I can't ask, but I'm sure she'll lend it to me for a short while to see how I get on with it. I know her, she'll have it either set on auto or be using her phone camera !!!

I'll have a look at SRB Griturn. Thanks again, I'll keep you informed how I go on.