Which T3I package should I choose?

Kit lenses are good if you simply don't have any money to be a better zoom or a set of primes. Better to be able to adjust the focal length than be stuck at a set one, even though kit lenses are usually slow (quality-wise, they are mostly fine for video on Canon DSLRs).

I have the original T2i kit lens on my 60D, but I rarely use it except outdoors when speed is not an issue. I wouldn't use it to take stills though.
 
I'd also go body only. Pic up a 28mm f2.0 and a 50mm f1.8 like Nikon, Olympus Zuiko or Kiron. With the 3x, a decent tripod, a slider and a stabilizer, you'd be able to do just about anything!

The only reason you'd want one of the kit lenses is if you get a shoulder rig and need the IS.

Check out the Vintage lens thread here. It's pretty fun just searching and finding gems that can give some incredible results for nearly nothing. http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?201760-The-Vintage-Lens-Thread

Cheers,
Pete
 
Body only if you use it mainly for video only. Get a standard zoom lens with constant aperture such as Sigma or Tamron 17-50mm F2.8. IS is important too.
 
I got my T2i with the kit lens only because it was a $70 difference, at $100 it's a tough call

if you're not going to get any more lenses for some time, go body only, then get a tamron 17-50 f/2.8 (non VC, the VC version is too soft for me, you can see it is not so for everybody but hey, you asked me...)

if you're going to buy more lenses, get it with the 18-55 kit lens, which is the one I have; it is actually not bad as a 18mm f/3.5 IS prime; then buy a samyang 35mm f/1.4 and a samyang 85mm f/1.4, and you're set to go (though still with big holes in the kit, at 24mm and 50mm, which you can temporarily fill with the kit lens but only at slow apertures)

check my aperture and bokeh tests with the 18-55 kit lens, the tamron, and my primes:
http://www.similaar.com/foto/lenstests/lenstestsa.html
http://www.similaar.com/foto/lenstests/bokehtests.html

tamron vc vs non-vc:
http://www.the-digital-picture.com/...meraComp=474&SampleComp=0&FLIComp=2&APIComp=0

samyang 35mm f/1.4 handily beating the four-times-as-expensive canon 35mm f/1.4L on sharpness:
http://www.the-digital-picture.com/...LensComp=771&CameraComp=0&FLIComp=0&APIComp=0
and samyang 85mm f/1.4 handily beating the twice-as-expensive 85mm f/1.8 on bokeh:
http://www.photozone.de/canon_eos_ff/419-canon_85_18_5d?start=1
http://www.photozone.de/canon_eos_ff/483-samyang_85_14_5d?start=1

more here:
http://www.similaar.com/foto/equipment/us_lensc.html


edit: also, it is quite a lot cheaper at amazon:
http://www.similaar.com/foto/equipment/us_cam.html
 
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