Are all DSLR kit lens that bad?

DayDreamer

DayDreamer

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John
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I've read so many posts that say the kit lens, for all cameras, are rubbish.

Is this true, or are there any (bottom end) DSLR cameras where the kit lens is any good?
 
I would say that it's all relative but "kit" lenses can include L/Zeiss etc.
The average kit lenses are of lower quality than more expensive series but tbh most of them are perfectly adequate for most people/uses. Some in fact can be surprisingly good optically & it's just the build that is a bit cheap.
 
'Tis a good question.

Now I don't know a huge amount about current lens production quality, but I have recently investigated Sony fit lenses and there's a website (dyxym.com) that deals with lenses and has user reviews. The old minolta kit FF lenses (28-80 and 70-300) tend to get poor ratings, but the new kit lens for the APS-C cameras (18-55 SAM and SAMII) get rated higher. The SAMII lens has got a current user score of 4.5 out of , although that *could* be ratings from novice users that know no better.

The other thing is that good is all relative. Chances are that if you're a pro who has to squeeze every bit of sharpness and quality out of an image taken with a lens wide open then these aren't going to cut the mustard. OTOH if you don't have several grand to spend on fast prime lenses and can stop down a little then they may be good enough. Lens technology does seem to have improved over the years, and there's no reason why these lenses shouldn't be OK. Where they will lack seriously is in areas like materials, build quality, weather sealing etc, and they often have plastic mounts instead of metal. Whether that is a problem is very much up to you.
 
Ive owned and used various 'Kit' lenses over the years, and just think that as long as you understand their limitations, and use them accordingly, you will be more than pleased with the results you get.
 
I'd say the kit lens of the Nikon 18-55mm vr is a pretty good performer, it's sharp and can focus very close, my user pic was taken with the kit lens, nice enough bokeh, for me anyway.
 
Not an DSLR but the kit lens with XE-1 Fuji camera is great,also the Nikon one 18-55mm is also very good,i think their must be quite a few other out their as well,the build isnt always great.
It also depend on which DSLR your buying,take the Nikon the D700 at one time could be brought with the old 24-120mm as a kit but a lot people thought this lens was bad,the D600 you could buy with the new 24-84mm VR which has good write ups.
So i would just say which ever DSLR your interested in just have a look at a few reviews about the any kit lens it might come with :)
 
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Most kit zooms are a lot better than some folks give them credit for.

The price is misleading, and they are excellent value, because they're made in large numbers with great scale economy production cost savings. Plus they have modest maximum apertures (reduces cost, improves sharpness) and are of cheaper/plastic/lighter construction.

One guy on here hired a Canon 16-35L £1200 for a weekend, expecting great things vs the kit zoom. He couldn't tell any difference in image quality! Though to be fair, he perhaps wasn't looking in all the right places
 
Some kit lenses are better than others - I loved my old 18-70 Nikkor which was the kit lens with my D70 and it was significantly better than the 18-55 that Dad got with his D50. I bought my D700 as a kit with the 24-120 variable aperture Nikkor and was less impressed, luckily, since it was all but unused, I got as much as it had cost me when I PXed it against something a bit better.

Thinking of stepping back into the DSLR arena John?
 
i had a kit lens with my 1st dslr the nikon 18-55 it was a corker hth mike
 
my kit lens is the canon 18-135 it does very well
 
i have used my 18-105 i got with my D90 a lot (despite having a range of 'better' glass) and have always been very happy with it. it makes a good walkabout.
 
old kit lens for canon was the 18-55 which was basic I thought
the mkII with IS is much better
my personal opinion is that the kit lenses with Nikon DSLR entry level cameras are comparatively better.
kit lens for a 7D thought isn;t the 18-55 so it depends upon exactly which ones you mean.
 
I really do go along with Ken Rockwell's view on (Nikon) kit lenses 18-55 55-200 they are all "most" people will ever need

H
 
The only kit lenses I've had are the 18-55 IS II with a 550D and a 650D (for the wife) and a 24-105 f4L IS kit lens with a 5D2. I've sold both of the 18-55's as I've got better lenses cobering the range now but they were both decent performers, not stellar but I got a few keepers out of them. The 24-105 is a cracking lens though and I still use it regularly. I went for a time not using it after getting a Sigma 24-70 f2.8 and Canon 70-200 f2.8L IS MkII, but after taking it for a gig and getting some excellent photos I'm back using it regularly again. My experience of kit lenses have been positive in the main but I prefer to get just bodies and add the lenses I require.
 
I have had the Nikon 18-55vr and currently have the nikon 18-105vr both lenses great performers
 
This was taken with the kit lens that came with and on my 350D, the original 18-55, not bad for a kit lens IMHO, so yes you can spend more on a better lens, but kits are still very capable a lot of the time. Useful if going to hazardous environments.

Img_3049c.jpg
 
24-105mm is bundled as kit lens with a few cameras. It is actually Ok. I am sure Hasselblad H5D kit lens (80mm?) is OK as well. And does anyone know about fuji 18-55 f/4 OS? I doesn't look bad on paper. I would however skip anything 'kit' with f/3.5-5.6 or 4.0-5.6 aperture.
 
I posted then had to retire to my bed for my usual afternoon nap - old & well decrepit & so many posts back :)

So a really big thank you to everyone as you have been so helpful :notworthy:
 
Nod said:
Thinking of stepping back into the DSLR arena John?
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Well I have two advanced compacts Canon G15 & Nikon P7700 & was thinking of getting rid of one & looking again at DSLR but must think carefully due to my limitations :thinking:
 
When i purchased a D70s Nikon it came with an 18-70mm lens and I have always regretted selling it on when I P/X the camera. That 18-70mm lens i found excellent
 
I've used or owned various kit lenses including:

18-55
18-105
18-70
55-200

All of which are very sharp, nice contrast and bokeh is nothing to complain about.

In terms of pure IQ, given good lighting etc, I'm confident I could make the same image from a 55-200 that I could from a 70-200. What I couldn't do is stand in the rain with it, shoot at f2.8 etc.
 
simonblue said:
Mirrorless ? :)
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I've previously owned all sorts including a Panasonic G2 - liked the camera but not the kit lens. Also borrowed a Panasonic G3 again quite liked the camera but not the kit lens but that was last year & my memory can play tricks :eek:
 
same as Phil from my point of view, the kit lens does produce images that are more than acceptable and for the most part people proabably couldn't tell the difference.

But then the problem comes when an important shot needs 2.8 or faster to get the shot and the kit just won't cut it.

IQ wise they are fine in my eyes and I still have 2 kit lens that the mrs uses if I am using the tamron
 
I currently only have the kit lens for my 600d! its the 18-55mm. I'm by no means a professional tog but I find it suits my needs just fine for when i'm out and about on a walk with the dog or something similar where I can't imagine I would want to be carrying a selection of lenses


Porsche 911 Turbo crop by Dctommi, on Flickr

Taken with that very lens
 
DayDreamer said:
I've previously owned all sorts including a Panasonic G2 - liked the camera but not the kit lens. Also borrowed a Panasonic G3 again quite liked the camera but not the kit lens but that was last year & my memory can play tricks :eek:
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The Fuji has a great kit lens the 18-55mm
 
Those Fungi images go to show its all about the skills rather than the gear.
 
DoctorJ said:
i have used my 18-105 i got with my D90 a lot (despite having a range of 'better' glass) and have always been very happy with it. it makes a good walkabout.
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I used this for a while. Good bit of kit. Bought my first slr ever in 2010 as a complete noobie and took this a couple of months in with the kit lens


A (G)oldie by Sir SR, on Flickr

More than capable lens!

S
 
DizMatt said:
old kit lens for canon was the 18-55 which was basic I thought
the mkII with IS is much better
.
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I will definitely agree with this.
The old Canon 18-55 non-IS I had was a pretty awful lens so I treated myself to an IS version and was blown away by the difference in IQ and useability.
It focused accurately every time, was pin-sharp and had lovely contrast compared to the old one.
I've since bought a 17-85 and tbh, other than it having a better range than the 18-55, the IQ isn't noticeably better.

The bottom line: No they're not all rubbish, they're usually perfectly adequate for anyone starting out and tbh, are everything most amateurs would ever need. ;)
 
ancient_mariner said:
'Tis a good question.

Now I don't know a huge amount about current lens production quality, but I have recently investigated Sony fit lenses and there's a website (dyxym.com) that deals with lenses and has user reviews. The old minolta kit FF lenses (28-80 and 70-300) tend to get poor ratings, but the new kit lens for the APS-C cameras (18-55 SAM and SAMII) get rated higher. The SAMII lens has got a current user score of 4.5 out of , although that *could* be ratings from novice users that know no better.
Click to expand...


The Minolta lenses which you have mentioned Toni are from the early nineties I think, and they were not exactly fantastic bits of kit, because by that stage they were using a lot of plastic in the construction. If we go back to the early to mid eighties, then the kit lenses were very good, for instance, the "mini beercan " 35-70 f4 and the 50 1.8. If I look back at my first DSLR, the Practica LTL 3, the kit lens choices were the Carl Zeiss Tessar 50 2.8, or the Pentacon 50 1.8 - both were excellent lenses.
I think that we are seeing a progression here - downwards in terms of quality of construction, where the modern kit lenses seem very flimsy indeed. I often wonder how much this compromises their performance.
 
Sir SR said:
I used this for a while. Good bit of kit. Bought my first slr ever in 2010 as a complete noobie and took this a couple of months in with the kit lens


A (G)oldie by Sir SR, on Flickr

More than capable lens!

S
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That is one lovely shot of a lovely looking lady :clap:
 
Most newish kit lenses will perform very well in the sweet spot - it's when you start pushing them wide open they suffer, like all cheaper lenses.
 
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