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Message: <blockquote data-quote="aroy" data-source="post: 293357" data-attributes="member: 16090">I got the 18-55 VR-II kit lense with my D3300. It is an excellent lense, especially when there is a lot of light. The sheer versatility is rarely matched by a prime. That is why I think of it as a must have travel lense.Primes are generally faster, lighter, sharper and cheaper than equivalent zooms. With zooms you can stand at one place and keep changing the FOV, while with a prime you have to walk to get the FOV. Some times that is an advantage as you can get a better view by just walking around. Then the low light capability of F1.8 and F1.4 is just not there in a zoom.In my experience, the zoom works perfectly in 50% of the cases as long as the long end is below 100mm. Beyond that the equivalent IQ zooms tend to be extremely expensive and heavy compared to primes, and then there is the image quality. A long prime like the 300mm F4 can not be matched by any zoom at 300mm unless it is three to four times as expensive. From personal experience the kit zoom at 55mm is quite soft when compared to the 50mm prime lense.So yes a prime is required if you want good IQ in a light and relatively inexpensive package. A set of zooms - 28mm, 50mm and 105/135mm will normally be as expensive (if not less than) and lighter than a zoom spanning this range having the same IQ. The only down side of primes is that you cannot change the FOV instantly as in a zoom.</blockquote>