When do you use you kit lens?

R

Rasmus

Senior Member
I have 3 lenses atm; kit 18-105 mm, 35 f/1.8 and the 55-300 vr, all nikkor.

I'm tempted to try and sell my 18-105 kit lens, since i rarely find myself using it.
Outdoors it's the 55-300, and indoors always the 35mm.

As you might have guessed, landscape isn't really my thing.

The reason i haven't put the 18-105 up for saleyet, is because how good and useful i oftn hear it described...i did love it before getting theother two as well.

So the question stands: am i missing something here? Outside landscapes, am i really going to have any use for the 18-105 at all? Considering my other two lenses.

oh and the cash from the 18-105 mightgo towardsa nice prime ;)

Rasmus


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J

Just-Clayton

Senior Member
I havent used my 18-55 in a while. I still use the 55-200 because it gives me a sharper image then my tamron 70-300. Otherwise i use my prime lenses.
 
F

fotojack

Senior Member
Rasmus said:
I have 3 lenses atm; kit 18-105 mm, 35 f/1.8 and the 55-300 vr, all nikkor.

I'm tempted to try and sell my 18-105 kit lens, since i rarely find myself using it.
Outdoors it's the 55-300, and indoors always the 35mm.

As you might have guessed, landscape isn't really my thing.

The reason i haven't put the 18-105 up for saleyet, is because how good and useful i oftn hear it described...i did love it before getting theother two as well.

So the question stands: am i missing something here? Outside landscapes, am i really going to have any use for the 18-105 at all? Considering my other two lenses.

oh and the cash from the 18-105 mightgo towardsa nice prime ;)

Rasmus


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
Click to expand...

There's going to come a time when you're going to need that 18-105, believe me! Then if you sell it, you won't have it. But....it's up to you....it's your lens. :)
 
E

eurotrash

Senior Member
So true.. I just wish I could find a lens with that same focal range that was more pro. Just don't know what to go with. I'm going to do the 11-16 Tokina, *insert good lens that I can't find here*, and something like a 70-200 or similar. That said, I fall back on my 18-200 when others fail to give me that range that I need.
 
Z

ZekeMenuar

New member
newbshooter said:
I havent used my 18-55 in a while. I still use the 55-200 because it gives me a sharper image then my tamron 70-300. Otherwise i use my prime lenses.
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I own two of the 18-55mm "kit" (I'm getting to dislike the term) lenses. I'm not getting rid of them anytime soon.

When I first got the D3100 I used the 18-55 about 1/3? of the time. It's one of those lenses that is a master of nothing but is good at everything.
Need a quick landscape shot? The 18-55 will deliver a very good shot assuming the bad photographer does his part.
Need a faux macro? Crank it up to 55mm shoot the bug and blow it up in post processing. Need to take some quick and dirty shots indoors? The "kit" lens, SB400 and the auto setting turn the D3100 into a very good PNS. I did this at a family reunion and got some very good pictures. Better I think then the 35mm f1.8 AF-S(I have that lens too).

The 18-55 so inexpensive that I bought a spare. If I break #1, get #2 out of the trunk and keep shooting.

The last reason I won't sell my kit lens it the market is the market is flooded with them. No point in going through the hassle of a sale for $50 bucks.

FWIW, I have four lenses. I'm ranking them in terms of how much they get used.

55-200mm DX VR AF-S
18-55mm DX VR AF-S
55-300mm DX VR AF-S
35mm DX AF-S f1.8

This is my opinion. your opinion may vary.
 
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bluenoser

bluenoser

Banned
Well there is a big gap on the wide end when using your 55-300 (18mm vs. 55m) If you don't find yourself there very often that would definitely place you in rare company.

I have a D700, D7000 and D40 with many of the higher end lenses - however I still have my 18-105VR as it is still the most convenient, light weight, useful range lens for me and the darned thing just takes great pics! I wouldn't part with it. I have it paired with my D40 for those times when I just want to travel light with a one lens solution. However you must know your own wants and needs - there is no one size fits edict that says you must keep it. :)

Taken with my D40 and 18-105VR....not too shabby for a "kit" lens and an "old" entry level camera. :) (click on image for full size)
 
J

Jon

Senior Member
I have a 18-105 mm kit lens. This has been a great lens for me. I recently used it for a family gathering. A group photo shoot for around 40 people in a limited space, this lens just captured the moment.
 
W

westmill

Banned
I 100% beleive the vast majority of people ditch there so called kit lenses through snobery or just plain ignorance.
Nikon, over the last few years have developed standard zooms that are well beyond the competition.
We have the remakable 18-70 3.5 - 4.5.... Metal mount, very fast and silent and matches the 16-55 in image quality at the same aprature settings and even surpasses it at the wide end. On top of that, it has an amount of weather proofing. It loses just half a stop at the wide angle end and
little over a stop at the long end. You gain an extra 15mm of focal lengh though.
Its a simlar story for the 18-105 and 18-135. You lose even more build quality, plastic mounts, weather sealing etc but gain range.
The fact is, the 17-55 has been out for some time. Its an amazing lens for sure. Its build quality and speed are second to none.
Its built to last a life time of hard abuse. When it comes to actual IQ , the later standard zooms are outperforming it.
The 16-85 is another fantastic lens. it has VR that actualy works, fantastic range, and again outperforms the 17-55.
These new zooms perform as good as primes. The thread is titled, when do you use your kit lens ! To me it would make more sense
if it was, when dont you use your kit lens. :)
 
R

Rasmus

Senior Member
westmill said:
I 100% beleive the vast majority of people ditch there so called kit lenses through snobery or just plain ignorance.
Nikon, over the last few years have developed standard zooms that are well beyond the competition.
We have the remakable 18-70 3.5 - 4.5.... Metal mount, very fast and silent and matches the 16-55 in image quality at the same aprature settings and even surpasses it at the wide end. On top of that, it has an amount of weather proofing. It loses just half a stop at the wide angle end and
little over a stop at the long end. You gain an extra 15mm of focal lengh though.
Its a simlar story for the 18-105 and 18-135. You lose even more build quality, plastic mounts, weather sealing etc but gain range.
The fact is, the 17-55 has been out for some time. Its an amazing lens for sure. Its build quality and speed are second to none.
Its built to last a life time of hard abuse. When it comes to actual IQ , the later standard zooms are outperforming it.
The 16-85 is another fantastic lens. it has VR that actualy works, fantastic range, and again outperforms the 17-55.
These new zooms perform as good as primes. The thread is titled, when do you use your kit lens ! To me it would make more sense
if it was, when dont you use your kit lens. :)
Click to expand...

It's not that i dislike the 18-105 as such. It's more of a case of never really putting it on the camera.

I'm using my 35 and 55-300 either indoors or outdoors atm, and i don't feel i'm lacking anything.

So i'm wondering if i'm simply overlooking something i could be using the 18-34 and 36-54 ranges for.

Landscape is not my thing at all, so i'm wondering if there's really any other cases where those focal ranges really give me anything?

Sendt fra min MK16i med Tapatalk2
 
W

westmill

Banned
Rasmus said:
It's not that i dislike the 18-105 as such. It's more of a case of never really putting it on the camera.

I'm using my 35 and 55-300 either indoors or outdoors atm, and i don't feel i'm lacking anything.

So i'm wondering if i'm simply overlooking something i could be using the 18-34 and 36-54 ranges for.

Landscape is not my thing at all, so i'm wondering if there's really any other cases where those focal ranges really give me anything?

Sendt fra min MK16i med Tapatalk2
Click to expand...
Only you can know If its needed. it covers a wide range and produce superb quality though.
I myself have already decided to buy the 17-55 next year. It is about mostly the speed for me though.
I wasnt refering to you specificly by the way. I just truly beleive an awful lot of people are duped into thinking there kit lenses
are below par. In reality, they are the sharpest lenses out there. There is often no substitute for speed though so primes will always
have a place. All photographers have there own way of doing things and different subjects etc etc
for most though, the standard zoom is all they will ever need. Great for everyday, landscape, portraits etc.
 
C

Carolina Photo Guy

Senior Member
I use my kit lenses almost every time I take a picture.

I have the 18-55 vr and the 55-200 vr that came with my D3100. I also have 28-80 g lens that I picked up cheap.

I have found all of these lenses to be far better than my DRAWING ability! :)
 
Eduard

Eduard

Super Mod
Staff member
Super Mod
Eduard said:
I 'lent' mine to my brother over 3 years ago when I bought my 17-55. . . and can't get it back. That is a great lens.
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Eye-level said:
I know about this I loaned my camera to my buddy weeks ago...I finally went and picked it up today...
Click to expand...

If it matters he has my old D70s too. . . he does nice work with it. . . I get to see extra pics of my nephews and niece so it is all good. :tickled_pink:
 
E

Eye-level

Banned
westmill said:
I seem to growl when anyone touches my camera lol
heyyyyy they are me babys :p
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I'm only like that about my F2...NO ONE touches the F2...if you are really really good looking and have boobs I might let you hold it for a second just to see how heavy it is...LOL

Eduard said:
If it matters he has my old D70s too. . . he does nice work with it. . . I get to see extra pics of my nephews and niece so it is all good. :tickled_pink:
Click to expand...

Yes that is a pretty good deal....what a lucky fella...when you get a new FX does he get the 300? LOL
 
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Eduard

Eduard

Super Mod
Staff member
Super Mod
Eye-level said:
Yes that is a pretty good deal....what a lucky fella...when you get a new FX does he get the 300? LOL
Click to expand...

He has already asked. . . actually forwarded the D4 announcement and reminded me that he is my favorite brother. Only one too.
 
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