Is the kit 18-55 REALLY that bad?

[Feinwerkbau]

Hi all,

I'm a newly Canonised shooter and was looking at getting a 2nd hand 18-55 kit that originally came with the 300D.

Then I came across the pictures comparing the Canon with a Sigma lens and well...have a look for yourself:

http://forum.clubsnap.org/showthread.php?t=96496

Question is: Not comparing the kit lens to anything else, is the performance really so jia-lat like in the pix?

Anyone got any experience (good or bad) to share about their kit lens?

Thanks for your valuable feedback!

 

[nightwolf75]

i was using the 300D+kit lens for abt 7mths. to be fair, u get wat u paid for.

the kit lens, tho cheap and plasticky, is reasonably good for its price. on the used mkt here, it ranges from $80-$100. its a reasonably good wide-angle lens (~28mm, after the 1.6x crop factor). not wide enuf for those architectural shots, but enuf for the occasional grp pics.

i took it out on a photo shoot with astin when i first got my 300D in apr 04. barring all the screw-ups becos i was not familar with the cam then, the pics actually were quite good. not tack-sharp, mind u. but usable enuf for me to print it up to 8R, after some PSing.

however, if u are expecting miracles from this lens, then mebbe u will be disappointed. i won't say much abt the test pics, becos i dun know the exact conditions of the tests. however, based on my own usage, its enuf for beginners. i used it for abt a mth to get the hang of the 300D b4 moving on to buy a replacement lens for this. even then, i din sell it becos of the occasional grp pics i have to take.

 

[jeff49er]

well said from someone who toyed with his 300D and kit lens.
Now with the 10D his moment has arrived................

 

[Feinwerkbau]

Which bring up an important point:

Is the kit lens that came with the 300D compatible with your 10D?

 

[nightwolf75]

Which bring up an important point:

Is the kit lens that came with the 300D compatible with your 10D?

nope. the EF-s mount is especially created for 300D and the new 20D. these lens, so canon claimed, are meant especially for DSLRs. guess its something like the new tamron Di lenses series. canon claimed that the rear elements are especially constructed for the smaller sensor sizes of DSLR.

u can, with much patience, to modify the 18-55mm to fit a 10D. someone has posted the instructions on doing it online. have to google it tho... forgot the website. anyway, its done at ur own risk becos u have to saw off the rubber ring at the back of the 18-55mm. saw off too much and u spoil ur lens. saw off too little and u will break ur 10D's mirror as it flips up when u press the shutter. :sweat:

 

[scott]

After I bought Canon 50mm f1.8 and Tamron 28-75 f2.8 lens, the kit lens is never on my 300D. Thinking of selling it, but I heard that in the future if I want to sell the 300D, buyer would want it bundled with the kit lens.

 

[nightwolf75]

After I bought Canon 50mm f1.8 and Tamron 28-75 f2.8 lens, the kit lens is never on my 300D. Thinking of selling it, but I heard that in the future if I want to sell the 300D, buyer would want it bundled with the kit lens.

ermm... scott, i think the comparison is not dat equal. the kit lens cannot be compared to these 2 lens becos (a) they are of a constant aperature - ie. constant aperature lenses usually beat the pants of any lenses dat dun have constant aperature anyway, and (b) as mentioned, u get wat u paid for. the canon 50mm and tamron easily cost a lot more than the kit lens.

as i've mentioned, the kit lens is a good beginner's lens and u do get wat u paid for. for a newbie, like when i first got hold of the 300D, its a good lens to get ur feet wet in. its a good learning aid for anyone learning the intricacies of operating and using a dslr without blowing a huge wad of cash on those gee-whiz lenses. IMO, if a buyer is dat 'pro' already (in terms of shooting experience), he/she would not have bought the 300D anyway but go for higher end models (which, most of the time, dun come with any lenses), unless the 300D is a back-up cam.

dat said, 300D is not a bad cam, and the kit lens is good to get ur feet wet in the beginning, IMO.

 

[Feinwerkbau]

Thanks for all the replies, especially to you Nightwolf75!

Yeah, I read about the modified kit lens. Looks like a serious surgical procedure that's a little too complicated to me.

Aiyoh! Now have to eat expired loti and kapo water from kopitiam or water tap at void deck!

Anyway, here's a user's test of the kit lens if anyone's interested:

http://www.photo.net/equipment/canon/efs18-55/

Cheers!

 

[kentaroC]

a real cheap wide angle

 

[nightwolf75]

Thanks for all the replies, especially to you Nightwolf75!

Yeah, I read about the modified kit lens. Looks like a serious surgical procedure that's a little too complicated to me.

Aiyoh! Now have to eat expired loti and kapo water from kopitiam or water tap at void deck!

Anyway, here's a user's test of the kit lens if anyone's interested:

http://www.photo.net/equipment/canon/efs18-55/

Cheers!

haha.... dun need lah! just get used to using this lens first b4 slowly moving on.

the reviewer on photo.net couldn't have said it better! indeed, a lot of buyers here and elsewhere have over-expectations of this lens (and i suspect, the EF-s 17-35mm when they are out in force on the mkt). u do get wat u paid for. just have fun with the lens, and take meaningful pics for urself, and for those ard u. at the end of the day, dats wat photography is abt, IMO.

 

[kiwi2]

If you want to compare the 18-55mm lens to other more expensive consumer lens, let along pro ones like the L lenses, the 18-55mm loses out especially in resolution. But we must not forget the inclusion of the kit lens is all a marketing ploy by Canon. In the first place, the 300D is targeted at newbie amateurs who probably have not owned any DSLR b4 but one of those prosumer cams. So with the cheapo 18-55, body+lens can be kept below $2000. For the layman who appreciates little about sharpness and stuffs like that, that's an attraction.

But to be fair, it's one very cheap lens which can offer 18mm wide angle (bef the 1.6 FLM) that no other lenses can offer. Even Canon's other cheapo lens is the 22-55mm which is not as wide. And also, most tests done on lenses like to crop an image and zoom in 100% and compare them. Seriously, in many circumstances, we don't do that to our images! So the 18-55 is good on its own. Of course, if you can afford, get a better wide angle zoom lens. But it's probably going to cost you way lot more than the 18-55.

But for someone who could afford to splurge close to $3k on say a 20D body, then I find putting on an 18-55 doesn't make sense. This is so weird by Canon's intention. They should have released both the 17-85 and and 10-22 with the 20D instead of still tagging it with the 18-55.

 

[Belle&Sebastain]

But for someone who could afford to splurge close to $3k on say a 20D body, then I find putting on an 18-55 doesn't make sense. This is so weird by Canon's intention. They should have released both the 17-85 and and 10-22 with the 20D instead of still tagging it with the 18-55.

that i feel is a marketing poly to cheapen 20D and introduce another 2nd from the line camera in the next upgrade stage, to make 20D a consumer / prosumer camera and have a next in line pro cam. You only see this after next year, but that my guess. :dunno:

 

[Snowcrash]

what about the tokina/tamron f3.5-4.5 compare to the kit lens?

any bought one of those to replace the kit lens

 

[Adam Goi]

what about the tokina/tamron f3.5-4.5 compare to the kit lens?

any bought one of those to replace the kit lens

You may want to check out the Sigma 18-125mm ...

 

[hptay]

Personally,the first lens that I got were the kit -lens and tamron's 28-200. And the kit lens is a great lens to start with. Resolution wise, unless you constantly stare at your photos with a magnifying glass, you wouldnt find signifigant difference when you develope your photos at 4R.

With the 28-200mm lens, i find that at 28mm, it is certainly not wide enough to be a walk around lens. If ever I had to choose just one lens to bring along, the kit lens is my choice. However, having a more powerful zoon will certainly be nice.

Perhaps if you are not in rush to get a lens, you may want to wait for Tamron's all-in-one wonder for the APS-C sized cameras (300D, 20D, 10D ..), the 18-200mm Di II lens which is targeted to replaced the 28-200/300mm lens.

My opinion, 18-55mm lens is a must have for all beginners.Its low Cost, average performance and its wide angle (to counter the crop factor) is something that you will come to appreciate.

 

[XXX Boy]

How can you expect so much from a cheap kit-lens? :think:
Then those 'Red Band' L lens nobody would buy liao lo!

 

[actionman]

Perhaps if you are not in rush to get a lens, you may want to wait for Tamron's all-in-one wonder for the APS-C sized cameras (300D, 20D, 10D ..), the 18-200mm Di II lens which is targeted to replaced the 28-200/300mm lens.

.

i kind of agree with you. thinking that getting this and the efs 10-22 will be enough to cover the range for most people.

 

[Jeff]

From my experience, the kit lens is stellar when the F-stop is F8.0 or smaller. I use it for all landscape and general purpose shooting overseas and it just performs like a 17-40L, w/o the price tag .

As an example,

F11, ISO400

F7.1, ISO400

Just remember to stop down your aperture when shooting. ISO 400 is still very grain free to the human eyes.

 

[Russ]

The lens is:

Fuzzy, soft at large apertures (eg. F3.5 - F4.5 at 18mm or F5.6-6.7 at 55mm). My G1/G2 does better.

Sharp and contrasty at smaller apertures. Try it at F8 at 18mm or F9-11 at 55mm and it will impress for the price.

I recently brought this with my 300D (together with a 24-85 F3.5-4.5) on a 2 week holiday in Europe. The 24-85 is better at larger apertures but in bright situations when you can stop it doen and still have ISO100 and decent 1/125-1/500 shutter speeds, it is hard to tell the difference.

I was going to get rid of the lens but now I think I will keep it.

The other thing is that it is so light

 

[XXX Boy]

The lens is:

Fuzzy, soft at large apertures (eg. F3.5 - F4.5 at 18mm or F5.6-6.7 at 55mm). My G1/G2 does better.

Sharp and contrasty at smaller apertures. Try it at F8 at 18mm or F9-11 at 55mm and it will impress for the price.

I recently brought this with my 300D (together with a 24-85 F3.5-4.5) on a 2 week holiday in Europe. The 24-85 is better at larger apertures but in bright situations when you can stop it doen and still have ISO100 and decent 1/125-1/500 shutter speeds, it is hard to tell the difference.

I was going to get rid of the lens but now I think I will keep it.

The other thing is that it is so light

Funnie lo, how can you compare a kit-lens with a G1/G2 Carl Zeiss lens?