kit lens vs good lens, please explain

Nikon AF-S Nikkor 16-35 f/4 ED VR

08/01/2007 09:51:47 AM · #1

I understand that the quality is different (along with the price!)...But how do you tell if you have/or are going to buy a good lens or a kit lens?

I have:
Nikon AF Nikkor 50mm 1:1.8D
Nikon AF Nikkor 28-80mm 1:3.3-5.6G
Nikon AF Nikkor 70-300mm 1:4-5.6G

Are these kits or 'good'? Should I upgrade the kits to the 'same' but good.

I do not have a particular 'style', and find that my 50mm takes the best photos... but like the zoom to reach my birds and wildlife...and I dabble in portraits.

Thanks for the advice for an photography idiot. Birthday coming up and want to make suggestions and/or save $$ towards an lens upgrade.

darnok

Nikon D850

08/01/2007 09:59:57 AM · #2

A good place to check the quality of the lens is a review site like PhotoZone. The price tag will also give you an indication of the quality of the lens, good lenses cost more. One notable exception to this is the 50mm f/1.8 (Nikon, Canon or whatever), incredibly sharp and very cheap.

RainMotorsports

Nikon D60

Nikon AF-S DX Zoom Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR

08/01/2007 10:08:43 AM · #3

As far as the 50's go Prime's are easy to make a "decent" or good lens out of rather then a series of moving elements to give you a zoom range.

People always say ditch the kit lens, then there are people who are here to ribbon. If your looking to ribbon take the Canon EF 18-55 Version 1 kit lens. It has over 55 ribbons (18 u can see the rest u have to browse to see). Its still the photographer, and many good photographers with the same lens can = alot of ribbons for that lens.

Apple iPhone 5

Nikon AF-S DX Zoom Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 ED

08/01/2007 10:11:47 AM · #4

A 'kit lens' doesn't necessarily mean a 'bad' or a 'cheap' lens. It's just the lens that manufacturers include when you're buying a body. In fact, the kit lens that came with my D40 is very good, comparable to a couple of AI primes I have.

Kit lens is middle-of-the-road, covering a standard but useful range of focal lengths, with an aperture of f/3.5 or whatever. Nothing to write home about, but still does the job and caters to the general consumer. The big difference you'll notice between kit lenses and other lenses is the aperture... f/3.5 on kit lens versus f/2.8 or lower. It's this large aperture you're paying for, especially on telephoto lenses.

Message edited by author 2007-08-01 10:11:59.

awpollard

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS

08/01/2007 10:11:58 AM · #5

Usually the line is marked on the lens (however I have no idea with Nikon)

A Tamron Quality Lens will Have SP in nomenclature a Budget lenses will Not

A Sigma Quality will have EX (I believe) in nomenclature but will not.

darnok

Nikon D850

Nikon AF-S Nikkor 16-35 f/4 ED VR

08/01/2007 10:13:14 AM · #6

Originally posted by RainMotorsports:

People always say ditch the kit lens, then there are people who are here to ribbon. If your looking to ribbon take the Canon EF 18-55 Version 1 kit lens. It has over 55 ribbons (18 u can see the rest u have to browse to see). Its still the photographer, and many good photographers with the same lens can = alot of ribbons for that lens.

A better lens will not take better photos, it will take sharper photos. You will also not see the difference in sharpness in the small 640 pixel images that are uploaded to DPC, but on a large print you will. The Canon kit lens has a lot of ribbons because many people are using it.

Matthew

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

Peleng 8mm f/3.5 Fisheye MC In M42 Mount

08/01/2007 10:19:45 AM · #7

If you don't have any problems using the lenses you have to get the images you want, why bother spending money on something for which you have no need?

If you want something extra, you don't have any wide angle lenses (for a D50) - how about something starting at between 10-18mm?

Nikon AF-S DX Zoom Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR

08/01/2007 10:26:00 AM · #8

Thank you for all the advice....

It's becoming clearer to me...

What do the letters mean? i/e the D on my 50mm and the other two have G...

Message edited by author 2007-08-01 10:27:36.

RainMotorsports

Nikon D60

08/01/2007 10:36:19 AM · #9

Originally posted by Raziel:

Originally posted by RainMotorsports:
People always say ditch the kit lens, then there are people who are here to ribbon. If your looking to ribbon take the Canon EF 18-55 Version 1 kit lens. It has over 55 ribbons (18 u can see the rest u have to browse to see). Its still the photographer, and many good photographers with the same lens can = alot of ribbons for that lens.

A better lens will not take better photos, it will take sharper photos. You will also not see the difference in sharpness in the small 640 pixel images that are uploaded to DPC, but on a large print you will. The Canon kit lens has a lot of ribbons because many people are using it.

Raziel, not sure if u were talking to me but you could have requoted me... what you just said i said in my post that you quote. Ill requote myself.

"Its still the photographer, and many good photographers with the same lens can = alot of ribbons for that lens."

darnok

Nikon D850

Nikon AF-S Nikkor 16-35 f/4 ED VR

08/01/2007 10:44:01 AM · #10

Originally posted by RainMotorsports:

Originally posted by Raziel:

Originally posted by RainMotorsports:
People always say ditch the kit lens, then there are people who are here to ribbon. If your looking to ribbon take the Canon EF 18-55 Version 1 kit lens. It has over 55 ribbons (18 u can see the rest u have to browse to see). Its still the photographer, and many good photographers with the same lens can = alot of ribbons for that lens.

A better lens will not take better photos, it will take sharper photos. You will also not see the difference in sharpness in the small 640 pixel images that are uploaded to DPC, but on a large print you will. The Canon kit lens has a lot of ribbons because many people are using it.

Raziel, not sure if u were talking to me but you could have requoted me... what you just said i said in my post that you quote. Ill requote myself.

"Its still the photographer, and many good photographers with the same lens can = alot of ribbons for that lens."

I was just adding to what you had said.

Originally posted by dassilem:

Thank you for all the advice....

It's becoming clearer to me...

What do the letters mean? i/e the D on my 50mm and the other two have G...

The D means the lens transmits distance information to the camera for the flash system. G-series lenses do not have an aperture ring anymore.

RainMotorsports

Nikon D60

Nikon AF-S DX Zoom Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR

08/01/2007 10:45:27 AM · #11

Originally posted by Raziel:

I was just adding to what you had said.

Oh okay, what you said is worded better anyways. But i was like wait a mnute i said that already. ust wanted to make sure you knew. I have alot of trouble with english which is funny but you said it better anyways.

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

09/12/2007 08:14:49 AM · #12

Originally posted by Matthew:

......If you want something extra, you don't have any wide angle lenses (for a D50) - how about something starting at between 10-18mm?

Is this a good lens to add to my arsenal??
Nikon Nikkor 18-35mm f3.5-4.5 ED D lens

Used for $250.00??
Any advice before I purchase? I am simply trying to build up more of a range.
I currently have:
28-80mm
50mm
70-300mm

Message edited by author 2007-09-12 08:17:16.

Simms

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

09/12/2007 08:27:45 AM · #13

Originally posted by RainMotorsports:

Originally posted by Raziel:

I was just adding to what you had said.

Oh okay, what you said is worded better anyways. But i was like wait a mnute i said that already. ust wanted to make sure you knew. I have alot of trouble with english which is funny but you said it better anyways.

A lot of people would say get rid of the kit lens, but as you can see on here, a lot of people ribbon with it. It has nothing to do with the lens, its to do with the photographer at the end of the day. For example, the canon kit lens has over 50 ribbons won with it.

>:)

09/12/2007 09:15:04 AM · #14

is this a 'kit' lens then?

Nikon AF-S DX Zoom Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 ED

09/12/2007 10:09:20 AM · #15

Originally posted by dassilem:

[quote=Matthew]......Is this a good lens to add to my arsenal??
Nikon Nikkor 18-35mm f3.5-4.5 ED D lens

Used for $250.00??
Any advice before I purchase? I am simply trying to build up more of a range.
I currently have:
28-80mm
50mm
70-300mm

BUMP....any ideas?

Apple iPhone 5

09/12/2007 10:41:42 AM · #16

With that line-up I'd be tempted to save up for a wide-zoom instead. e.g. 10-20mm or 12-24mm;

//www.kenrockwell.com/tech/digital-wide-zooms/comparison.htm

Bear_Music

Samsung Galaxy S24, S24+, S24 Ultra

Sony 24-70mm f/4 Vario-Tessar T* FE OSS

09/12/2007 11:53:57 AM · #17

Originally posted by jhonan:

With that line-up I'd be tempted to save up for a wide-zoom instead. e.g. 10-20mm or 12-24mm;

//www.kenrockwell.com/tech/digital-wide-zooms/comparison.htm

What he said. Your next purchase should be an ultra-wide.

R.