The Despised Kit Lens

In the photographic community few products seem to elicit a more negative response than when the words "kit lens" are spoken. 

What exactly is a kit lens? Well, simply put, its the lens that is commonly bundled with a camera body. If you purchase a pro-level camera body that is bundled with a lens, that lens is generally a pro-level lens. While those are technically kit lenses as they're sold with a body as a kit, they aren't the lenses that people generally refer to as "kit lenses." Kit lens normally is used to describe the inexpensive general purpose lenses - usually 18-55mm - bundled with consumer grade, entry level cameras. And oh boy do those lenses get a bad rap!

Seriously, many in the photographic community have a hatred of these lenses that exceeds Donald Trump's loathing of the media. And the Donald truly detests the media for anyone that hasn't noticed. I'll leave the rest of that discussion for someone else's blog.

A few days ago while attempting to help someone on social media I was absolutely raked over the coals because of my beliefs regarding this lens and an entry level camera in question. A setup that I suggested can absolutely, in the right hands, be used to create beautifully acceptable wedding images.

You see, I happen to believe that, with skill, virtually any tool can be used to create solid images. That seems to ruffle the feathers of those with egos to feed and those who have spend a lot of money believing there is a direct correlation between investment and image quality.

In the social media debate one of my attackers went so far as to suggest I must be a beginner because only someone with no experience would ever suggest such a thing. Of course, I humbly agreed with my adversary. I admitted that I've been learning every step of the way in my forty year career. I explained, due to changes in the technology, styles and societal expectations, I was a beginner at every single one of the more than 2000 weddings I photographed. And I meant it. This is an industry which hasn't stoped evolving since its inception so like any other beginner, I'm learning as I go daily. Noting requests from brides on three continents, having couples adjust wedding dates to accommodate my availability and even the daughter of a Texas wedding photographer having her wedding in St. Louis so I could be her photographer may have been unnecessary icing on that cake I'd just served up. But I think I made my point. Perhaps too well as things suddenly got really quite in that debate. Oops.

I learned from that debate too. I learned that sometimes I'm possibly not as humble as I like to think I am. OK fine. Who am I fooling? I'm not very humble at all. I can't help it that I'm always right. But since far too many that believe a decent image can't be made with such a "piece of junk" lens, maybe I can help.

So, since I'm me, I decide to make my point once again. This time with a post about the underrated  little 18-55 kit lens. I knew I'd have at least one broken kit lens in my boxes of junk so I got to digging.

I found several Nikon versions and three fine Canon specimens. The two which I photographed were used for the two images that will follow. The third was actually used to create the image of the other two shown below.

Those white marks are tape gunk left behind after removing the tape. Apparently one of the switches won't stay put. 

All three of these lenses found in my junk box are in less than perfect working order. That's, of course, why I have them. The two shown above won't autofocus and the one used for this photograph won't zoom from its current position.

Based upon the quantity of broken kit lenses I have it wouldn't take the most astute detective to come to the realization these are the most durable lenses. Can kit lenses claim the incredible durability and super reliability of Canon's pro-level L series lenses most of which cost over $1000.00 Of course not! These are lenses that come bundled with cameras often priced below $500, lens included. Does that mean they're junk? Not in my opinion. They're just inexpensive lenses. Being inexpensive they're not going to be as durable and naturally have some drawback that higher priced lenses might overcome. That doesn't make them junk. It just means there are limitations to their abilities. But when used within those abilities they can absolutely produce quality images.

I used each of the two lenses above to create these two images. Both of which are, in my opinion absolutely acceptable images for most needs.

Full disclosure - because these are electronically controlled Canon lenses I couldn't mount them on my broken 7D so for this exercise I needed to grab a "working" camera so these images are all done with my 90D.

Taken with the cleaner of the two broken lenses. 90D 1/6 f16 ISO 1000

For this first image, I grabbed my little bluetooth speaker from my studio desk drawer. I thought it might make a good "product photography" example. Its not the fanciest image but that's not the purpose of the image. I wanted to demonstrate that a kit lens, even a broken one, can absolutely produce a competent image.

Since many photographers, including myself, do a lot of close up and macro photography I wanted to test the abilities of these lenses to perform up close. I grabbed a wildflower out of the yard and here ya go.

Taken with the taped lens. Right side cropped to create square composition. No additional enlargement. 90D 1/50 f16 ISO 800

I grabbed a really bad behind the scenes pic with my phone to show the size of the flower.

So, what do you think? Can decent images be created with these "piece of junk" lenses. I say yes. Yes, they can.