Discover 8 Hidden Benefits of Kit Lens

This article will clarify why you should start photography with a kit lens, and how to make it very useful, and one of your lenses arsenal.

Once you buy a new DSLR or Mirrorless camera, you will immediately begin searching for additional Camera Accessories and lenses, after all, what good is an interchangeable lens camera without additional lenses dinner change.

It seems that there's a ton of folks on the web that post camera reviews, these folks all seem to agree that the kit lens is GARBAGE, it's TERRIBLE it's like you have to have a bag over your head to go out and actually snap a picture in public with the kit lens.

In the film days’ light passed through the lens, and was captured by the Film, what you got was what you got, so the lenses had to be right; If there were problems with the final print the engineers had to go back and fix the lens regardless of the cost.

Today the light passes through the lens and is captured by the camera's sensor, the sensor information is processed by the cameras tiny onboard computer, and saved in a memory card, these are then transferred to your computer where they can be further processed and manipulated in software like iPhoto, Lightroom, and Photoshop, so engineers can now look at a problem in an image and ask: "Is it most cost-effective to fix this problem in the lens? the cameras processor? or in post-production?"

In today's digital world, your skills in post-production software have become more important than the quality of your gear in most cases, so what are the benefits of shooting with this kit lens:

1- The Low Price of the Kit Lens:

Just 150 dollars gets you up and running with your new camera, you can try out its features, get familiar with its menus, and its settings.

2- The Size:

This Kit lens collapses when you turn the camera off, making it really easy to carry or store in a purse or bag.

3- Four Lenses inside one Lens:

The kit lens is a zoom lens, so you have at least four lenses in one:
At 16 millimeters - you have a wide-angle lens, this is great for landscapes and interior shots.
At around 22 millimeters - you can take great group shots of family and friends.
At 35 millimeters - you have a normal lens, which mimics what your eye sees naturally.
Then at 50 millimeters - you have a portrait lens, which lets you take close portraits while maintaining a comfortable distance from your subjects.

Read Also: 35mm Lens vs 50mm Lens

4- Photo Meta-Data:

After you've shot for a while with your kit lens, make a folder of shots, that you consider being keepers, then look at the metadata, using a photo software as Photoshop and ask yourself:
Did I shoot a lot at one particular focal length? then consider getting a prime lens for that length.
Do I have a lot of shots that are taken wide open? then maybe you'll need a faster lens.
Am I having a lot of shots where the lens was extended to its full 50 millimeters? then you were using the cameras digital zoom feature so you may want to consider a longer lens as 55-200mm Lens.
Am I having to crop into your macro shots? then you may need an dedicated macro lens, that allows you to focus within a few inches of your subject.
Do I do a lot of handheld videos or low-light photographs? Then you'll want lenses that have internal stabilization VR.

5- Poster size prints:

The kit lens gives you an opportunity to see how you're going to view or share your prints, if you want to do gallery quality wall prints, you'll likely want the Good Quality Glasses, but be advised Photoshop has features that allow you to make great poster size prints from even cell phone images, so check out that Photography software before you spend too much.

Note:

If you end up viewing most of your pictures on your cell phone or laptop, then the kit lens will be more than adequate.

6- Slower higher f-stop:

The kit lenses generate greater depth of field, so you discard fewer shots.

7- You don't need a Tripod or a backpack:

Kit lens size is small, Light, and compact, so you don't need a tripod to handle the camera while shooting, also you don't need a big backpack to take all your stuff while you travel, but a small photography hand case will do the job.

8- What to Do? Lens

My final reason to use the kit lens, is it gives you some coverage where you try other lenses, so imagine you buy or rent a new lens, then you don't like it, so you can switch back to the kit lens and finish your shooting.

I'm noticing more and more people on the sites and groups that I frequent coming forward with great pictures and admitting: "I took this with the kit lens".

Some Comments:

If you simply relax and enjoy these seven benefits of your kit lens I guarantee you'll enjoy your photography more, and you'll take better pictures, and then if when you do buy additional lenses, you can confidently buy those lenses, knowing that they're going to be right for you.

Buy Additional Lenses:

Please In the Top Menu, we have a category called Lenses, you will found there 18+ lenses for each DSLR camera from Nikon D3100 to Sony a6500

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