kitlens

Close-up shot of a Fujinon camera lens against a black background. The lens has reflections visible on its glass, with the text "Fujinon Aspherical Super EBC" and the specifications "18-55mm 1:2.8-4 R LM OIS" around the outer edge.

Farewell Fujinon XF 18-55mm, the Kit Lens Nobody Else Dared to Make

While photographers can still get their hands on the Fujinon XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4 R LM OIS lens, it will no longer be the kit lens of choice for Fujifilm cameras, including for the new Fujifilm X-T50 camera. Supplanted by the new XF 16-50mm f/2.8-4.8 R LM WR, the XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4 proved challenging for competitors to match -- not for a lack of ability, but a lack of desire.

A person with a beard and mustache enthusiastically gestures towards a DSLR camera set on a rock. The background features a forest scene. There is a "PetaPixel Reviews" logo in the bottom left corner of the image.

Fujifilm XF 16-50mm f/2.8-4.8 Review: A Lot To Live Up To

The Fujifilm XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4 R LM OIS was truly a legendary kit lens. It broke the stereotype of bare-bones kit lenses that came packaged with slow apertures and pedestrian optics. I say was because it now must make way for a new lens to take center stage. The new Fujifilm XF 16-50mm f/2.8-4.8 has very big shoes to fill indeed.

A black Fujifilm XF 16-50mm camera lens is shown against a white background. The lens features a zoom ring with focal length markings and a textured focus ring, designed for use with Fujifilm X-Mount mirrorless cameras.

The XF 16-50mm f/2.8-4.8 R LM WR is Fujifilm’s New Kit Lens

As hinted at earlier this year in Tokyo, Fujifilm is moving on from the 18-55mm f/2.8-4 lens -- which has achieved legendary status among kit lenses -- in favor of the new, sharper 16-50mm f/2.8-4.8 R LM WR. Fujifilm promises the new 16-50mm is better for its high-resolution cameras.

Photography Instructor Bans Kit Lenses

It's often said that "the best camera is the one that's with you," but one college photography instructor doesn't seem to agree: she has banned the students in her course from using kit lenses.

Panasonic Unveils Versatile 20-60mm f/3.5-5.6 Lens for L-Mount Cameras

Panasonic has just unveiled a versatile new zoom lens for the L-mount system. The Lumix S 20-60mm f/3.5-5.6 is a standard zoom lens for full-frame cameras that combines the variable aperture found in more affordable glass with some professional-grade features like weather sealing and specialized lens elements.

How to Shoot Milky Way Photos with a Crop-Sensor DSLR and Kit Lens

Can you shoot Milky Way photos using an entry-level crop-sensor DSLR and a basic kit lens? Yes, you can, but there are some tips, tricks, and techniques you can use to improve your results. Photographer Michael Ver Sprill (AKA Milky Way Mike) made this 16-minute video tutorial as a basic guide to doing this.

How to Shoot a Professional Wine Photo with Speedlights and a Kit Lens

This simple step-by-step tutorial comes to us from Dustin Dolby of Workphlo, who's got a knack for shooting high-end product photography with minimal gear. This time, he's showing us how to quickly and easily capture a professional wine photograph using just two speedlights and a kit lens.

Quick Tip: Three Ways to ‘Hack’ Your Crappy Kit Lens

The kit lens that comes with most consumer-grade and entry-level DSLRs—the infamous 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6—isn't exactly anybody's "go-to" lens. It's far from useless though—here are three simple "hacks" that'll help you squeeze a bit more performance out of your kit lens.

Cheap Kit Lenses Are Not Weak Kids’ Lenses

Well known photographer and blogger Scott Kelby recently pointed to the 18-55mm kit lens as a reason why beginners find it difficult to take good shots -- it is neither wide nor long enough to create visual impact, he wrote. I'd like to respectfully disagree.

It's precisely because the 18-55mm kit lens is cheap and common that I relish the challenge of capturing great images with it. I just love the “You shot that with a kit lens?” wide-eyed reaction when people realize how learning to read the scene and lighting makes more difference than splurging on an expensive lens upgrade.

DIY: How to Turn a Canon Kit Lens From an EF-S to EF Mount

Last week we shared a guest post that detailed how using your kit lens isn’t so bad after all. Following in the footsteps of that post, we have a convenient little DIY project by Instructable user G. M., who decided to prolong the lifespan of his own kit lens, by converting his Canon 18–55 f/3.5–5.6 from an EF-S to an EF mount.

Your Kit Lens is An Excellent Lens

As the saying goes, quality lenses are a lot more important than good bodies when it comes to investing in camera gear. They last longer, retain their value more, and have more utility overall than, say, buying the latest DSLR that will become obsolete in 3 to 5 years. But if you are into photography for the first time, you’ll likely buy an entry level camera that comes bundled with an inferior, even crappy, kit lens. Or is it?

Do you really need quality gear to take good pictures? Spend thousands of dollars on red/golden rings lenses?