Canon EF -S 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 USM

I have had a few PMs about the lens archive not having a thread for the kit lens and there are always a few threads around regarding this lens, mainly referring to it as crap. While we all know that it isn't the best lens out there it is like the EF 50 f/1.8 in that for the money it isn't that bad. The kit lens does require being stopped down, though, and most report around f/7.1-f/8 is where it starts to get good. I use mine for landscapes and group shots only so stopping down is mandatory anyway.

So lets see the good ones and please no comments about no matter what it is crap.

I will start us out:

XT, Canon 18-55 kit lens, 18mm, iso 100, 10sec, f/11

I only really have this one pic hosted.

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With the exception of the corners, I find that my copy of the kit lens is fairly sharp even wide open. It's a damned decent lens, imho.

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Great shots so far. Thanks for sharing them.

I remebered a shot that I saw a while back that really showed me what the kit lens could do so I did a search and found it. It was from this thread:
https://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthre​ad.php?t=140319

Skippy29 wrote:
Stopped off at the beach on my way home from work the other day. This is Carlsbad.

C+C welcome

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This is one of my favorites. The lens was good to me, although I've recently replaced it with with 24-105L!

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I've since sold mine, but I'm kinda partial to this shot. I even forgot to stop down.

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I know the kit lens has its shortcomings but I'm guessing a lot of us upgrade to much nicer equipment and hone our photography and PP skills at the same time. If you are one of these people (me included) and were to revisit the kit lens, you'd probably be suprised at the results. For example, I didn't start shooting RAW until well after I'd started using other lenses instead of the kit. Might have to break it out

XT, Kit, 46mm, ISO 400 F10, 1/160

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I didn't find MY kit lens to be a bad performer.

This one is shot hand held around evening time.

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I'm enjoying this thread. It's so easy for noob photographers like me to read threads where people knock this lens or threads where people talk about all the L glass they are getting. Not that there is anything wrong with that (more power to them) but it can give us rank amateurs the wrong impression. When you see that good pics can be done with this lens, it makes you realize photography has more to do with the photographer than the equipment. I need to be reminded of that once in awhile!

I have several shots that I like using the kit lens. What do you all think about this one?

1/125
f/6.3
iso 200
18.0mm

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