I found this swan photo while I browsed through my Lightroom catalog. I shot the photo by the end of the last year when I only owned the Nikon 18-105mmm kit lens and when I was starting out with DSLR photography. The photo was taken at 105mm but the swan was close to the waterside. I like this close-up shot, I just cropped the image slightly and sharpened the image a bit.

Even if it’s not my only lens anymore, I won’t forget how the Nikon 18-105mm helped me to learn about my camera and what focal lengths actually mean in practice. It’s not rare that you see people suggesting newbies to skip kit lenses entirely and to get a prime lens instead, that was suggested to me too when I started, but I am glad that I didn’t listen back then.

I think what some pseudo-experts in forums don’t get, is that you have to start somewhere to understand the basics, and a kit lens is really perfect for that, and they don’t really add up to the camera price. Even if I would like to play with some prime lenses too, I am currently very happy with my Tamron 70-300mm, but I still use my 18-105mm kit lens for the focal length that is not covered by my Tamron lens, for example if I want to take wide-angle photos.

If you plan to start with photography, don’t listen to opinions in forums, photos taken with a kit lens won’t look that bad. Remember, in fact you can even take beautiful photos with a point and shoot camera. It’s about the moment, it’s about what you have seen and what you want to show. Apart from the fact that the kit won’t cost much more than the camera body alone, you can still upgrade to other lenses when you are ready for it.