T2i kit lens...is it worth the 100 bucks?

singleframe

singleframe

Well-known member
is it at least worth the 100 bucks more..or should i just get the body only?
i know i want this lens:

Canon EF 50mm f1.4

so do you think i should just pass on the kit lens?

thanks!

also, any updates on when this will actually be available anywhere online???
 
Normally I'm a Canon brand lens whore, but for a good fast prime I'd go with a Sigma 30mm f/1.4. I found it difficult to get steady enough footage handheld from a Canon 50mm f/1.8 I had with my T1i. A 50mm on a crop body is equivalent to 80mm on a full frame..more of a portrait length.

If you're looking for a cheap walkabout zoom, the 18-55 is your ticket. It has image stabilization, which comes in handy for video. The aperture does change at various focal lengths, so you'll see the image getting darker and lighter as you zoom in and out. You have to change either ISO or shutter speed to compensate. Normally, you wouldn't want to zoom during a take anyway. Canon's 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM is a great lens if you don't mind spending as much on one as you did your camera body.

It appears that Canon has a runaway hit on their hands and have sold-out their first shipment worldwide..especially the body only model. I ordered mine on 2/25..the day after they were released. If you do happen to find a body only, better snap it up quick!
 
It is worth the 100$
In a few months, you could still turn around and sell it once you got more money for better glass.
 
I think it is worth it. 50mm on the t2i or 7d is not 50mm. You need a 35mm lens on the t2i/7d to get 50mm because of the magnification factor both those cameras have. The 35mm lens for the canon is around $1,000.

You can put a 50mm on a 5Dmark II and it's actually 50mm, because the 5dmark II is full frame 35mm.

So what all this means is the adjustable kit lens you get, can allow you to get a 50mm look (by adjusting it to 35mm). To get a lens comparable is very expensive, so if you are on a budget, you are essentially getting multiple lenses in one with that adjustable kit lens. If you got the money for better lenses, then yes it would be a waste to lug that extra thing around when you can get something equivalent that is faster.
 
GoodLuck said:
I think it is worth it. 50mm on the t2i or 7d is not 50mm. You need a 35mm lens on the t2i/7d to get 50mm because of the magnification factor both those cameras have. The 35mm lens for the canon is around $1,000.

You can put a 50mm on a 5Dmark II and it's actually 50mm, because the 5dmark II is full frame 35mm.

So what all this means is the adjustable kit lens you get, can allow you to get a 50mm look (by adjusting it to 35mm). To get a lens comparable is very expensive, so if you are on a budget, you are essentially getting multiple lenses in one with that adjustable kit lens. If you got the money for better lenses, then yes it would be a waste to lug that extra thing around when you can get something equivalent that is faster.
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hmm now i am confused. you mean the kit lens' 18mm is actually 28mm (1.6 crop factor) and the 55mm is 88mm? why dont they just call it 28mm-88mm lens then? :undecided
 
13th Judas said:
hmm now i am confused. you mean the kit lens' 18mm is actually 28mm (1.6 crop factor) and the 55mm is 88mm? why dont they just call it 28mm-88mm lens then? :undecided
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Well, because the 35mm sensor format (Full Frame) is the standard, kind of. You just need one constant measurement to campare the viewing angle you get from a certain length. You just have to remember, if the sensor is somewhat smaller than Fullframe (36mmx24mm) you have to apply the according cropfactor to the focal length of a lens to get the resulting focal length on that particular sensor.

APS-C sensors have a crop-factor of 1.6
APS-H sensors have a crop-factor of 1.3
...
 
I think it is worth the $100 if that is all you have to spend and on a tight budget. If not, you would do better to get a lens with a constant aperture from wide to zoom, like f2.8. Constant aperture will prevent unwanted exposure changes as you zoom. Also f2.8 will give you better low light performance.

The only downside is that it costs more for better lenses.

In situations where you have adequate light and do not need to zoom in or out, the kit lens will give good results for video purposes.
 
I think it defenetly was worth it! Got some samples on my site from last weekend. Great lens for the price. The really stept up from the old 18-55 lens I think. And as everyone is saying.. the lens is defintly worth the $100 (in Sweden it´s about 200 euros as a standalone lens and I paid around 100 euros extra for the kit.. also the kit is avaible.. the body only is 3-4 weeks away)
 
Well, to answer the original question, it's actually worth more than $100. The lens retails for almost $150 by itself. So the discount that you get by buying the kit is quite substantial.

But since that's not what you seem to be asking, then I have to say that the question doesn't make much sense to me. Modern AF lenses would seem to be quite expensive for those on a budget. $100 is the lowest that you'll find for a new zoom lens, and most prime lenses cost more than that. Reviewers have found that this 18-55mm lens is a good entry-level lens. It's not junk. In fact, it's probably much better than the MSRP would suggest. But it's still not a particularly good lens.

So if you're hesitant to spend $100 for a zoom lens, then what will you spend? Your options would be very limited. The 50mm f/1.4 is a great choice, but it forces you to stick with one focal length. On a crop sensor camera, 50mm has a narrower field of view than "normal." A 30mm lens would be a better choice for a general purpose prime lens. But seeing as 50mm is almost always the cheapest focal length, you'll be spending much more than $100 for other options. In my opinion, the body-only package is appropriate for those who either already have good lenses or who have the money to spend on much better lenses. Thus, the kit lens would be pointless for them.

If you're on a really tight budget, then I suggest looking at old manual focus lenses. There are many great options for less than $100.
 
I don't have one (I have a 5D) but if I was getting a 550D I would get the kit lens simply because it has IS.

I have the 25-135mm IS for my 5D (roughly same focal range) and it is variable aperture, and it is slow..... but sometimes only an IS lens will do, and you'll be so glad you have it!

Yes a constant aperture, faster zoom with IS would be preferable, and much more expensive.
 
13th Judas said:
hmm now i am confused. you mean the kit lens' 18mm is actually 28mm (1.6 crop factor) and the 55mm is 88mm? why dont they just call it 28mm-88mm lens then? :undecided
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The 18mm is NOT a 28mm or 29mm in order to be more accurate, the 55mm, NOT a 88mm either. They just have that FOV aspect comparing with an equivalent focal length in the full format 'cause the 1.6x crop factor. The FOV will depend on the crop factor then.
 
Another benefit of the kit lens is you cannot zoom and record video. You can zoom 5x and 10x for photos, but when you zoom and hit record to get video, it zooms out and starts recording video. From what I hear the d90 doesn't do that, it allows you to zoom and record video. The t2i won't, try it! So having the kit lens gives you at least the chance to zoom from a distance, getting in closer and record video.
 
It would be nice to have that function during video recording.. Does the 7D have his capability?
 
GoodLuck said:
Another benefit of the kit lens is you cannot zoom and record video. You can zoom 5x and 10x for photos, but when you zoom and hit record to get video, it zooms out and starts recording video. From what I hear the d90 doesn't do that, it allows you to zoom and record video. The t2i won't, try it! So having the kit lens gives you at least the chance to zoom from a distance, getting in closer and record video.
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This post makes so little sense that I had to comment on it. Please elaborate. :D
 
hish said:
This post makes so little sense that I had to comment on it. Please elaborate. :D
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There is a button on the cam, a tiny zoom button. When you press it, it digitally zooms in 5x, press it again and it zooms in 10x. You can then manually focus everything and get ready to record video, hit record and it will zoom you all the way out. So no digital zoom on video recording. If you want to zoom in closer, you then need a lens that can zoom in. The kit lens, since it's adjustable, allows you to do that to a degree. So I think that's one added benefit of having it.

Say you are at the zoo and want to record some video of the monkeys off in the distance. Or you are on a building and want to get in a little closer to the ground below. Just an added benefit of having the kit lens.
 
GoodLuck said:
There is a button on the cam, a tiny zoom button. When you press it, it digitally zooms in 5x, press it again and it zooms in 10x. You can then manually focus everything and get ready to record video, hit record and it will zoom you all the way out. So no digital zoom on video recording. If you want to zoom in closer, you then need a lens that can zoom in. The kit lens, since it's adjustable, allows you to do that to a degree. So I think that's one added benefit of having it.

Say you are at the zoo and want to record some video of the monkeys off in the distance. Or you are on a building and want to get in a little closer to the ground below. Just an added benefit of having the kit lens.
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But that is not a "digital zoom". That is focus assist. Also you should look up the crop-mode on the 550D.
 
I think what GoodLuck means is he would like to see focus assist stay on while recording
and actually this would be a very useful feature for pulling focus
 
J Davis said:
I think what GoodLuck means is he would like to see focus assist stay on while recording
and actually this would be a very useful feature for pulling focus
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Yeah that would be nice.

But I actually did think it was a digital zoom, doh! I should read the manual.
 
chrismagicc said:
I captured this with the kit lens:

http://vimeo.com/9981407
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Excuse my ignorance but how do I get the top and bottom bars when I export my video (letter box)?

I tried using the effect in FCP ( Matte > Widescreen) but it doesn't seem to work. I am use to avid where it does it with the flip of a switch and I can even add any color or image, how can I do this in FCP?

thanks
 
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