Kit lens worth keeping?

[phillipb]

Having just picked up a 24-120 (non VR) off ebay, I'm on my first step towards my ideal setup. ie 12-24, 24-120, 80-400.
I would like to hear from people who have this setup who still have their kit lens. Does it still get any use?

[blacknstormy]

Hey Phillip - I'm definitely keeping my kit lens - its pretty darn sharp, light and has a good range - why get rid of it?????
Rel

[Greg B]

I would keep it too. From another perspective, what would it be worth second hand?

[phillipb]

Hey Phillip - I'm definitely keeping my kit lens - its pretty darn sharp, light and has a good range - why get rid of it?????
Rel

No argument there Rel, but I'm still wondering if it actually gets used much if you have the others.

[phillipb]

Maybe I should rephrase it, if you have both the 12-24 and the 24-120, under what circumstances would you rather use the kit lens then one of the others?

[MCWB]

Personally, if you find yourself using the 24-120 all the time instead of the kit lens, why keep it? Keep it only if you're using it, it's not like it's some über-rare collectible lens. The 24-120 isn't quite wide enough sometimes, but then you have the 12-24 for wide stuff. It'll net you around $300 on Ebay, and offset the cost of the 24-120. I sold mine when I got the 24-120 VR.

[gstark]

I sold mine when I got the 24-120 VR.

As did I.

Mine was getting no use at all.

[blacknstormy]

OK, I'll rephrase - I use mine for habitat shots, landscapes etc - I spose if you get your full kit, it would be kind of redundant..... hmmmm

[shutterbug]

sell sell sell....if you are not going to use it. Get the $$ and buy extra CF's

[BBJ]

I still use mine, only because i dont have anything wider, but do like to use it and i do on the d70 and sometimes the D2x so i think it is still handy but yeh i dont use my 80-400 VR anymore but i would still keep it.

[Oneputt]

I have a bag full of lenses but my kit lens remains the most used. It is a good sharp lens and great as a walk around.

[whiz]

I must admit that the 18 -70 is my most used lens. Next is the 60mm macro.
I was rapt with the "kit" lens when I first tried one, although my kit came with a very average 28 - 80 when I got it. I was forced to ebay one which I got for a very nice price. If you ONLY get 300 for it, it would be a bargain. I paid 350 for mine and it was the cheapest that I'd seen in a while.
I was impressed with it's sharpness and thought very favourably of it compared to my old 55m micro as well as the 60.

If however you find yourself not using it, keeping it is really just a waste of money. Sounds like you've got it nicely covered.

Ebay is your friend..

[avkomp]

its a nice lens.

I tend to be a bower bird and keep everything.
Consider another situation also: backup purposes if you had a second body.


I dont have the 24-120vr but would use the kit lens for backup on a second body if required. Couldnt see me having 2 24-120 lenses but the kit lens would get me by in case of failure or accident.

Possibly my tendency to hoard stuff influences the above.
but there you go.

steve

[xorl]

I'd be tempted to keep it as a nice walkaround lens. Personally, I'd find the 24-120 doesn't go wide enough on a DSLR and I'd have to carry another lens to cover the angle.

[TonyH]

I keep virtually all of my gear and very rarely sell anything that has been superceeded.

I believe that what you get for these things secondhand doesn't outweigh its usefulness if you're in a jam.

For example would you use your new and shiny VR lens if it was cold and raining outside (being able to protect the body of course) or use the kit lens and not really care if it gets damaged?

I use the same situation relating to bodies and lenses. If the elements are a little fierce I take my older equipment, which if necessary I am prepared to loose or damage.

Tony

[Raskill]

I sold mine when I got the 24-120 VR.

As did I.

Mine was getting no use at all.

Just wondering guys, a few users seem to think the 24-120 VR is a peice of crap, I like the focal range though. I take it your both happy with it?

[Heath Bennett]

I wish I still had mine but I sold it when selling one of my bodies.

The weather seal on it would make it a great lens in light weather/high humidity.

[MCWB]

Just wondering guys, a few users seem to think the 24-120 VR is a peice of crap, I like the focal range though. I take it your both happy with it?

Yep. Pretty much the same as the kit lens but slightly less wide and with more reach, good walkaround lens. Need to stop down to f/8-f/11 for maximum sharpness, just like the kit lens. VR can be helpful too, but there are limits to when it's useful. For the price it's a good buy I reckon; if I was buying a D70 kit again from scratch, I'd be tempted to grab the D70 + 24-120 VR combo over the D70 + 18-70 DX combo. No idea about these people who think it's crap, it's no worse than the kit lens IMO.

I find myself using the 17-55 DX more these days because it's just better glass (at 2.5x the price), but sometimes miss that extra reach of the 24-120 VR.

[petermmc]

Hi Phillip

I just caught up with this post.

I would definately keep the kit lens. I have used both the kit and my 24-120 extensively. They are quite different lenses in many respects.

I like the kit because it is just that bit sharper (IMHO) than the 24-120 on most occasions. It is also considerably lighter which is a huge benefit in some situations.

I use the 24-120 on my regular trips to Samoa where it covers a perfect range for general and work specific photography especially when you only want one lens. Its just too hot and humid to bring the whole kit and carry it everywhere. When I only had the 18-70 kit, I found it was a bit limiting for the photography I was doing though its wide angle side was great.

The only other suggestion is that if you keep the 24-120 you could trade the 18-70 and get a great prime like a 50 1.4 or 1.8 or a second hand 85mm 1.8 and these will give you that extra sharpness that you can only dream of with any broad spectrum zoom. Alternately sell the 24-120 and get an 85 1.8 or slightly larger maybe 105 prime for the big end as well as possibly having some macro capability. It's all good.

In my last trip to Samoa last month I experimented by only taking the 50 1.4 and the 85 1.8 and surprisingly it worked out really well. Both these together are about the same weight as the 24-120.

These are only my humble opinions...the fact that they are right iis only a small issue.

Have fun.

Peter Mc

[phillipb]

Thanks for your input Peter.
I already have the 50 1.8 and I only just got the 24-120, what I'm lacking in is a decent long lens, I have the 70-300g and the wide angle side. Selling the 18-70 and the 70-300 would help towards achieving my ideal setup, but I originally asked this question to get opinions so that I wouldn't regret later selling the kit lens.