Almost every beginner gets confused about which lens to buy to take full advantage of their DSLR or mirrorless camera. Some camera body comes with entry-level lens kit but still, you can capture high-quality photos if you use them correctly.
The lens that comes with your camera has a modest focal length and narrow aperture that is sufficient for perfect shooting. Learn these 5 things to increase their capability.
How to Most Out of Your Kit Lens
In this article, we will explore the many uses of kit lenses and how they can help make your pictures look their best.
1. Know the Apertures
Kit lenses typically have a limited maximum aperture and a narrow zoom range, so shoot at the widest aperture for portraits. Use the kit lens as a telephoto as the aperture range is enough to use the longest focal length. Using the widest aperture with the right focal length makes the object stand or sit still with a good background blur.
Some kit provides softer result in minimum or maximum apertures. Some provide in middle range aperture. Use a wider aperture in a shallow depth of field and keep the aperture close to the range. f/3.5 is good for a wider aperture.
2. Understand the Limitation
Kit lenses usually have a limited aperture range, meaning they don’t allow a lot of light in. This can make it challenging to shoot in low-light situations. They don’t offer the best image quality, but the image can be softer when you use a wider aperture. Knowing their limitation helps you to understand the situation, angles, and other techniques to get a better shooting result.
3. Buy a Reversing Ring to Extend Close-Focusing Capabilities
Every kit lens has a minimum focusing distance but that might not be enough to get micro shots. Buy a reversing ring to extend the lens capabilities for macro photography. It will cost not more than 15$, but if you don’t want to invest any money or you are on a tight budget, try to close up range or macro filter with different ranges of strength.
Using the reversing ring can cause you to lose autofocus. So the manual way is, to maintain the minimum focusing distance, and use a longer focal length with the largest aperture to get the perfect photo. Try different angles, and use manual focus because this can be especially useful when you need to focus on a particular subject or when the autofocus is struggling in low light situations. It also enhances the macro effect and diversifies the shots.
4. Shoots RAW Photos
Shooting raw and jpg format has pros and cons. You can capture more detail and information in RAW format than shooting in JPEG format. However, the shots may not be perfect but the detailed information can turn it professional grade photos via editing. The kit lens allows you to make adjustments to the exposure, white balance, and other settings in post-processing.
5. Use Tripod or Stabilizer
Using a tripod or stabilizer makes the image looks smooth. The tripod prevents unnecessary shakes and reduces vibration. The camera will achieve accurate focus and you can use a slower shutter speed. Both camera and lens have stabilizer and if you are using a 60mm lens, you can use the most shutter speed of 1/4sec at the wide-angle end.
6. Using Natural Light to Take Stunning Photos
The kit lens is a versatile and cost-effective tool for creative photography. You can take proper advantage of bright natural lighting to capture better photos and on top of that, you don’t have to move further away from the subject.
You can also use most of the Image Stabilization (IS) technology resulting in reduced camera shake when shooting handheld. So, you don’t have to worry about blurry images or lack of details in low-light situations.
By opening up the aperture, photographers can create beautiful portraits in outdoor settings and close down the aperture to capture more intimate shots. Taking advantage of the available light is key to getting stunning results.
7. Use Kit Lens as Wide-Angle Glass
There are some fabulous ways to use the kit lenses. They are a great way to capture stunning landscapes, architecture shots, group photos, and unique perspectives.
These lenses have wide-angle capabilities, allowing you to capture more of the scene or object you are photographing without having to move back further away.
They also allow you to create background details and give your images a sense of depth. However, sharpness can suffer at the edges of the frame due to distortion, so try to keep your subject in the center and take multiple shots at different focus points.
Is Kit Lens Good Enough?
The kit lens is not crap if you use it properly. Beginners should use a kit lens for practice, then upgrade. The kit lens can take stunning photos, just use image stabilization, a tripod, natural light, go close to the subject, use a wider aperture, and more.
Advantages of a Kit Lens
If you think the kit lens is weak, the glass is cheap and the photo is wasted, then why the provider makes them right? Kit lenses are beneficial for those who don’t want to spend much on photography and for beginners.
You can take great photos with a kit lens and can improve your photography skills. You can experiment with various situations and can decide which lens you should upgrade.
One of the main advantages of a kit lens is that it is often included in a camera bundle, so it is affordable and you won’t have to buy the lens separately. the kit lens is also versatile and a convenient option for everyday photography. They are lightweight and compact, can carry them anywhere you want. They are easy to use and can produce good-quality images.
Disadvantages of a Kit Lens
The lit lens has some drawbacks. They typically have a variable aperture that ranges from f/3.5 to f/5.6, which means they are not as fast as more expensive lenses. Also, they are made with lower-quality materials and construction so they are not durable and sturdy enough.
The zoom lens is limited for everyday photography, they are not suitable for wildlife or sports photography. The kit lens has lack manual controls for aperture, shutter speed, and focus. Which means you cannot control the camera settings.
Last Few Words
The kit lens is a must-have for any photographer wanting to bring their creative visions to life. It is versatile and affordable, able to be used in bright natural lighting, wide-angle shots, and even macro photography with the addition of a reversing ring.
Related post: How to take care of camera lenses.
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