A kit lens is a "starter" lens which can be sold with an interchangeable-lens camera such as a mirrorless camera or DSLR. It is generally an inexpensive lens priced at the lowest end of the manufacturer's range so as to not add much to a camera kit's price. The kit consists of the camera body, the lens, and various accessories usually necessary to get started. A kit lens can be sold by itself outside of a kit, particularly the ones that are moderately expensive; for instance a kit lens included in a prosumer camera kit is often marketed as an upgrade lens for a consumer camera. In addition, retailers often have promotions of standalone low-end camera bodies without the lens, or a package that bundles a body with one or two more expensive lenses.
Originally kit lenses were of normal focal length; more recently kit lenses tend to be inexpensive zoom lenses that range from medium wide angle to mid telephoto for added versatility. Prime lenses are generally faster (smaller f-number) than comparably priced zoom lenses, so the change to zoom lenses means that recent kit lenses are usually also slower (higher f-number). However, in most cases the inclusion of an inexpensive zoom lens is to maintain a low entry price and maximize usability for the beginner photographer. More expensive camera bodies are often paired with a likewise more expensive, thus possibly faster, lens.
Originally high end cameras were always sold body-only without a lens as most buyers were experienced users who already had lenses. Today however this is not always the case and even high end cameras can be purchased with a lens, albeit an appropriately higher-quality lens. In these cases the typically uncomplimentary term "kit lens" is somewhat of a misnomer. Sometimes the lens is added by the retailer at a reduced price compared to separate body and lens pricing.
This is a list of the smallest mirrorless camera kit zoom lenses — limit one per brand, lens mount, and sensor size combination. Note that cameras are sometimes kitted with prime lenses, which are not shown here.
Model |
Lens mounts |
Focal length [a] | Aperture | OIS | PZ [b] | Weight | Length | Release year |
Availability | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Wide | Tele | Wide | Tele | ||||||||
1.0-type ("1-inch")
| |||||||||||
Nikon 10-30mm F3.5-5.6 PD | 1 | 27mm | 81mm | f/3.5 | f/5.6 | Yes | Yes | 85g | 28mm | 2014 | Discontinued |
Samsung 9-27mm F3.5-5.6 | NX-M | 24mm | 73mm | f/3.5 | f/5.6 | Yes | No | 73g | 30mm | 2014 | Discontinued |
Olympus 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 EZ | MFT | 28mm | 84mm | f/3.5 | f/5.6 | No | Yes | 93g | 23mm | 2014 | Current |
Panasonic 12-32mm F3.5-5.6 | MFT | 24mm | 64mm | f/3.5 | f/5.6 | Yes | No | 70g | 24mm | 2013 | Current |
Sony 16-50mm F3.5-5.6 | E | 24mm | 75mm | f/3.5 | f/5.6 | Yes | Yes | 116g | 30mm | 2012 | Current |
Samsung 16-50mm F3.5-5.6 | NX | 24mm | 75mm | f/3.5 | f/5.6 | Yes | Yes | 111g | 31mm | 2014 | Discontinued |
Nikon 16-50mm F3.5-6.3 | Z | 24mm | 75mm | f/3.5 | f/6.3 | Yes | No | 135g | 32mm | 2019 | Current |
Fujifilm 15-45mm F3.5-5.6 | X | 23mm | 68mm | f/3.5 | f/5.6 | Yes | Yes | 135g | 44mm | 2018 | Current |
Canon 18-45mm F4.5-6.3 | RF | 29mm | 72mm | f/4.5 | f/6.3 | Yes | No | 130g | 44mm | 2022 | Current |
Canon 15-45mm F3.5-6.3 | EF-M | 24mm | 72mm | f/3.5 | f/5.6 | Yes | No | 130g | 45mm | 2015 | Discontinued |
Leica 18-56mm F3.5-5.6 | L | 27mm | 84mm | f/3.5 | f/5.6 | No | No | 256g | 60mm | 2014 | Discontinued |
Sony 28-60mm F4-5.6 | E | 28mm | 60mm | f/4.0 | f/5.6 | No | No | 167g | 45mm | 2020 | Current |
Nikon 24-50mm F4-6.3 | Z | 24mm | 50mm | f/4.0 | f/6.3 | No | No | 195g | 51mm | 2020 | Current |
Canon 24-50mm F4.5-6.3 | RF | 24mm | 50mm | f/4.5 | f/6.3 | Yes | No | 210g | 58mm | 2023 | Current |
Panasonic 20-60mm F3.5-5.6 | L | 20mm | 60mm | f/3.5 | f/5.6 | No | No | 350g | 87mm | 2020 | Current |
Fujifilm 35-70mm F4.5-5.6 | G | 28mm | 55mm | f/4.5 | f/5.6 | No | No | 390g | 74mm | 2021 | Current |
Because of the crop factor, kit lenses for APS-C format cameras (like Canon EF-S and Nikon DX) have shorter focal lengths, to get the same field of view.
Canon have also marketed twin lens kits, typically with the non IS version of the Canon EF-S 18-55mm lenses and
A kit lens is a "starter" lens which can be sold with an interchangeable-lens camera such as a mirrorless camera or DSLR. It is generally an inexpensive lens priced at the lowest end of the manufacturer's range so as to not add much to a camera kit's price. The kit consists of the camera body, the lens, and various accessories usually necessary to get started. A kit lens can be sold by itself outside of a kit, particularly the ones that are moderately expensive; for instance a kit lens included in a prosumer camera kit is often marketed as an upgrade lens for a consumer camera. In addition, retailers often have promotions of standalone low-end camera bodies without the lens, or a package that bundles a body with one or two more expensive lenses.
Originally kit lenses were of normal focal length; more recently kit lenses tend to be inexpensive zoom lenses that range from medium wide angle to mid telephoto for added versatility. Prime lenses are generally faster (smaller f-number) than comparably priced zoom lenses, so the change to zoom lenses means that recent kit lenses are usually also slower (higher f-number). However, in most cases the inclusion of an inexpensive zoom lens is to maintain a low entry price and maximize usability for the beginner photographer. More expensive camera bodies are often paired with a likewise more expensive, thus possibly faster, lens.
Originally high end cameras were always sold body-only without a lens as most buyers were experienced users who already had lenses. Today however this is not always the case and even high end cameras can be purchased with a lens, albeit an appropriately higher-quality lens. In these cases the typically uncomplimentary term "kit lens" is somewhat of a misnomer. Sometimes the lens is added by the retailer at a reduced price compared to separate body and lens pricing.
This is a list of the smallest mirrorless camera kit zoom lenses — limit one per brand, lens mount, and sensor size combination. Note that cameras are sometimes kitted with prime lenses, which are not shown here.
Model |
Lens mounts |
Focal length [a] | Aperture | OIS | PZ [b] | Weight | Length | Release year |
Availability | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Wide | Tele | Wide | Tele | ||||||||
1.0-type ("1-inch")
| |||||||||||
Nikon 10-30mm F3.5-5.6 PD | 1 | 27mm | 81mm | f/3.5 | f/5.6 | Yes | Yes | 85g | 28mm | 2014 | Discontinued |
Samsung 9-27mm F3.5-5.6 | NX-M | 24mm | 73mm | f/3.5 | f/5.6 | Yes | No | 73g | 30mm | 2014 | Discontinued |
Olympus 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 EZ | MFT | 28mm | 84mm | f/3.5 | f/5.6 | No | Yes | 93g | 23mm | 2014 | Current |
Panasonic 12-32mm F3.5-5.6 | MFT | 24mm | 64mm | f/3.5 | f/5.6 | Yes | No | 70g | 24mm | 2013 | Current |
Sony 16-50mm F3.5-5.6 | E | 24mm | 75mm | f/3.5 | f/5.6 | Yes | Yes | 116g | 30mm | 2012 | Current |
Samsung 16-50mm F3.5-5.6 | NX | 24mm | 75mm | f/3.5 | f/5.6 | Yes | Yes | 111g | 31mm | 2014 | Discontinued |
Nikon 16-50mm F3.5-6.3 | Z | 24mm | 75mm | f/3.5 | f/6.3 | Yes | No | 135g | 32mm | 2019 | Current |
Fujifilm 15-45mm F3.5-5.6 | X | 23mm | 68mm | f/3.5 | f/5.6 | Yes | Yes | 135g | 44mm | 2018 | Current |
Canon 18-45mm F4.5-6.3 | RF | 29mm | 72mm | f/4.5 | f/6.3 | Yes | No | 130g | 44mm | 2022 | Current |
Canon 15-45mm F3.5-6.3 | EF-M | 24mm | 72mm | f/3.5 | f/5.6 | Yes | No | 130g | 45mm | 2015 | Discontinued |
Leica 18-56mm F3.5-5.6 | L | 27mm | 84mm | f/3.5 | f/5.6 | No | No | 256g | 60mm | 2014 | Discontinued |
Sony 28-60mm F4-5.6 | E | 28mm | 60mm | f/4.0 | f/5.6 | No | No | 167g | 45mm | 2020 | Current |
Nikon 24-50mm F4-6.3 | Z | 24mm | 50mm | f/4.0 | f/6.3 | No | No | 195g | 51mm | 2020 | Current |
Canon 24-50mm F4.5-6.3 | RF | 24mm | 50mm | f/4.5 | f/6.3 | Yes | No | 210g | 58mm | 2023 | Current |
Panasonic 20-60mm F3.5-5.6 | L | 20mm | 60mm | f/3.5 | f/5.6 | No | No | 350g | 87mm | 2020 | Current |
Fujifilm 35-70mm F4.5-5.6 | G | 28mm | 55mm | f/4.5 | f/5.6 | No | No | 390g | 74mm | 2021 | Current |
Because of the crop factor, kit lenses for APS-C format cameras (like Canon EF-S and Nikon DX) have shorter focal lengths, to get the same field of view.
Canon have also marketed twin lens kits, typically with the non IS version of the Canon EF-S 18-55mm lenses and