Kit lens
With kit lens (from the Engl. , Kit is set), sometimes also set lens in which is photography , a lens called that when buying one for interchangeable lenses suitable photographic apparatus is included in the basic equipment (kit).
Kit lenses are offered because a SLR or system camera would not be usable without a suitable lens.
Until the 1980s, the most inexpensive normal lens from the range was usually included. Zoom lenses later became the standard, covering the range from a light wide-angle to a short telephoto lens , for example with a focal length of 28 mm to 85 mm for the 35 mm format .
In order to be able to present a favorable package price, kit lenses are usually designed with special consideration of cost aspects. This does not mean that such lenses necessarily have significantly poorer imaging properties than more expensive models, but they are usually comparatively faint and there are often differences in equipment and scope of delivery. Typical deviations can be:
- Plastic instead of metal bayonet
- Missing lens hood
- When setting the distance, the filter thread rotates instead of straight lines
- missing distance scale
- lack of image stabilization