Quality of the Canon Rebel XTi kit lens?

Question

How good is the 18-55mm lens? What kind of scenarios (ie, portraits, macro, etc) would be the best to take with it? I will upgrade later to a better lens, but since I'll be starting off with this I want to know what kind of environments I should shoot in.

Answer 1

The kit lens is of good optical quality, it's a bit slow, meaning you need a tripod or flash in lower light.  It is a very good lens to learn on.  It's good for landscapes and portraits... fair with macro...

Answer 2

This particular lens is decent, however does leave something lacking. It is a general-purpose lens, it is most definitely not a macro lens though. You can shoot anything from portraits to scenery, but keep in mind that with an aperature of 3.5-5.6, you do not have a lot of flexibility in shooting conditions. Generally, you will want to shoot in brighter conditions if you don't wish to use the flash.

Honestly, i would recommend getting getting even Canon's 50mm f1.8 lens. The quality is excellent, and the price is quite low. It is a very sought-after lens.