Several of Nikon’s DSLRs can be purchased in a bundle with a 18-55mm kit lens. Its formal designation is the AF-P DX NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR.
This is one of Nikon’s entry-level lenses. It’s inexpensive, small and light, and versatile and makes for a good everyday starter lens. If you’re looking to invest in your lens collection there are better options for low light, blurring the background, and overall optical quality, but those lenses are not going to be in everyone’s budget, especially right off the bat.
It’s often cheaper to buy the body and a kit lens as a bundle rather than separately, and there’s sometimes a choice of a bundle that includes just the 18-55mm lens or another that includes both the 18-55mm as well as a much longer (and larger) 70-300mm lens.
There are several considerations when choosing a lens, of course, but one of the key ones in this case is how much you can zoom in and out. So here are some practical examples that show the zoom range of the 18-55mm in case you’re trying to decide which lens bundle to go with, whether you’re buying for yourself or as a gift.
- AF-P DX NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR
- 7 diaphragm blades; Angle of view: 76° to 28° 50'. Maximum aperture-f/3.5, to 5.6. Minimum...
Zoomed out to 18mm, you get the equivalent focal length of 27mm if you were using a full-frame camera (also known as 35mm equivalent focal length). Zoomed in fully, it’s the equivalent of 82mm on a full-frame camera. So it’s wide enough for general everyday shooting of places and landscapes while also zooming in enough to be useful for flattering people photos. If you’re going on safari in Africa or looking to do sports photos, you’ll probably find that the 70-300mm lens will be more useful for those.
These were taken with the 18-55mm on a Nikon D3400. The practical zoom range is the same on any of Nikon’s DX series cameras, all of which include an APS-C cropped sensor.
Images and product information from Amazon PA-API were last updated on 2021-09-22 at 11:39. Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon Site at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
Where to Buy a Nikon D3500 DSLR
The D3500 is an excellent entry-point camera for getting started with DSLR photography. You can find them at Amazon and B&H Photo. You can also find them used at major used camera gear sellers such as KEH (which is where I often buy when I'm looking for used gear).Nikon D3500 Tips
I've put together a number of resources related to the Nikon D3500.
Good places to start are with the Nikon D3500 Q&As and recommended SD cards for the Nikon D3500.
2 Responses
Thank you! This is exactly what I was hoping to find in a search of lens ranges.
Glad it’s useful!