DOOK Loc: Maclean, Australia

I have 3 Nikon DSLRs & two kit lenses, 18-55mm & 55-300mm. Over the past year, I have been obsessed with buying 'decent' lenses & have spent a fortune on 'superior' lenses. Truth is....., The kit lenses look plasticky & are slow, but image quality is surprisingly good, especially the 55-300mm.

I still use my 55-300mm a lot &, as it's mainly used on sunny days, lens speed is not an issue. All I say is... Don't underestimate kit lenses. I thought they were crap once, but I've revised my opinion.

SteveR Loc: Michigan

I haven't read all the posts in this thread. When I purchased my Nikon 6006 film camera, a 35-80mm kit lens came with it. This is a very nice little lens. However, when I bought my D7000 I decided to purchase the 28-300mm lens at the same time which kind of took away the need for any kit lens. I'd say it depends on how much you can afford right now. If the D7100 pretty much is the budget right now, go with the kit lens. If not, look at an all around lens. I prefer the 28-300 to the 18-300. However, later on I also purchased a 10-24mm wide angle which is great on wide vista landscapes.

I am still using the 28-300mm lens on my D800 and it is an outstanding lens with this high resolution camera. The 28-300mm lens is an fx lens (full-frame) while the 18-300mm is a dx lens (crop camera). Should you ever decide to purchase a full frame camera, the 28-300 would work well on it. On dx cameras, the center, and sharpest portion of the lens is used. Another lens which you may want to put on your list to purchase is either the 35mm f1.8 or 50mm 1.8. These are relatively inexpensive ($115 from B&H for a 50mm f1.8 D which is preferable to the G which is $219). Because of the crop factor, the 35mm may in fact be preferable if you're going to use if for family gatherings around the table.

Nate Loc: Ann Arbor, Mi.

It depends entirely with what you want out of that very fine camera. What I did was to buy refurbished FX, or G lens for what I would pay for lesser quality new DX lens, including that particular kit lens. The camera now uses only the "sweet spot" and the results are equal or better to the D600. It's worked out nicely. It has given me the everything I want out of the D7100 and more.

bobmcculloch Loc: NYC, NY

Your probably going to get a lot of advice and opinions on this topic, kit lenses may not be the best but they are very useful, Canon and Nikon both put good lenses in their kits, my suggestion is to get the kit lens , use it until you decide what other lenses you need, then keep the kit lens as a spare, having it in the travel bag down the bottom "just in case" as a spare in case of a fall or damage to your main lenses, Bob.

mborn Loc: Massachusetts

I gave my D300s and the Kit lens 18-105 to my grandson and he takes great photos with it. Now it it is not the top of the line lens but if this is your first DSLR I would by the whole kit, and as other have already commented then add lens as you progress

Brenda IS Scottish Loc: GOLDEN Colorado

Do you need another grandchild, i'm up for adoption

mborn Loc: Massachusetts

Thanks but no thanks :lol: :-)

ole sarg Loc: south florida

I like the term a pro lens. Pros use expensive lenses because they only use them for a given amount of time and then after they are written off or break down because of use dump them and get new ones.

There really is no such thing as a pro lens. There are professional photographers.

I was not a professional photographer although I earned my keep as a news photographer and an Army photographer. In the army they gave us Leicas and the Summicron f2 50mm lens. They issued those because they were sturdy and the lens very fast. In combat we could not use a flash.

I have said this in the past and will say it again. I doubt if the vast majority of hedgehogs could tell the difference between which lens is used in any photograph printed under 8X10 in size. Also, one has to justify in one's mind spending a small fortune on a lens.

In short, the "kit" lens is fine and will serve you well. Concentrate on composition and exposure forget the lens until you have those elements down and once you do keep using your "kit" lens until it stops working.

saichiez Loc: Beautiful Central Oregon

ALWAYS buy a kit lens with the body....

The kit lens will get you out and shooting the camera the day the camera comes.

The kit lens is often, in the case of a good camera, a decent lens that will suffice until you have more money than you spent on the camera to buy the higher price lens, which can often cost as much as the body alone... OR more.

The kit lens is often a $300 or more lens that you get for about $100 by buying it with the kit.

Always read the reviews on the kit lens alone. They are often not the POS people make them out to be.

You are likely going to be seduced into another camera body within a year, so the kit lens makes your body more marketable because most people don't want to shop used body no lens, and then have to make another purchase for a lens.

It just makes no intelligent decision not to buy the kit lens for all the reasons I have stated.

So what if you replace it with a couple of $1000 lenses in a matter of weeks? You got it cheap and can probably sell if for more than it raised the price of the kit, or you can wrap it up and store it until you sell the body.

I bought a Canon 5D and the 28-135 lens I purchased with the body raised the price $130. After I used the 5D for a while and settled on a lens I liked, I sold the barely used 28-135 lens for $250. In fact the 28-135 was a remarkably good lens, but I wanted a wider angle lens. Otherwise, the "KIT" lens was more than satisfactory.

Get the kit lens... For So Many Good Reasons. Primarily it's probably worth much more than it cost you as part of a "KIT".

RealBohemian Loc: Toronto

Body only = usually when you have OTHER good lens(my case)
kit lens 18-105 IS really good to start with(if you don't have ANY lens for value)
Combinations of D7100 + 18-300 FF lens in absolutely magnificent (my case to buy only camera body)

Pepper Loc: Planet Earth Country USA

I have that 18-105 and it is a fine lens. What makes it a kit lens is that it has a plastic mount so it's build quality won't stand up to the riggers of a pro. You will love the quality of the images you'll get with this lens especially combined with the D7100. I personally believe you'll love the lens and even if you don't you can always sell it and get the bulk of what you paid for it back....as always JMHO

Wabbit Loc: Arizona Desert

Which lenses if any do you have already doc?

OonlyBonly

My advice. Buy the Body and Kit lens. learn the camera, learn the lens. Find out what you want to shoot and how. Then you'll have some idea of which lens you'll need IF you even decide you need another lens.
If you eventually buy additional lenses and maybe even a better camera then you'll have the kit lens available to sell with your current one.....

ThomasS Loc: Colorado

Not all lenses you buy with a camera body are sub-par lenses. When I bought my 5D Mark II, it came with a 24-105mm f4L IS lens. It was quite a bit cheaper than buying the lens separately. Just do a little research on the lens being offered with the camera body.

Bill Emmett Loc: Bow, New Hampshire

I had to look at the OP question about buying a Nikon 7100 with a kit lens. I'm not sure if the OP is buying the Nikon because of their experience with Nikon products, or if this is the OPs first DSLR. First, if it is a "first" camera, it makes sense to buy with a "kit" lens of any zoom level just to get started, but look for a zoom that covers a wide range. This will allow the OP to find where their nitch will be. I bought a 18-270mm zoom to cover all the bases. Then the OP can buy lenses that accomplish exactly what nitch in photography he or she wants to fill. Second, if the OP is already in photography, they can buy a body, but only if the bodies lens mounting system is compatible with lenses already in the "bag". Or, if a particular "kit" lens that is available with the body will fill a specific purpose. I have found there are just "kit" lenses that are not really good quality glass, and there are "kit" lenses that are almost as good as Canon "L" quality glass that just don't have the seals, and tubes of the "L" lenses. So, OP must make the decision of what he needs for a "kit" lens, and what it's intended use in the camera bag.