The 18-70mm is a bargain on the used market. How does it compare to a pro zoom and a fast consumer prime when all are used wide open?

The answer:
-Not well it would appear. With a max aperture of f4.5 @ 50mm and a propensity to easily flare with the included dinky petal lens hood, the 18-70mm is only useful in the right situations. In the upper left corner of the video, there is VERY visible lens flare (large circles). In back light and rim light situations, veiling flare can also be an issue.

All the lenses were tested naked (no filters) with their factory hoods.

I anticipated the 50mm f1.8 to be the winner, but I ended up personally preferring the blur circles of the 24-70mm.

The 24-70mm also bettered the 50mm prime wide open with more contrast, another surprise. Stop the 50mm down a bit, and the situation changes.


So yeah, it's a $150 used kit lens and performs as such, but it's still a bargain considering it's versatility, speed, & build quality compared to the 18-55. Still highly recommended as a light weight inexpensive party/walk around lens.

Camera: Nikon D5200, 1080p 24fps

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