what lens kit to buy with T4i

I'm going to get the Canon T4i.

Now it comes with 2 kits:

18mm to 55mm

or

18mm to 135mm

135 is more money, but I know I will want the the distance shots I can get with the 135mm.

But I think I will want a 200mm or 300mm for longer distances.

Is there any image quality difference between the 18 - 55 and the 18-135mm?

Thanks for any info.

First of all my understanding is 18-135 lens is hard to come by, so if you want the camera now, you may need some luck and probably overpay.

2. that lens is designed more for video, than anything else, are you interested in video?

3. 18mm is good for wide angle and comes up to 29mm at 35mm equivalent, not too wide to have fish eye type distortion, but wide enough to catch most tight places.

On the other end 135mm (216mm) IMO is not tele enough if lets say you want BIF, I would probably want at least 200-250 (320-400) to get better reach.
Also 18-135 lens is bigger and heavier than 18-55mm.

So if you're not in a rush, plan to shoot some video and want to have one all around, albeit little bigger lens, then by all means, you should get 18-135.

If you don't shoot video, can't wait and want to really have good tele lens maybe different combination would be better? like 18-55 and 55-250, or 70-300?
Canon has do it all 18-200 lens, but I'm not sure about quality?

In my experience with the 18-135 the image quality is as good as the 18-55. The design is newer than the 18-55 so it -should- be better in the image stabilization part as well as manufacturing refinement part (not really a big deal). There is more optical compromise on the wide and long ends as it is still a consumer lens. Focus speed is as good or better than the 18-55. The focal length is quite good in my opinion, in others maybe not. I have two gripes, the first is zoom creep (creepier than a 40 year old guy with a mullet at a high school dance or something like that), and the other is minimum focus distance which is very poor.

Overall I would give it the same rating as the 18-55.

Mine is for sale if you want it.

The above opinions are for the old version not the STM version.

--
LK

XS / 18-55 / 18-135 (for sale) / 70-200 f4 L / NissinDi622 / Manfrotto MY 7302 Remember, ALWAYS think for yourself.