Considering X-S10

bobnn wrote:

WeirdSheep wrote:

bobnn wrote:

The 18-55 f 2.8-4 lens that often comes as a kit lens seems like a very good set of specs, at least compared to typical kit lenses from other brands (which are dark as heck). How is that lens, optically speaking?

I didn't get a good copy so wasn't impressed, others love it, obviously copy variation is a thing with most lenses.

Is this evident if you're looking through it at the shop? How do you make it more evident and recognizable? I have no experience in evaluatingexpebefore .

The only way to know is through experience gained over time. You need to know if the camera is focusing accurately for starters. You also need to understand what 'good' and 'bad' looks like, and that can vary from person to person. I don't obsess about ultimate sharpness like some do, 'decently sharp' is what l look for, and other lens characteristics are also important to me. Some lenses are too 'clinical' for my taste, and I'll even accept a softer lens if it has other charms that suit what l'm likely to shoot with it. I also don't obsess about ultimate corner and edge sharpness, l often crop a bit for printing so it's not essential to me.

You have to work out what works for you, the most frequent posts on all the fora are invariably about lens sharpness. I would advise any inexperienced photographer not to get sucked into that trap ( l did years ago ). Virtually all modern lenses are more than sharp enough now, and bad copies are increasingly rare in my experience. If you want check for copy variation you'll need to try more than one lens of a given model. I guess the moral here is try before you buy. If it looks good enough, when you've taken some images and checked them, then it invariably is good enough. At least buy a lens with a return policy, then you're covered.

Forums are notoriously bad for misguidedly ruining a reputation of a lens. I have the 16-80mm F4, on here it regularly gets panned for things that l don't see or are of negligible consequence to my images. I personally find it to be an excellent lens, as do many photographers elsewhere. I didn't get a great copy of the 18-55mm, but so many other people rate it that it's clear to me l was unusually unlucky, so l would never condemn it as a bad lens.

Sorry l can't give you an easy answer, as with most things in life, experience, diligence and discernment will get you where you need to be. Rest assured, as someone who has bought many lenses, bad copies from quality brands are rare, the over-whelming majority l have bought have been as promised. IMHO people spend too much time obsessing about lens sharpness and far too little on taking interesting photos, at least on forums, but that's just me.