Your Kit Lens Says 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 — What on Earth Does Any of That Mean? from Photography Explained Podcast

Photography Explained Podcast

Rick McEvoy

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Your Kit Lens Says 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 — What on Earth Does Any of That Mean?

20 minutes Posted Aug 14, 2026 at 1:00 pm.

18-55mm f/3.5-5.6. Printed on the barrel as if it explains itself. It does not

Hello and welcome to episode 239 of the Photography Explained Podcast

Tip 1: 18-55mm — The Focal Length Range of Your Zoom Lens

Tip 2: f/3.5-5.6 — The Aperture Range

Tip 3: Why the Aperture Changes as You Zoom

Tip 4: What Aperture Does to Your Photos

Tip 5: USM, STM, IS — What the Other Markings on Your Lens Mean (If You Have Them)

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Send us Fan Mail 🎯 Your kit lens has something printed on the barrel. 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6. Confident. Specific. And absolutely meaningless — unless you know what any of it means. This episode fixes that. In episode 239 of the Photography Explained Podcast, I explain every number and letter on your kit lens barrel. In plain English. Without the irrelevant detail. Including why the aperture numbering system is completely backwards — and why whoever invented it clearly did not consult anyone who w...

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