Canon 100D - Stock lens kit - any good?

[prbaxter]

Does anyone know if the stock lens kit that comes with the Canon 100D - 18-55mm - is any good for astrophotography?

Ideally, I wish to use it for wide field imaging (star trails, constellations, milky way, etc...)

[dph1nm]

Here are some example Milky Way shots I took with a 1000D and the 18-55.

http://community.dur.ac.uk/nigel.metcalfe/astro/canon1000d_kb.html

It isn't perfect at the edges, and focussing is very tricky (if you are slightly off focus the edges get very bad), but given how cheap and cheerful  it is I was quite pleased.

NigelM

[Xlracer]

In my experience version II of the lens is actually pretty good and well worth trying,  the STM version of the lens is perhaps a little better optically, but the difference is not great. Having tried both on a 600d an a 700d I was expecting them to be poor given the comments I had seen, but was pleasantly surprised. In terms of affordable primes the 50mm f1.8 is good and extremely good value, as is the 40mm f 2.8 pancake lens.  The major disadvantage to the 18-55 and all EF-S lenses in my opinion is that you cannot use the excellent astronomik CLS clip filter to reduce the effects of light pollution.

[astrofox]

I have a 1000d. The best thing I got for it was an EOS to M42 Pentax adaptor. It lets me use my Pentax takumars from my old screw SLR. 50mm f2.0. Great thing is infinity on the focus scale really is infinity.