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Maybe you finally took the time to google about to see what other more skilled hands can do with an 18-55 kit lens. Maybe it's not the glass. Maybe it's your lack of knowledge and technique. Maybe spending a little of that $1000 on a class, a book, video, or workshop is going to improve your photography more than any single piece of gear.

Maybe you finally took the time to google about to see what other more skilled hands can do with an 18-55 kit lens. Maybe it's not the glass. Maybe it's your lack of knowledge and technique. Maybe spending a little of that $1000 on a class, a book, video, or workshop is going to improve your photography more than any single piece of gear.

The most common path most folks will take to after getting an 18-55 kit lens, looking at the pics, and deciding it's gotta be the lens, not them is to finish rounding out the "training wheels triple"--that is, adding a cheap telephoto zoom and a cheap fast prime, most typically the EF 75-300 f/4-5.6 III (although the EF-S 55-250 f/4-5.6 IS is probably a better newer choice if a bit more expensive), and the EF 50mm f/1.8 STM (although the EF 40mm f/2.8 STM or EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM is wider and more compact and may be a better fit for general walkaround use, if more expensive and slower).

This will give you zoom vs. prime, fast vs. slow, and stabilized vs. unstabilized as a decision basis platform for later, and will cost altogether (assuming you got the 18-55 kitted with the body) less than one good mid-grade lens. And you're completely likely to want to replace all of these lenses later. But you need experience with lenses first before you can decide.

Some folks will go to superzooms for more reach (EF-S 18-135 or EF-S 18-200), or look at upgrading to a higher-quality/faster zoom of around the same range (EF-S 15-85 IS USM, EF-S 17-55/2.8, EF 24-70/2.8, EF 24-105 f/4L IS USM). The Ls are better-suited for full frame and are likely to be more than your $1k budget, while the EF-S lenses might be a better fit. But consider that what you're doing is looking at the lone hammer in your toolbox, and deciding you need to upgrade that hammer, without considering whether what you're really yearning for is a screwdriver, wrench, or drill.

The most common path most folks will take to after getting an 18-55 kit lens, looking at the pics, and deciding it's gotta be the lens, not them is to finish rounding out the "training wheels triple"--that is, adding a cheap telephoto zoom and a cheap fast prime, most typically a 70-300ish telephoto zoom, and a 50mm f/1.8 fast prime (although the EF 40mm f/2.8 STM or EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM is wider and more compact and may be a better fit for general walkaround use, if more expensive and slower).

This will give you zoom vs. prime, fast vs. slow, and stabilized vs. unstabilized as a decision basis platform for later, and will cost altogether (assuming you got an 18-55 kitted with the body) less than one good mid-grade lens. And you're completely likely to want to replace all of these lenses later. But you need experience with lenses first before you can decide.

Some folks will go to 18-200ish superzooms for more reach, or look at upgrading to a higher-quality (15-85) or faster (17-55/2.8) zoom of around the same range or bump up to the pro-quality Ls (17-40/4L, 24-105/4L, 24-70/2.8L). The Ls are better-suited for full frame and are likely to be more than your $1k budget, while the crop lenses might be a better fit. But consider that what you're doing is looking at the lone hammer in your toolbox, and deciding you need to upgrade that hammer, without considering whether what you're really yearning for is a screwdriver, wrench, or drill.

Maybe you finally took the time to google about to see what other more skilled hands can do with an 18-55 kit lens. Maybe it's not the glass. Maybe it's your lack of knowledge and technique. Maybe spending a little of that $1000 on a class, a book, video, or workshop is going to improve your photography more than any single piece of gear.

Maybe you finally took the time to google about to see what other more skilled hands can do with an 18-55 kit lens. Maybe it's not the glass. Maybe it's your lack of knowledge and technique. Maybe spending a little of that $1000 on a class, a book, video, or workshop is going to improve your photography more than any single piece of gear.