Yes it is a "kit" lens, but only in the sense that it comes with the camera. This is not an ordinary "kit" lens, because the quality is very high. The autofocus is silent and lightning fast, and the lens is relatively small and light. I have no complaints at all about picture quality, and the range, which translates to a 27-105mm is very nice. Read the reviews here and see what I mean. I think you'd be hard pressed to find anything even close in quality for $300 (which is what the lens, as part of the kit, essentially costs).

later,
Bob