LENSES ONA BUDGET

Cameras get the headlines, but experienced photographers know it’s the quality of the lens that often makes or breaks a kit. That’s because lenses dictate everything from the sharpness of a photograph to the ability to shoot in low light at low ISOs with fast shutter speeds while handholding.

In short, good glass will often make or break the shot.

That was always the case in the film era, and it’s still true now that most photographers shoot digital. But these days, good glass is about even more than high-fidelity optics. Each new generation of lenses sports jaw-dropping new-and-improved features.

Take image stabilization, for instance. What once offered an additional stop or so of handholding capability now provides up to five or even six stops of stabilization. Pro photographers have always demanded higher build quality with