Street Shooting Gear

[Bill Pierce]

For a long time my full frame DSLRs were my main cameras. Now, however, with the steady improvement in image quality of smaller digital cameras, I find the big DSLRs confined to the studio where working with motion stopping strobes (essentially working at very high shutter speeds) and with their lenses at their optimum apertures, they deliver incredible image quality.

Now newer, small, mirrorless cameras like the Fuji X Pro, Sony Nex-7 and Samsung NX200 that are more convenient to use on locations, are APS-C sensor cameras delivering results that we used to associate with larger cameras in spite of their less than full frame sensors. Fuji claims their image quality equals or exceeds the quality of some full size sensors.

And, truth be told, on the street and in many locations, working in less than perfect conditions, we can’t even exploit the quality of these cameras. Even smaller cameras like the Fuji X10 with it’s relatively large 8.8x6.6mm sensor size, down to the Canon S100 with its standard 7.44x5.58mm sensor produce remarkable images when compared to similar small cameras of just a few years ago and are wonderful “street cameras.”

So, here’s the question. Are you putting the discreet 40mm pancake lens on your full frame 5D III because, even on the street, nothing beats full frame? Are you using the tiny S100 and wearing loud Hawaiian shirts because tourists can get away with photographing anything? Or, are you a middle of the roader going the APS-C route? What is your experience with the relatively new gear available for street shooting? I think that’s a subject that interests many of us. We can benefit from the experience of each other.

 

[Aristophanes]

I put my discrete 40mm and 15mm and 70mm pancake Pentax primes on and shoot anywhere using APS-C.

 

[BlackXList]

I'd never shoot candid stuff with my big dslrs, I'm trying to become more comfortable (and quicker) doing it with manual focus film slrs, because I enjoy the challenge.

Just take a look at the GRD pics thread in the point & shoot forum for all the evidence you could ever need that small unobtrusive cameras can produce fantastic images in the street.

A lot of my street shooting is done with an LX3, and when I can get results like this from it, as much as I love my hefty DSLR , it's just not the tool I need on the street

 

[Sam Kanga]

Hi Bill,

Currently I'm using the Fuji X-10 - pretty good for what it is. I'm considering the Nex-7 (similar body size to the X-10! - and they are coming out with a 24-75mm equivalent lens) or X-pro1 (similar body size to M's - which I use for film). Or might have to sit tight and wait.

My main concern is that I have to rely on autofocus, and in indoor situations, I can't trust it when working quickly. I've missed too many shots (I mean they are too far out of focus - I can live with being a little out). Apparently the Nex-7 does focus fairly quickly.

With the film M's no problems at all - indoors or out. M9 would be great, but too expensive for me. So back to practice, practice, practice!

Thanks
Sam

 

[Duane Pandorf]

Ricoh GXR-M & Leica 35 Summicron

Ricoh GXR-M & Leica 35 Summicron

My choice for my type of "street" or I should say my travel photography is my Ricoh GXR-M with a v2 Leica 35mm Summicron.

Its compact and can be easily set up for zone focusing if required. I enjoy its small size as I travel for work and my schedule is 7 days on and 7 days off.

This week I was in Nice, France for a couple days and I'm writing this post from London.

So a DSLR is completely out of the question and I've recently put that gear up for sale. I've managed to sell my lenses and have just the body to get rid of.

The funds will be used to finish my glass investment for this kit.

A couple from a couple days ago in Nice:

 

[-JQ-]

First, thanks Bill for taking time to help the rest of us out.

I have recently been changing my entire kit too - thus finding this nice site. I'm going to be traveling for work to places that aren't all that photo friendly. So I decided to try the M system for the size, and as everyone "knows" all real pj-type stuff is shot on them 🙂. Sorry...really I've wanted to try the system and now can justify the expense - finally.

So I'm going with an M8 and a couple of lenses cv 35/1.7 and 90 elmar-c. I have a 50 but hate to take it into the dirt -too old and pretty.

I'm coming primarily from a 5D2 and still believe in the FF way...so if the M8 works as I hope and so far sooo good. M9 may follow. I couldn't sell my 135 f2 so I'll be taking a crop SLR for now.

All that said...I've really enjoyed using the 5d2 and 17-40L for "street" - big beautiful (croppable) files!

I'll be following this thread to glean from all the collective experience and advice 🙂

 

[Bike Tourist]

XP1 + X100 for street and 97.63% of everything else.

 

[btgc]

Probably there are situations when DSLR can be used on street....one needs some esotheric lens, or has misplaced more convenient camera, or such.

Here's my take on Sigma DP-series. Not able to shoot series fast, writes off to card for ages, ancient interface, bad at high ISO and list goes on? Maybe, and yet it has awesome manual focusing wheel, it's small, non-obtrusive with customizable zoom buttons (assign any two most used settings).

 

[nightfly]

I assume from the phrasing of the question that this is digital only?

iPhone 4s & GRD III if that's the case, otherwise GR-1 or M4-P + CV 28.

 

[Range-rover]

Hi,
I was using a Canon 5D of late, but I picked up a Nikon D200
Crop sensor using with a 20mm f2.8 AIS Lens and doing shots in
New York and I'm not missing the canon much at all, it's just a little
smaller, quieter, quicker when taking shots most likely will be selling
the Canon stuff I have.

Range

 

[DNG]

I had a Pentax K20d, but did not try my hand at street photography until I had a Panasonic G3 with a 20mm f/1.7 pancake on it. But, I so love the character of film for street, and bought a Nikon FE and Nikon 24mm f/2.8 AiS... I have no trouble using a FF film camera. The size is not the most important, but, the speed in which you and it can react in a photo op.

I also have an Olympus OM-D E-M5 that I would most likely put my Panasonic G 14mm f/2.5 on as my street lens. I prefer a slightly wider FOV than 20mm affords.

The E-M5 is a good pick for street work, it is easy to set a DOF zone, and I the camera be set on Auto-ISO while the camera is also full manual exposure and Manual Focus. So I can pick 1/250 and f/8, preset my DOF Zone, and the camera picks the ISO for a correct exposure.

Although, I have not been downtown yet, with my E-M5... I am looking forward though.

Some Shots with the Nikon FE/24mm


4-24-2012-Dwtn Indy-at the Circle by Peter Arbib, on Flickr


Catching Up by Peter Arbib, on Flickr


4-24-2012-Dwtn Indy-at the Circle by Peter Arbib, on Flickr


4-24-2012-Dwtn Indy-at the Circle by Peter Arbib, on Flickr

 

[Florian1234]

Leica M6+35mm lens or Olympus Pen E-P1 with 17mm (35mm fullframe equivalent) and comfy shoes.

 

[hlockwood]

My goal for any shot is, finally, to produce a (B&W) print. I have a printer limitation (now) of ~ 12 in. for the short side, so that's the size I mostly print to. For film and my Leica M7 that size and larger is not a problem. For digital, I decided I needed full frame to get to the same capability. That, in turn, led me to the M9, not to a small sensor camera.

While many of the small-sensor images that I see on screen (including those in this thread) are excellent, I would like to see what happens when they are blown up to many times their original size.

Of course, if my reasoning turns out to be faulty, I'll come up with an alternative to justify my lust for the M9. 😀

Harry

 

[Bob Michaels]

............. So, here’s the question. Are you putting the discreet 40mm pancake lens on your full frame 5D III because, even on the street, nothing beats full frame? Are you using the tiny S100 and wearing loud Hawaiian shirts because tourists can get away with photographing anything? Or, are you a middle of the roader going the APS-C route? What is your experience with the relatively new gear available for street shooting?

Tri-X, 35mm Rangefinder, 28mm lens. But somehow Bill's question already presumes some answer that is not true for me.

 

[Frontman]

It all depends on what I am doing. If, when I am shooting, I am going to stop people and ask them if I can take their picture, I will use a DSLR or full-size camera. If I am shooting candid shots, then I'll use something else.

My DSLR of choice was the D700 with a 50/1.2 AIS Nikkor. I then switched back to film, and my tool of choice became my old M4 and 50mm Summilux. I sometimes also use a Rolleiflex, people seem to enjoy being photographed with the Rollei. Recently, I have started using an X-Pro, and it keeps continuing to impress me.

For candid shooting I tend to carry a Leica M of some type, or a Konica Hexar AF. I tend to get the most interesting shots with a Lumix LX5. The LX5 is tiny, focuses quickly, and simply takes great pictures.

 

[Lss]

For me, nothing I have tried can touch a good rangefinder camera. New features, such as the articulating touch screen with touch to focus and shoot control on my OM-D, allow approaches and viewpoints that would be much more difficult or even impossible to achieve on a traditional rangefinder. However, I am a step behind as soon as I put a device between myself and the scene. This and the quick and intuitive focusing make the rangefinder the most direct and relevant street tool for my needs. It is nevertheless nice to have new options to complement the core experience.

 

[mrmeadows]

adopting a wait-and-see approach

adopting a wait-and-see approach

I became disenchanted with DSLRs for the street/travel/documentation photos I seek to take while traveling in Turkey in 2007. Even today, the DSLR bodies and zoom lenses are nothing short of obese, and there is a dearth of fast, wide prime lenses for APS-C sensors. At that time, the M8 was the only small digital body with small, fast lenses that was available. On returning home I purchased an M8 and couple of used lenses to augment the two old Leica lenses I already owned. I later purchased a second used M8. I was lucky to get in before the Leica prices skyrocketed. I still use the M8s, mostly with a 35mm (= 47mm ff) or a 24mm (= 32mm ff) lens.

As Bill points out, the situation regarding small digital cameras and small, fast lenses has changed dramatically in the past five years, and several firms now offer practical alternatives to the M8/M9 Were I to buy a system today, I would not choose the Leica again for a host of reasons. Besides being outrageously priced and beginning to carry the stigma of being the camera of choice for rich dilettantes and other conspicuous consumers, the bodies embody old technology in both sensor and user interface and do not compare well with the current state-of-the-art of the camera industry (in my opinion, of course). I also agree with Bill's assessment that sensor size is no longer much of a quality issue, so one has the freedom to choose a system based on other factors. I would not buy a u4/3 system, because I greatly prefer working directly with the 3:2 aspect ratio. I would not buy any of the cameras which lack any sort of viewfinder. I also don't imagine that any of the adapters for M lenses would satisfy me: since none of the associated cameras has been designed to use the M lenses natively, I strongly suspect that the adapters entail unacceptable compromises the way the lenses can be used. Hopefully, by the time I need or want to replace my M8s, the camera industry will have evolved to offer even more mature and attractive options than the XP1 and NEX-7 seem to be today.

--- Mike

 

[gavinlg]

Contax G1 or fujifilm x100 only for street, for me. When I used my 5d is was just un-enjoyable - too big. I need it to be small, I need a big sensor, and I need a viewfinder.

 

[-JQ-]

I've often wondered if a waist level viewer on my 5D2 would help disguise my actions

 

[Gabriel M.A.]

What is your experience with the relatively new gear available for street shooting? I think that’s a subject that interests many of us. We can benefit from the experience of each other.

I am using the GF1 with the 20mm and (recently) the 14mm pancake lenses. Love it. The only drawback is the GF1's shutter noise when I'm too close, but most of the time people don't notice it on the street.











It also works remarkably well in low-light/w-high ISO, too. Not bad for a tiny sensor...