Can you use a SLR for street photography?

[bmattock]

I used a Minolta X-300 on a busy street today. In a weird way, it stops me from shooting from the hip, since the mirror-clap is so loud--it forces me to announce to the whole world. Quite a few people looked over when my camera goes: "CLANG". Still, I went on shooting because I'm shameless. I think someone wrote that you have to be confident--or at least act confident. No one moved to confront me when I looked like I knew what I was doing. Even though I feel a little uncomfortable with the sound of a mirror-clap. I'm sure it will wear off after a while.

No one on the street gives a second glance to the guy picking up trash cans, and he makes a heck of a lot of noise. That's because he is where he is supposed to be, doing what he is supposed to do. He knows it, and so does everyone else. He doesn't act stealthy, he just does his job. He fades into the background.

That's what I try to do. Just doing my job, buddy. Move along, nothing to see here. Just trying to work.

Strangest things happen. People see me, then try to get 'out of my way' so I can shoot whatever it is they think I'm shooting (sometimes it is them, funny). I've even looked up and discovered one or two drivers waiting and holding traffic for me to finish getting a shot. Wow, how nice!

 

[Nh3]

Absolutely not!

This is 1960s and SLRs are so 'new', everyone will notice them in your hand and their noise will shatter the peace, not to mention their shutter vibration will never give you sharp images.

SLRs also makes you close one eye so you cannot shoot "with both eyes open".

Everyone will stop you on the street and ask you about your new camera which is so unique and expensive.


Threads like this makes me ---> :bang:

 

[squirrel$$$bandit]

Absolutely. One of my favorite street rigs is a DSLR fitted with an enormous 15mm lens from the 1970's! So not only is the whole thing gigantic, but I have to get right up in people's grills. I mostly shoot this from the hip, and get a lot of good pictures of little kids:

 

[kevin m]

Threads like this makes me ---> :bang:

Reminds me of the old joke:

-Doctor, it hurts when I do this.

-Well then, don't do that! 😀

 

[sojournerphoto]

Yes, but it won't be proper 'street'...


Not sure it matters really - I think my GX100 is just as obvious as a 1Ds3 or ZI. You bring it to your eye - most people are completely unaware of you and the odd one notices.

Mike

 

[rpsawin]

My Nikon FM3A with the 45mm pancake does quite well as a street shooter.

 

[ClaremontPhoto]

No one on the street gives a second glance to the guy picking up trash cans, and he makes a heck of a lot of noise. That's because he is where he is supposed to be, doing what he is supposed to do. He knows it, and so does everyone else. He doesn't act stealthy, he just does his job. He fades into the background.

That is the best thing I've read in a long time. Yes.

 

[nightfly]

Not sure the garbage can analogy works I mean the garbage man isn't pointing the trash can at you.

However, I do agree that if you look like you know what you are doing and don't act sneaky no one notices you at least in New York.

For me the reason I don't really like SLRs as much as RFs on the street is that I shoot really fast only putting the camera to my eye for quick framing with it pre-focused. With an RF you don't know what's in focus when you do this and can pretty much ignore it and concentrate on the frame in that split second, however with an SLR you see things are blurry and have a tendency to want to put them in focus. Also you often only see some of the frame or at best 100% and nothing outside.

To me the edges of the frame are pretty important for street shooting so an RF lends itself to this well. However no reason not to use an SLR, RF is just a little more well suited to the type of shooting I do.

 

[rogue_designer]

Of course you can.

I happen to prefer RF's, but they are by no means the "only" tool for effective street work.

 

[MarkoKovacevic]

SLRs also makes you close one eye so you cannot shoot "with both eyes open".

Everyone will stop you on the street and ask you about your new camera which is so unique and expensive.


Threads like this makes me ---> :bang:

I can't seem to shoot with both eyes open with my zorki.

 

[ruben]

"Can you use a SLR for street photography?
I think you can. Sure, people may notice you, but sometimes that adds to the photo. What's your opinion?...."


Hi Marko,

The problem in your question, as well as in the answers, is that each one has his own concept of what "street photography" is for him.

All I do is "street photography". But it is MY street photography.

According to MY technical concept of street photography, you must act at daylight under a constant speed priority of 1/250 and have the option (the option) of absolute silent shutter.

I think that 99% of RFF members who also perform "street photography" will strongly disagree with me, including you.

I think that if each of the posters here would forward their technical concept, the others will disagree too. Although I suspect you may find a sizeable amount of "one camera - one lens freaks, who don't move the aperture away from f/8, like I don't move my speed away from 1/250.🙂

Therefore it all depends on what "street photography" you would like to perform, instead of following an abstract and meaningless definition.

In my opinion, eye contact is desirable sometimes, but not all times. It is widely said that not the noise is what alerts the subjec, but raising and pointing the camera. In my opinion this is true only partially. Because with a silent shutter the subject doesn't know if you have clicked or just peered around.

Cheers,
Ruben

 

[Al Kaplan]

That do-hicky with the 45 degree mirror was first marketed by Spiratone back around 1970! It was called someting like the Circo-Mirrotach. Isn't it nice to know that Grandpa was just as scared as you are to shoot strangers on the street.

Try using an ultra-wide lens, work in close, and most people think that you're shooting something behind them, shooting over their shoulder. If they make eye contact with you make some small talk, the weather, whatever, and keep shooting.

 

[xayraa33]

the stealthiest camera for street shooting is a TLR IMHO.

 

[nikon_sam]

the stealthiest camera for street shooting is a TLR IMHO.

There's a lot of truth behind that statement...
First, most people have never seen a TLR and second you're looking down and into something and most have no clue what you're looking at...
And last of all..."that funning looking box ain't no camera...no way!!!" 😀

 

[nightfly]

Pretty hard to shoot street looking down at a camera with shallow depth of field where everything is moving opposite to how they are in real life.

I've done it but it ain't easy or intuitive and I personally don't think the square format and normal (75-80mm for most TLRs) lends itself to street photography. Street portraiture maybe.

I know there are some famous street photographers who worked like this, just saying I think you give up a lot of the fluidity of working with an RF or an SLR and it detracts from your ability to react for the relatively minor bonus of "stealthiness" which goes away when people who are old enough to remember TLRs stop and ask you about it.

I did it with a Rolleicord with a Maxwell screen for a year. Your mileage may vary.

 

[bmattock]

I respect the seven-second delay you use, Lester.

 

[back alley]

the sony a300 has a screen that folds down so it looks like i'm fiddling with the camera, sorta like a tlr.

 

[le vrai rdu]

I think you can. Sure, people may notice you, but sometimes that adds to the photo. What's your opinion?

Also, just bought the 50mm f1.8 AF-D Nikkor lens. The element is recessed in the lens. Why couldn't they just made the element not recessed and make the overall length of the lens shorter?

my opinion is that street photo isn't necessary stolen photography 🙂

I don't care being seen 🙂 I do care having an old camera, a big dslr with a zoom would make me looks like a paparazzo 😀

Even with a minolta srt, people hardly notice me, so why worry 🙂

 

[Mackinaw]

I think you can. Sure, people may notice you, but sometimes that adds to the photo. What's your opinion?

When I feel like being wild and crazy, I take along my old Canon F-1 with a waist-level viewer mounted instead of the prism. Holding the camera at belt-level seems to make it totally invisible to most people.

Jim B.

 

[italy74]

Well, I'm not that much into the street literally speaking but one of the things I learned was to adjust the neck strap for the right lenght and keep the camera always on the chest. At the right height from the ground, I shot some rolls this way with a 28 mm missing very few shots and not being noticed at all. Of course, I preset also hyperfocal distance and chose an adequate time / aperture combo for the roll.