Point & Shoot for Street Photography ?

R

ruben

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I don't believe myself, nor many of us may believe it either, but since a past thread about some fashion photography alternating his MF shooting with a P&S, the idea of a P&S to use for street photography is hunting me quite a lot.

Why not ? Let's start with why yes. First, I find myself all the time preseting my camera and preseting again in order to find myself at the right moment for pointing, or let's be more accurate, framing and shooting. This doesn't embrace all type of situations, but many. If so why not going for the real thing ? In many many situations the choice of f/stop and speed is just a liability.

Point and shoots are small, stupid cameras, but some of them are reported as accurate focusing and exposing. Small size and amateur looking is not but an advantage in the streets.

Therefore, if we do not think about a P&S as an all powered manual camera, to be compared to our f/1.7 lenses, but as a limited one for certain types of situations to be done efectively, why not ?

As for the cons, within the mentioned limitations, I find just one basic weak point: a very small viewfinder.

And as for another issue I have no idea about is shutter noise.

What do you think ?

Ruben
 
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I did quite well with an original model, non-zoom Olympus Stylus for impromptu street photography, on those occasions when I was busy being a tourist first and the photographer-persona took a back seat. Only problems I recall were (1) needing to remember to override the flash in moderate light, and (2) the Zeep! Zwoop! Snap! noises from the very slightly laggy autofocus/shutter sequence.

On the plus side of the ledger, its lens was capable of very good sharpness, especially when I forced it to stop down by using 400 or 1600-speed films, and the autofocus was always 100% dead nuts on. And it *never* underexposed in daylight. Never. Not once. Brilliant little camera, that.

Didn't miss that many shots due to the camera's quirks, and got plenty that would have gotten away had I not had any camera at all. The first rule of gunfighting is "have a gun". Same principle of readiness applies here.

I still carry the thing in my packsack, daily.
 
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Good question, Ruben. I often wonder about this myself. I find that when I'm out testing my P&S like Olympus Pen-EE2, or even scale-focused cameras like XA2, I fiddle less with the camera and was able to put more time scouting for good picture candidates.
 
I used Yashica T2's and T3's for several years, back in the mid to late nineties and I thought they were great cameras. I sometimes wished for more manual control and tried an Oly XA for a time, but ended up prefering the T's. With digital, I can't think of a better small, inexpensive set up, than the XT and a 24/2.8 or 35/2.0.
 
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Hexar AF and Oly P&S are some I've used, they become liberating at first but the want for manual settings brings me back each time (though the hexar has some pretty good manual capabilities).

Todd
 
it might work but...

it might work but...

Hi Ruben,

yes, of course there are fine P&S cameras out there but I guess most of us use a RF for a reason. Most important for me my camera clicks when I press the shutter and not when the camera is ready... Millions of average customers are happy with a digital P&S and use maybe 20% of its' capabilities because they never bother to read anything else but the quick guide/introduction not the whole manual book. No thanks, not for me ;) .
 
I carry a Canon G7 with me everywhere.

I use the camera in "mute" mode and it is virtually silent.

It has manual controls -- including manual focus capability (not what you are used to, but controllable nonetheless).

Some shots are here. No claims for anything very good, but anyway . . .

http://www.flickr.com/photos/musicandlight/sets/

These sets are all G7: Indian dance, In the Pocket, Beatles tribute, Sarasota 2006, Grand Central, UMGF in New York City, Night G7 and canon G7 First Shots.

HTH.

Because the G7 has a shutter lag, I am going to try setting one of the custom user banks to manual focus which should virtually eliminate the lag.
 
Any P&S shutter is going to be almost silent.

A leaf shutter is way quieter than even the best focal plane shutters because there much less mass to move and to stop.

I've done some work with basic disposables, but you really need good light. Although you have good light in Israel, so that's ok.

Also, I work with a Leica Minilux often for its f2.4 Summarit lens and auto everything, with manual control for the 1% of the time I need it.

If I were looking for an inexpensive, but quality, film P&S right now I think I'd be looking at the clamshell Olympus's. In Europe they are sub branded 'mju', that might that may be different in other regions.

With a 'tourist' camera people do not notice you. Just as many here have said that a rangefinder is less threatening than an SLR, I think A P&S is less threatening than a rangefinder.

See if you can pick up a disposable in Barbie Pink or Yellow Submarine. Make out like you're making a photo of that church across the street. But really you're making a photo of that young guy on his scooter looking at the young woman in a short skirt. Classic street. And neither of them will even notice you.

Let us know what you decide and how you get on.
 
Hi Todd,
I understand you and could add that for my past, not just to carry but even paying money for a P&S is a kind of self rape of myself. But my point isn't to replace my cameras with a P&S but just add one besides for those situations I find myself walking here and there for something, and snapshooting. No doubt a P&S is very limited.

Hi Jon,
Well, according to the abovementioned it is already really hard for me to wear a stupid P&S, so kindly relief me from the disposables unless you want me to take my life once and for all.....:) True I am a non-conformist but a disposable, ho man that's too much. At least give me some time with a P&S to start with.

Cheers,
Ruben

PS
Another factor to be taken into account, I think, and it was somewhat touched at the thread, it that there could be a difference between a P&S in the hands of person knowledgeable of photography like any of us, and the use a non knowledgeable person can give it, as most of their owners. I guess any of us can squeeze much more from a P&S, once we understand its programation.
 
I find that my point-and-shoots are my most used cameras for all types of photography. They can go anywhere and, most importantly, they don't cause me to stand out from the crowd.
 
I like the Contax TVS- shot with that a lot while on the road a few years ago, and there was a Fuji 'poor mans TVS' the Superzoom or something like that- has a pretty sharp 28-56 lens- same f.l. as the TVS and easy exposure compensation. The front had a sliding cover, and I scratched up the case pretty good by carrying it in my pocket- but pretty good for $125.

But the TVS (the original) is my favorite P&S camera yet. Threaded filters and lens hood even!
 
"stupid ???"

"stupid ???"

Hi, I use my Leica D-Lux-3 for street photography nearly everyday. It doesn't seem stupid to me. Another thought, for street shooting most of us Leica manual types preset the exposure and then we zone focus, so who is using a point and shoot and who isn't ?

Thanks, Jim.
 
In the 80's several PJ types in NYC carried early P&S cameras with them for times when they only had long lenses on their SLRs. They only headache I have with most P&S cameras is the AF lag, WAY TOO LONG. There were a number of great fixed lens RFs made in the '70s that are fine for this approach. But when I look at a Bessa L / 25/4 combo, it weighs about the same and looks "safe". A touch bigger than most P&S bodies, but I think pretty close in weight. With a CV25 on her, a much better lens than almost any of them.

B2 (;->
 
IMO P&S is exactly what a street photographer needs. But with instant shutter response. Oly XA series cameras fit this criteria very well and I really enjoy using them for street...

The XA2 is better during day because it has faster highes shutter speed, and XA is better when it's darker, because it shows you the shutter speed and it has a faster lens.
 
Spyderman said:
IMO P&S is exactly what a street photographer needs. But with instant shutter response. Oly XA series cameras fit this criteria very well and I really enjoy using them for street...

The XA2 is better during day because it has faster highes shutter speed, and XA is better when it's darker, because it shows you the shutter speed and it has a faster lens.
Click to expand...

With 1/500th and f22, the XA should be able to handle 400 iso film in the daytime with room to spare...in fact, that just makes it for 800 iso film assuming sunny 16.
 
I carry a G7 around with me wherever I go. Wonderful camera. Very quiet. Very intuitive. You can go fully automatic, fully manual, or somewhere in between. Noise is an issue often raised with this camera. Not a big issue with me. And, the 3200 iso setting is very sweet for low light.

Some shots from my G7 can be seen here: G7 Flickr Gallery
 
well, i am going over to the dark side for my next p&s, i just bought a used ricoh grd. it seems like the perfect set up for easy street shooting, it has a 28mm lens (equivalent), can be set to shoot at hyper focal distance for shorter lag time and from what i've seen the lens is great!!
i had been planning on using my recently acquired minolta 7s2 but that may be on the block soon.

joe
 
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