Streetphotography Equipment? ? ?

[rool]

Funny how people with a lot of nice gear tell you that you don't need anything 'cause the camera doesn't matter.

I would gladly swap my Bessa R for an M6 if anybody wants to. I certainly wouldn't take better pictures but I would definitely enjoy using it.

 

[Dfin]

Plantedtao, this may sound a bit glib, but a Pro photographer told me years ago .400A.S.A. F8,125th/sec & BE THERE!! Seriously mate, you have all the gear that you need. All you need do is observe, work on YOUR STYLE and it will all come together. Best of luck!

 

[simonankor]

Funny how people with a lot of nice gear tell you that you don't need anything 'cause the camera doesn't matter.

I don't have a lot of nice gear, but I can still say the camera doesn't matter! I have a Bessa R with a Canon 50/1.8 on it, and a FED with a 50/3.5 on it. They're both great for street photography - just go shoot.

 

[Todd.Hanz]

Funny how people with a lot of nice gear tell you that you don't need anything 'cause the camera doesn't matter.

There's a reason for that, we have learned the hard way. If I could trade money spent on gear for time pressing the shutter I would, and I would be one hell of a photographer for it. The best equipment is wasted on collectors and those who pontificate the merits of a summicron vs. a summilux.
Please understand, there is value in buying the best quality gear you can afford but not at the sake of time spent shooting, wearing down the shoe leather, pressing the shutter, and getting buzzed on fixer fumes. Very few folks are born with the eye for street, if you have it you are blessed, if not you spend years trying to develop it.

IMHO,
Todd

 

[back alley]

i like the idea of a hand held meter but mostly with a non metered camera body.

this may help if you want to stick with the bessa r and it's meter...instead of aiming the camera at your subject on the street - aim the camera at the street, yes, aim down and lock the setting or just set the aperture/speed to the recommended settings and go for it.
this offers the best of both worlds.

the gear itself makes little difference but i do enjoy the gear alot though. but i have had, over the years, various levels of gear from very expensive to second hand fixed lens cameras and it really doesn't matter.

 

[rool]

OK OK, this really wasn't an attack. I really enjoy gear (that's why I like RFF) and would be the first to buy really nice stuff if I could afford it, believe me. This, even though I know it doesn't make any significant difference in the pictures one takes.
I was just saying that it is funny that when someone wants to buy new stuff, people with lot of nice cameras and photo gear -people who obviously enjoy this aspect of photography as well- just say "don't buy anything". Funny, nothing else.

As for the hand held meter, I still think it is different to think in incident metering than to think in reflective metering. My personal experience is that I find it easier to think incident in the street. But again, that's only my experience and my way of shooting.

Alright, it's the week-end starting here in L.A. guys, time to go shoot!
Have a good week-end all and come back Monday with some nice pics.

 

[peterc]

I've found I'm pretty much ignored with my Zorki 3M and my recently added FED 50/3.5. Digicams and my Bessa R always seemed to attract some attention.
The guy in this pic looked and then went back to what he was doing.
BTW this was using sunny 16 to meter. I think this one was 1/100 at f/8.

Peter

 

[sf]

Todd Hanz has it right, I think. You do have all you need for street work. You don't want to have alot to carry around, and the 50mm Nokton is one of the best lenses around. You have a very efficient kit currently.

Only thing you don't have is a slightly longer lens. I find that a longer lens helps me be a little more fearless when shooting, especially around Seattle, since it lets me back off a bit from my subjects. Helps prevent them from seeing me and my MF RF. You might consider buying the Color Heliar 75mm. That and a bunch of low cost film (Arista.edu Ultra 200 from Freestyle). Sharp film. Grainier than some, but not too grainy, and it has nice tonality when developed properly. All my current B&W is this film.

 

[Fedzilla_Bob]

How about a Bessa R2 with a 35mm Skopar and some XP2 super?

Hey, it could work.

 

[ghost]

i would recommend the 28/1.9 ultron and the metal vf. you'll be surprised how useful a fast wide can be.

 

[Finder]

It does not look like you need anything. I only buy gear if I have a specific limitation/problem my current gear cannot handle. With a 35mm and 50mm lens, what is a 40mm lens going to give you? I could understand if you need something shorter or longer. Camera bodies are just black boxes that hold the film and lens and control the shutter speed. Spending more on one does not really mean they are doing a better job than the cheaper model.

I find separate meter readings just as fast as AE - you do not need to meter for each picture, just each situation. I also find my exposures more consistant than with AE. My most used meter is a Gossen Luna Pro SBC with a spot attachment. I also have a Sekonic Studio Deluxe II and a Minolta Spotmeter F - I would not recommend a spot meter as a first meter.

Like George, I like to keep my equipment light, compact, and simple. I find I end up doing more work that way. When I have too much stuff, it seems to take over the image making process. My first book and subsiquent exhibitions were from one camera and one lens. When I work, I usually take two cameras of different formats with a single lens for each - occasionally I will take a second lens for the bodies. I also take a small $40 flash unit for fill with portraits under bright sun light.

 

[Todd.Hanz]

I didn't mean to go off on anyone, it's just that you read about others that drool over HCB's photos and Jason already owns a lens and camera that is technically superior to HCB's, so is it the gear? How many gear threads here are populated by members who's galleries you would love to emulate? Truth is you seldom hear about gear from this guy: http://www.rangefinderforum.com/photopost/showgallery.php?cat=500&ppuser=3149

this guy: http://www.rangefinderforum.com/photopost/showgallery.php?cat=500&ppuser=629

this guy: http://www.rangefinderforum.com/photopost/showgallery.php?cat=500&ppuser=1528&sl=b

or this guy: http://www.rangefinderforum.com/photopost/showgallery.php?cat=3131

GAS is cute and all but it leads to POCTDGU (Piles of cameras that don't get used).
I know, I have several 🙂

Todd

 

[Wayne R. Scott]

If you must buy something, here are my suggestions: Buy a mini soft release, a wrist strap fron Gordy, some archival negative storage pages that are 3 hole punched for 3 ring binders, and a 12 inch ruler.

Follow the 6 inch rule before adding any more equipment. With your sleeved negatives from the 35mm lens in one stack and the 50mm in the other stack lying flat on the table, take the 12 inch ruler and hold it vertically next to the two piles of negatives. As soon as both piles are each over 6 inches high, then start thinking about adding another piece of equipment.

wayne

 

[Socke]

For blending into the background, maybe some dark clothing and a viking helmet 😀

Gene

And SPAM, SPAM, SPAM and SPAM. Later SPAM, Bacon, SPAM, SPAM and SPAM

 

[reagan]

"But if you must buy something I can sell you a special bag of streetphotogs Mojo, all of the famous guys use it, it'll turn you into a street shooting freak in no time...just 1500 dollars"

Oh sure, you make a quick 2 grand off me, then drop the price.

 

[GeneW]

And SPAM, SPAM, SPAM and SPAM. Later SPAM, Bacon, SPAM, SPAM and SPAM

LOL! 😀

Gene

 

[tedwhite]

Street shooting? Done it most of my life, and I'm old. Camera? Any camera will work. If you learn how to use it. I've used Spotmatic with 50 and 28mm lenses, Olympus XA, Bessa R with 35/2.5, Leica M3 with Summicron 50/2, Yashica GSN, Minolta Maxxum 7000 with 24/2.8, Yashica T4 Super, a Pentax istDS DSLR with 18-55 lens, and a Rolleiflex 2.8.

If you asked me which camera/lens combo I'd take if I could only choose one, I'd say it wouldn't matter. Although, if pressed further, I'd choose any camera with a wider lens, and for speed any AF camera/lens. But you can offset AF speed by just learning how to use hyperfocal or zonefocus.

Then, in a class by itself, is the TLR. Slows down things a bit, but you get some great images. I'm not sure why, but a TLR is far less threatening to people (the looking down into the camera aspect) and it looks old (it is), and it's fun to use, and fiddly, and somehow you project all of that, and people sense it.

Plus, you get a hell of a negative.

Ted