Thoughts on Digital SLR for street shooting

peterm1

peterm1

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Having been a Leica shooter for 20 years I have in the past couple of years moved increasingly to digital - mainly SLRs although I have a pseudo rangefinder too, in the form of a Panasonic L1 (a camera which Leica also sold re-badged as a Leica Digilux 3.) It handles much like a classic rangefinder and was much cheaper than an M8. Apart from this I am mainly shooting Nikons and still take my M4P out for the occasional walk.

The main reason I am mainly shooting digital is the convenience of the format and the ability to post process - I either convert to black and white or more recently have been experimenting with desaturated and toned color - just for fun.

In a sense I have returned somewhat to my photographic roots as I have been doing progressively more and more street shooting - usually with a Nikon D200 and a prime standard lens or short telephoto (equivalent to shooting a 50 and a 90 on my M body.) Only now and then will I use something longer.

Not asking for critiques but examples can be found here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/80702381@N00/sets/72157610362797162/

I find it fairly successful and enjoyable and personally quite like my results (although I imagine the results are not everyones' "cup of tea" and in any event I am developing my style further as I learn more. Something we occasionally forget about as photographers!

OK presently the style of my photos is certainly different from "traditional" rangefinder street shots in some respects - except for subjects - but as I say I like to experiment and develop my own style. In fact for me this is probably the most enjoyable aspect. And I confess I do post process quite a bit - for me this is not an issue although I understand this is not the case for some who believe its them the camera and nothing else.

As to the shooting process, the key advantage for me in using an SLR is the ability to frame quickly, shoot from a bit of a distance (I do not like poking my camera into peoples faces from a close distance) and to immediately see results. (Shooting in a busy street with people milling like birds in flight is a real challenge.) I do not think that AF is necessarily an advantage having used classic rangefinder cameras I know I can pre-focus. The key disadvantage is that a digital SLR and some lenses (e.g. the Nikkor 17-55mm f2.8 zoom when I use it) are pretty obvious and do attract some strange looks.

But what about other people. What is your experience of using SLRs for street photography? Does it work for you or do you '"need" the rangefinder for it to work for you? Do you like the process using an SLR - does it matter? Do you like the results you get? (To each is own is my philosophy but its interesting to share thoughts on a subject that is dear to all our hearts.
 
I began my street shooting adventure with a D100 and 35mm f/2 lens. Here are some examples of what I shot with it: example 1, example 2.

While I thoroughly enjoyed using the D100, I have moved over to a more traditional M4-P for a couple years or so.
 
I'm not really a street photographer - I don't like sticking my camera into people's faces either - but I've used a Canons 5D and AE-1 with 50, rf's and Ricoh GX100. To be honest, I don't really buy the small rf philosophy. If you want small take a digi P&S.

If I'm confortable photgraphing the type of camera doesn't often make much difference to my level of self consciousness, unless it's particularly noisy in a quiet place - church service, theatre etc.

Recently I took my 1Ds3 to my daughters school play and used live view to hold it over my head like a point and shoot as the room was way to dark. Unlike the other parents I wasn't made obvious by a flash every time I presed the shutter.

Anyway, after all that - yes a dslr works if I'm up for shooting.

Mike
 
Almost all of the street photography I have done has been with an SLR, because I didn't own a rangefinder until earlier this year. I used a film SLR and still use it for street-type work. I haven't done much with a digital SLR; I too have a D200 but itsautofocus needs adjusting and I just can't manually focus it accurately enough fast enough for candid photos.
 
rangefinders were considered small when weegee was sticking a press camera in your face.
a dslr works fine on the street for a number of reasons. one big reason is that nowadays, everybody and his sister seems to be carrying around one and using it quite a bit and it doesn't seem out of place. no one notices or cares.
using a rf nowadays, i get looks from people wondering what it is.

personally, i don't care for shooters using an 80-200 zoom, mostly at 200 and calling it street shooting. it seems cowardly or sneaky or something unwholesome to me. but that is me.
joe
 
I gotta agree with back alley on that one. I wouldn't use anything longer than 35mm, but in reality I think that you might be less noticed when you shoot with a 15mm. People just assume that you're shooting something "over there".
 
one idea: Nikon D40x/D60/etc with 35mm f/1.8

one idea: Nikon D40x/D60/etc with 35mm f/1.8

I was initially looking for an Epson R-D1/s and Voigtländer 35mm f/1.7 lens to go with it. I'm a newbie and I just wanted to take some pictures—indoor lighting with friends, night-time scenes lit by streetlights, etc. I ended up with the Nikon combo simply because it was 1/4 of the cost (well, being able to not really worry about the cheap body was another reason).

I really enjoy this combo and it's very small. At a wedding I just took off the strap and easily carried around the camera with one hand or passed it to friends. The sensor is not great (gets a tinge of red in very low light) but big deal; I can get the new version of this camera when it's available (D3000) or go a little higher (D5000) without sacrificing portability and mostly fix the issues with color-level adjustments.

Of course, manual focus is very difficult through the tiny viewfinder but when there are clear targets (people) even in low light the AF works well.

I still would like to try the R-D1 and Ultron lenses, though!
 
Look just do a comparison: Take DSLR out say on the streets of Manhattan and shoot away. You will have slap of the mirror for every shot, a dim VF and something that is pretty heavy to lug around. Then take say a Leica IIIa with a little 50mm/f2 or a 21/4. No one notices you; you are quiet. I don't know maybe I have drank the Kool aid too much, but street shooting with a Dslr is like running through a canal with battleship. My two cents.
 
BTW, remember all those press clippings a couple of years ago about how great the Nikon D200 (hell I even bought one), now the Nikonizo's would not even talk to you about it. It is passe'. In fact if I would throw out a question to RFF about my 1936 Leica IIIa, I would get 10 times the responses I would get on my D200 at P.net or Nikonians. Enough said. At least for me.
 
i've shot pj style with a dSLR and an SLR with lenses from 35mm to 135mm, also with several different RFs. i don't think my subjects care, but i feel better shooting with RFs. it's just my belief that pointing a camera at strangers is somehow less threatening or invasive when it's a RF rather than a 1-series canon dSLR. makes me feel more secure while shooting. i'm probably fooling myself (easy to do).
 
kshapero said:
Look just do a comparison: Take DSLR out say on the streets of Manhattan and shoot away. You will have slap of the mirror for every shot, a dim VF and something that is pretty heavy to lug around. Then take say a Leica IIIa with a little 50mm/f2 or a 21/4. No one notices you; you are quiet. I don't know maybe I have drank the Kool aid too much, but street shooting with a Dslr is like running through a canal with battleship. My two cents.
Click to expand...

because in manhattan it is so deathly quiet everybody can hear your mirror slap :rolleyes:
personally i don't like to have my picture taken, why would it matter whether someone used a phone camera, a point and shoot, a leica, or a dslr?
 
There are a number of very skilled professional and amateur photographers that I follow on Flickr who use DSLR cameras and photograph on the street. In a way the results look more contemporary and modern. The focus is squarely on the content and pictoral qualities. Rangefinder glass and film can produce images that look dated and mannered.

Natalie Behring
http://www.flickr.com/photos/chinapix/

Maciej Dakowicz
http://www.flickr.com/photos/maciejdakowicz/

Ryan Pyle
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ryanjpyle/

Swiatoslaw Wojtkowiak (a stunning body of work, dig in to see it)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nygus/

Even David Alan Harvey, a big Leica fan, has been seen in videos and in his classes shooting with a DSLR.

So, it truly does not matter what equipment you use, as long as it is a way of working you like and produces results that achieve your creative goals. I would do street photography with a 5D mkii and a fast prime if I had one! and love it too I bet. I've recently been going back to film because my RD-1 and Canon 20D and GRD do not really blow-up more than 11" long side. My 35mm Lieca negatives scan and print beautifully at 18"x12". For exhibiting that is important to me and makes me regret not getting a better digital camera sooner.
 
My DSLR & RF are used the same way - prefocused at approx f5.6/f8. Many use a DSLR for street and are very successful at it and as stated above, carrying one has become common. I think either way (RF or DSLR) when you're sticking a camera 6-10 ft directly at someone, you'll be noticed...
 
I am perfectly willing to go out and shoot with a full size dslr and a large lens. Yes, you get plenty of people coming up to you asking if you are a photographer, and asking about your equipment, but the vast majority of people assume that you are a pro and you know what you are doing. If you snap a picture of someone, and they ask you about it, you can just tell them that they walked in to your shot, and nine times out of ten they will walk away apologizing. Also, shooting from the hip with a dslr is made very un-noticeable when you trip the shutter using the shutter release on your vertical grip when the camera is slung around your neck horizontally. In my experience, it is only unacceptably loud when you fire off multiple shots in a row with the motor drive, as it gives that machine gun effect. Currently, my getting out in the streets and shooting rig is a d700 with vertical grip, a 50mm 1.8 af nikkor, and an 80-200 2.8 in a satchel. When the FX 35mm f1.4 and the FX 24mm f1.4 materialize, i will pick those up.

A good tip for people doing street shooting with Nikon DSLRs- go in to your settings, and set up your camera so autofocus is only triggered by the AF-ON button, and set the shutter release to fire instantly. It becomes very much a hair trigger, and having the af off of the shutter button becomes very natural very quickly.
 
I choose my cameras based not on how others respond to them, but rather how I respond to them. If I feel the ability to move more fluidly, less awkwardly with them, the choice is a good one. Those cameras for me happen to be rangefinders (and my little Contax Tvs). The lone SLR in my possession spends almost all its time atop a tripod, where I feel it works best. SLRs had their (very long) day with me, but I tired of them for everyday stuff some time ago. Playing with an early dSLR only confirmed my desire to chenge things up. (Frankly, the only dSLR that even vaguely holds my interest is the Pentax K7; I might actually change my mind about skipping PhotoExpo so I can see and play with this camera, even though I'm not much interested in any new SLR stuff.)

Bottom line is, you shoot what does the biz for you and your eye. Street shoot with a Pentax 67? Go right ahead (yes, I've witnessed this). Want to get crazy with a blister-pack-cheap digicam? Go forth and snap away, and show some results. If it works for you, it works for you.


- Barrett
 
I used SLRs 20-30 years ago alongside my Leicas: Nikon Fs. Probably makes zero difference to image quality hand-held but I'm happier with Leicas (M2, M4-P, MP, M8, M8.2) so I get better pics on average using the cameras I like better.

Also Leicas look like point-and-shoots to most security guards, etc., so there's a better chance of being ignored by Jobsworths ("No, can't let you do that. More than my job's worth, that is.")

Tashi delek,

R.
 
Bottom line: Shoot and shoot often.
yesterday's shot:

3816950547_1cb4625f84.jpg
 
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