Thoughts on Digital SLR for street shooting

I agree with Roger and Fred. I prefer using rangefinders, however, I have recently started roaming with the Canon 50D and 24-70 2.8 that my oldest son, the PJ, bought me for my last birthday. Like others I haven't been using SLRs recently, but frankly, I haven't experienced any issues with people approaching me to talk gear when I'm out with the DSLR. That only tends to happen when I'm out with my TLRs. The only issue I've had was some years ago, which I described here, where I accidentally photographed a drug transaction. Luckily Philly's finest were on the scene to deescalate the situation. Frankly, I'm having fun, and for me that's what counts.
 
peterm1;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. .[/quote said:
Peter:

Great stuff! You've inspired me. I particularly like the moody guitar player shot!

Jeff
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I think the lens and strap are much more important than the camera. Even though I have a D90 and a couple of wiz-bang AFS zooms, my 'street' and backpack choice is the D50 + AFS 35mm F1.8/BlackRapid R-4. Why:
1) About the same weight as my IIIf, and lighter than the D90, D200, or D300.
2) The AFS 35mm F1.8 acquires focus in a heart-beat.
3) BlackRapid - Nuff said..
4) I prefer the D50 over the D40 because it will also auto-focus my AFD 28/2.8, or the tiny Sigma 28-70mm F2.8-F4.

On a tripod though, it's the D90. 'Live View' is about 10,000 time brighter than ground glass,
and it's right-side-up..
 
I enjoy shooting street with a DSLR and have tried several set ups
have both a larger DSLR (5D) and a smaller one (Canon XSi) and find I prefer using the smaller one somewhat like a rangefinder. It is less obtrusive when shooting with a prime.

By that I mean using a prime lens equivalent to a 35mm lens (use Canon's 24mm f2.8) and set it to manual focus and use zone focusing.

If you concentrate on using one prime lens it is also much easier to learn to do "hip shots"
 
I do my digital shooting on the 'cheap' - Ken Rockwell said in one article (don't laugh!) that a D40 was all you need!, and in a lot of ways - for me it is!. I use mine with my old pre.AI Nikkors - with guesstimation exposure and an occasional look at the histogram!, and the kit zoom, although too slow for my purposes, and feels like a toy, is actually a pretty decent performer!.
I'm quite happy doing 'street' and candids with it, and the P5100 that is always in my jacket pocket, I can't really see me spending two or three grand on something that may need upgrades and regular return for repairs!. I know 'proper' street shooters use an M2 with 35mm (I have one too!) but I'm quite happy with the aformentioned 'cheapies':) - just my two pennorth!
Dave.
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I started out street shooting with a Canon 5D and a 16-35mm zoom. Then moved to a fixed 28mm to reduce the size and weight. Walking around and shooting for hours, weight is the biggest issue for me. I switched to a Bessa R4A. Half the weight and half the size. Missing the digital workflow, I recently purchased an Olympus E-P1 and use my Voigtlander 15mm on this camera. It is just a bit smaller and lighter than the R4A. I find the E-P1 and the VC 15mm to be a great combo for street shooting.
 
For those who haven't bothered, take a look at the micro 4/3 -- My G1 and E-P1 are both smaller than a Leica M, neither have lens slap, have such street-useful stuff as image-stabilization and autofocus, fairly large sensors (at normal print sizes, indistinguishable from APS-C) and can be shot in fully manual, RAW modes. The G1, with the twistable LCD, can also be shot as waist-level or over-the-head finder. The E-P1 has a tiny pancake 17mm f2.8 lens (effective 34mm) that is really made for street shooting.
 
John Camp said:
For those who haven't bothered, take a look at the micro 4/3 -- My G1 and E-P1 are both smaller than a Leica M, neither have lens slap, have such street-useful stuff as image-stabilization and autofocus, fairly large sensors (at normal print sizes, indistinguishable from APS-C) and can be shot in fully manual, RAW modes. The G1, with the twistable LCD, can also be shot as waist-level or over-the-head finder. The E-P1 has a tiny pancake 17mm f2.8 lens (effective 34mm) that is really made for street shooting.
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Correct me if I'm wrong!.....but if you have to hold 'em a foot in front of your face to shoot!...or spend big bucks on separate accessory finders.....:(
Dave.
 
John Camp said:
For those who haven't bothered, take a look at the micro 4/3 -- My G1 and E-P1 are both smaller than a Leica M, neither have lens slap, have such street-useful stuff as image-stabilization and autofocus, fairly large sensors (at normal print sizes, indistinguishable from APS-C) and can be shot in fully manual, RAW modes. The G1, with the twistable LCD, can also be shot as waist-level or over-the-head finder. The E-P1 has a tiny pancake 17mm f2.8 lens (effective 34mm) that is really made for street shooting.
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Dear John,

Lens slap?

Cheers,

R.
 
Moved to Film for Street Work!

Moved to Film for Street Work!

For street photography - I started out in 2006 with a Canon 5D DSLR + Canon 24-105L Lens. In 2008 I moved to a Canon 450D + Canon 24L Lens and last month I started using a Nikon FM3a 'Film' SLR with a Nikon 50mm f1.4 AI-s lens and a Nikon 28mm f2.8 AI lens.

I get a 'great buzz' out of using the FM3a kit for street photography - I love the manual controls and aperture priority when required.

Started back into film with Kodak Ektar 100 and now Kodak Portra VC 400, Fujifilm Superia 1600 and Kodak T-Max 100.

Richard.
 
"Lens slap"...my bad. I meant mirror slap, of course.

The G1 has an EVF, and it's quite good...for an EVF. Nothing like a good SLR or a Leica (I have both), but not as bad as some people imagine. I find it quite useable.

As far as holding the E-P1 away from your chest, it depends. I had exactly the same initial bad reaction when using small point-and-shoots, because I didn't use them that often. With the EP1, however, I've developed my "chest" technique -- that is, I brace both of my elbows against my lower ribcage and look at the target over the top of the camera, which is perhaps 6-8 inches away from my face. Sometimes you have to move the camera a bit for framing, because your hands aren't always looking exactly where your eyes do (as with a VF), but you quickly adjust. I wear bifocals (the continuous kind) and have no problem focusing on both the target and the LCD, because the LCD rather naturally falls within the scope of the "near" vision part of the glasses. The biggest problem is that in switching from one to the other (target to LCD), you have to take your eyes off the target, if only for a second or two..but again, you adjust. It's not perfect, but it's not a nightmare, either.

Shutter lag -- the G1 seems as fast to me as a DSLR, in both manual and AF modes. The E-P1 seems to have a bit of shutter lag (not usually enough to be a problem) in manual mode. The AF, on the other hand, is notably slow, and *can* be a problem.

But the cameras are quite compact, and the IQ is excellent. The zoom lenses are slow, but that the price you pay for the compactness. The E-P1 has a 14-42 f3/5-5.6 zoom that I like for its compactness, but I don't like that 5.6 on such a short lens. But using that lens, you get a very useful wide range (equiv to 28) and a nice portrait range at the long end (equiv to 84.) The equivalent G1 lens is a bit longer (14-45) but the same speed.

I have an adapter for my Leica M lenses, and shooting a Leica 135 on manual mode is a hoot -- I can focus more quickly and more accurately with either of the m4/3 cameras than I can with an M7 or M8. Same with the Noctilux.

The ISO is okay, but nothing to write home about. In general, it seems to me to be about a generation behind the Nikon/Canon standard...maybe a stop or so?

The coolest thing is traveling with it. I can put both bodies and five lenses, which will get me from 7 (equiv 14) to 200 (equiv 400) in a small Leica bag, and it's lots lighter than the Leicas. I can get the whole thing in a no-questions-asked carry-on, along with a Mac Air and all the bits and pieces, along with the rest of my travel stuff. (And I have quite a bit of stuff -- extra glasses, prescription meds, usually a novel or two, etc.)

JC
 
I suspect he meant to post this in the "show us your strap" thread, way up at the top. It's cool though.

You know - it happens.
 
Yeah, I saw that you had said "black rapid, cool" a few posts up, but that's not a good reason to hijack it away from Dave's discussion of dslr street shooting. Especially when there is a perfectly good strap thread currently going on in another section, as I tried to politely point out.
 
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