What is your go-to lens for street photography?

[Guth]

I've been enjoying some of the benefits that come with the use of a 28mm lens lately. However, if I could only choose one focal length for street photography, my preference would be for a 35mm lens.

 

[helen.HH]

any lens will do.., it’s finding the shot

 

[JohnBeeching]

Leica M6, 35 mm, Tri-X
Praise the Whore by John Beeching, on Flickr

 

[peterm1]

I know that the majority of street photographers shoot with wider lenses for a variety of reasons.

But I voted for other because in the main I prefer slightly longer lenses - sometimes 50mm lenses but mostly 75mm, 85mm 90mm and 100/105mm lenses. I like the fact that I can stand back a little and make a shot without insinuating myself into the scene. I prefer it that the subject does not know they are being photographed for much the same reason that wildlife photographers do - if the subject is aware of what is going on, they cease what they are doing and begin focusing on what the photographer is doing. It affects their behavior. And I like to have some separation between the subject and the background. Sometimes radically, sometimes subtly. Others may disagree - it is their prerogative but I still like to shoot in my own style and that mostly benefits from longer lenses.

For example I think I could have got this shot pretty much in the same way with a 35mm/50mm lens if I stepped in closer. But personally I think it would have lost something had I done so principally because the relationship between the foreground and background would be different.

.Family Outing by Life in Shadows, on Flickr

 

[Erik van Straten]

Leica MP/Elmar-M50mmf/2.8/TMY400/AdoxMCC110

Erik.

 

[Yokosuka Mike]

Digital medium format is the future of street photography for me. It's like when people started using a Pentax 6X7 to shoot street.

Fujifilm GFX 50R
Fujinon GF 45mm & 63mm f2.8 R WR lens
Yokohama - October 2020

All the best,
Mike

 

[Erik van Straten]

A great street lens is the Color Skopar 50mm f/2.5 lens for LTM. Lever focusing like a 35mm M lens and a solid f-stop ring. For M-Leicas but also for screw-mounts.

LeicaII/Color Skopar 50mm f/2.5/TMY400/IlfordMGFB

Erik.

 

[Yokosuka Mike]

Fujinon GF lenses - they're all good for street!

Fujifilm GFX 50R
Fujinon GF 45mm f2.8 R WR lens
Yokohama - October 2020

All the best,
Mike

 

[relistan]

I rarely change the lens on my M2. Most of the time it's my Summarit-M 2.5/35mm (I *love* this lens). If it's not that, it's my Voigtlander Super Wide Heliar 15m LTM. But, the Heliar I mostly get out for special shots. 35mm is my focal length and that's what I shoot everything with pretty much. Before I had the Summarit-M I used a Color-Skopar 35mm LTM which is also a very nice lens.


Having said that, I go to look and I have used the 15mm on the street before to some effect also:

 

[relistan]

For comparison, the Summarit-M. Adox Silvermax 100 at EI200 in XTOL stock

 

[narsuitus]

Zeiss 35mm f/1.4 Distagon ZM on Leica M6
Nikkor 35mm f1.4 AI on Nikon F2
Fuji 23mm f/1.4 on Fuji X-Pro2

Update on my earlier post. Unless I am shooting under dim lighting conditions, the 23mm f/2 has become my favorite street lens on my X-Pro2.


Fuji Street Kit by Narsuitus, on Flickr

 

[FranZ]

My goto set for street and hiking; the Sony RX1m2 with its beautiful 35mm F2 Sonnar
500 grams of Photo IQ

 

[cboy]

You have wonderful street photos!.They are very intimate and candid.Please discuss your shooting techique with your lens and camera you use sometime!

Fujinon GF lenses - they're all good for street!

Fujifilm GFX 50R
Fujinon GF 45mm f2.8 R WR lens
Yokohama - October 2020

All the best,
Mike