Which kind of camera you use for street photography?

[rbsinto]

There is a reason the Leica has the reputation it does for street photography -- it works!

Rolfe

The implication being that everyone else's cameras don't?
Just wondering who makes this stuff up?
I know it's a really hard concept for some of the Leicavolk to grasp, but apparently its also possible to shoot street very nicely with cameras other than Leicas.

motorized Nikon F3P
Vivitar series 1 135 2.3 AI manual focus

motorized Nikon F2AS
Nikkor 180 2.8 ED AIS manual focus

motorized Nikon FA
Nikkor 24 f2 AIS manual focus

Robert

 

[daveleo]

This is interesting. I always figured street shooters on this forum were virtually 100% RF shooters, but only 25% of street photos here are taken with RF cameras ! ?

 

[cz23]

This is interesting. I always figured street shooters on this forum were virtually 100% RF shooters, but only 25% of street photos here are taken with RF cameras ! ?

Maybe RFF has skewed your perception? Last week I saw someone using a rangefinder on the streets of Chicago. I can't even recall the last time before that.

John

 

[kiss-o-matic]

Maybe RFF has skewed your perception? Last week I saw someone using a rangefinder on the streets of Chicago. I can't even recall the last time before that.

John

I was the start of a candid shot (I guess maybe it ceased to be candid) not long ago... mirrorless AFAIK, but didn't check. I've seen an RF here and there (maybe you saw me?) but for the most part I see DSLRs. Then again, not sure if these people would qualify as street photogs (or if they would consider themselves as such). My first assumption when I see a camera is tourist.

 

[daveleo]

^ yes, but I thought that the results here (sampling RFF members) would be heavily weighted toward rangefinder cameras (for our street shooters).

 

[jsrockit]

^ yes, but I thought that the results here (sampling RFF members) would be heavily weighted toward rangefinder cameras (for our street shooters).

4-5 years ago, I think you would've been right. However, mirrorless has taken a big chunk of that away from digital rangefinders.

 

[Darthfeeble]

I seem to do best with the XPro1 and 18mm. I like the X100 best for use, and I like the files from the M9 best. I'm a mess......

 

[Dirk]

4-5 years ago, I think you would've been right. However, mirrorless has taken a big chunk of that away from digital rangefinders.

I'm with you. Much cheaper than digital rangefinders and indistinguishable results. Mirrorless Samsung NX300 here.

 

[Jake Mongey]

I usually use my mamiya c33 which is my daily carry or my canon 7.

 

[back alley]

i have used...
mamiya 645
mamiya 6
canon f1
nikon f2
oly om1 & 2
miranda sensorex ee
oly 35rc
leica m4p...m3
fuji xe1 & 2

 

[rolfe]

There is a reason the Leica has the reputation it does for street photography -- it works!

Rolfe

The implication being that everyone else's cameras don't?
Just wondering who makes this stuff up?
I know it's a really hard concept for some of the Leicavolk to grasp, but apparently its also possible to shoot street very nicely with cameras other than Leicas.

Robert

I guess I should have been more precise 🙂.

There is a reason the Leica has the reputation it does for street photography -- it is ideally designed for that task.

Is it possible to do it with other cameras? Of course, but for the most part, not nearly as easily.

Rolfe

 

[jsrockit]

I guess I should have been more precise 🙂.

There is a reason the Leica has the reputation it does for street photography -- it is ideally designed for that task.

Is it possible to do it with other cameras? Of course, but for the most part, not nearly as easily.

I would argue that for me, good autofocus makes it easier in all situations other than those where zone focusing comes into play... which is everything but a super sunny situation.

 

[Canyongazer]

Have used:
Canon FT
Mamiya C330
Mamiya 7ll
Nikon F
Fuji GSW 690
Konica S3

Currently using:
Lumix GX1
Fuji Pro 2, XE2, X100s

Hope to use in the future:
Fuji X E3. (c'mon Fuji!)

 

[Ko.Fe.]

I would argue that for me, good autofocus makes it easier in all situations other than those where zone focusing comes into play... which is everything but a super sunny situation.

🙄 Good for you!

Where AF is going to be if one person is very close to me, contrasty objects are in the background and what pedestrian whom I need in focus is in 3 meters, but not in the center. Is here any AF cameras which will listen to my whisper - " two'0'clock, three meters"? I used SLR with AF following to the eye, but camera was a brick to carry on.

 

[jsrockit]

🙄 Good for you!

Where AF is going to be if one person is very close to me, contrasty objects are in the background and what pedestrian whom I need in focus is in 3 meters, but not in the center. Is here any AF cameras which will listen to my whisper - " two'0'clock, three meters"? I used SLR with AF following to the eye, but camera was a brick to carry on.

🙄 back at ya... AF can be used in any scenario with practice. I used single point and frame quickly. More than a few here have seen me do it in person in all types of scenarios. It's not too hard.

 

[Landberg]

I used film Leica Ms for a lot of years. Now i use the Ricoh GRII and the Leica X-E.

 

[Ko.Fe.]

🙄 back at ya... AF can be used in any scenario with practice. I used single point and frame quickly. More than a few here have seen me do it in person in all types of scenarios. It's not too hard.

I have practiced AF on BiF and sports, back button focus, AI Servo for AF tracking on AF points matrix. But for the street it is not sufficient.
I have to grab it in focus to be able to track it with AF, instead of just framing and scale focus by the same time.
But if you are using 200mm lens for the street AF is a must. 😎 And with 50mm FOV it is not so complicated with AF and recompose.

 

[DNG]

Digital Compact (Fuji X100T)

2016 Classic Street Photography by Peter Arbib: My Classic Street Photography, on Flickr

SLR (Nikon F2, or FM2n with a Nikon 24mm f/2.8 Ais)

2016 Classic Street Photography by Peter Arbib: My Classic Street Photography, on Flickr

 

[Hogarth Ferguson]

Almost all of my photography is done with a pair of fuji rangefinders. Street photography is no exception.

 

[zuiko85]

Don't shoot much 'street' but from early days in Chicago I found my favorite camera for this kind of shooting was a all manual Olympus Pen, the early one with a 28mm f3.5 lens (that equals the angle of view of a 40mm lens on full frame). I still have a couple of those types of Pens.