Which kind of camera you use for street photography?

Which kind of camera you use for street photography?

  • SLR

    Votes: 68 15.0%

  • Digital SLR

    Votes: 42 9.3%

  • RF

    Votes: 254 55.9%

  • Digital RF

    Votes: 88 19.4%

  • Compact

    Votes: 56 12.3%

  • Digital Compact

    Votes: 94 20.7%

  • MF SLR

    Votes: 29 6.4%

  • MF RF

    Votes: 66 14.5%

  • TLR

    Votes: 53 11.7%

  • LF

    Votes: 9 2.0%

  • Other

    Votes: 45 9.9%
  • Total voters
    454
I don't do a lot of street photography anymore, but when I do, it is either with a Leica M, or Leica IIIc, or a small digital. I've used the Fuji X10 and the little Leica/panasonic models like the D-Lux 3. I rather like the small digital point and shoots for the purpose.
 
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@pulp_picture
 
Street photography is really the only kind of photography I do. I am in New York and Philadelphia each once a week just to do street photography.

I have used just about every type of camera listed for street photography, from Sony autofocus mirrorless to film Hassys to SLRs, and I have very strong opinions about what makes good street photography, which I will reserve at this point. Let me just say that most of what is posted on Flickr and on forums is not good street photography. It is just people either: 1. walking, or 2. doing something ironical (which some interpret as a "decisive moment" but it's not). OK, I'll stop for now.

What I will say is that the camera you choose for shooting street must be a kind of extension of your mind. It must be the camera that is least in the way of the vision which you see unfolding and the capturing of that vision.

For me, I want a simple and reliable camera. No alarms and no surprises, as the poet says. And it must have the highest level optics. And so, I shoot Leica rangefinders. I guess they have a cache associated with them, and I guess they're "collectable" but none of that matters to me. They are simple, reliable cameras with pristine optics. Nothing automatic gets in the way of what I am trying to do.

All film, of course. So I find myself using a IIIF with collapsible summicron these days. I also like using an M with the rigid Summicron. Simple, reliable, sharp.
 
Sigma DPM2, Leica X1, X2, Leica M6, and a new to me TLR 1059s Rolleiflex that I look forward to using ion the street (haven't much yet). Also very recently acquired a IIIf with Summaron - needs CLA first though.
 
Unfortunately, practically any camera other than the iPhone is noticed. The iPhone is the ultimate street camera; though I prefer the quality of other cameras, so generally do not use it for that purpose (most of my street shots are on the Fujifilm XT-2).

The poll did not have digital mirrorless, and the XT-2 is not compact, so I chose "other".


jaws by Mark Wyatt, on Flickr


butcher by Mark Wyatt, on Flickr

(added this one to compliment the butcher shot a few posts up, @zosta)
 
i use 2 fuji xe3 bodies and a bag full of fujicrons.''soon to add the 16/2.8 and will likely have the 16 on one body and the 35 on the other.
 
The smaller, the quieter, the better. I love my Minox 35 for street photography because it is completely noiseless and so small that nobody will turn their heads. The 35mm lens is outstanding as well. Fits into a shirt pocket and you have no excuse to not have a camera with you at all times. To me, this is the perfect street photography cameras.

I like them so much that I have four of them :D

andy-warhol-camera-lunching-with-mick-jagger-postcard-factory-rolling-stones-3.gif
 
Rick Waldroup said:
I've been using m4/3 cameras since they first appeared. From my first Lumix GF-1 right up to my Lumix GX-7, and a few Olympus bodies here and there. I have superb lenses for the cameras and in my mind, this mirrorless system is ideal for street shooting. I would not change a thing.
Click to expand...

I wrote that back in 2016 when I replied to this thread. I just now had a good laugh at myself, especially at the last line. Last year I sold off all my m4/3 gear and went back to Nikon. For my street stuff I currently use a Nikon Coolpix A and every now and then, a Nikon Df with various lenses.

Never say never.....:eek:
 
Rollei 35 hands down. It’s small, quiet, unubtrusive, and scale focused. Pre-select a setting that works with f8 then just point and shoot.


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I am presently mainly using a Panasonic GX 7 M4/3 camera mainly because I prefer to use vintage MF lenses and that camera has focus peaking and in body image stabilisation and is pretty small and easy to carry. As I grow older I find it to be harder on my eyes to quickly hit focus with an MF lens. And I use M4/3 mainly because it is cropped so as to give the effect of a lens with double the focal length actually used. As I like to shoot mostly with longer lenses, candidly at a distance that is a signal advantage for me. Occasionally I will use my Nikon D700 - its only disadvantage being the weight especially with longer lenses.

Other cameras will undoubtedly come along I am sure but I always prefer to put my money into lenses not camera bodies so that is where the bulk of my hobbyist disposable photo funny money goes. As a result my upgrade path in terms of camera bodies is slow.
 
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