All street photographers share your gear here!

[Nate]

Hi all,

I shoot street photography usually with 5D3 and a 50 1.4 (thinking to upgrade to 1.2) and I have 2 600EX-RT with me, in case the shadows are to big.

Mostly I ask for permission to do portraits. And most of the times I do head shots or from chest up.

I was thinking also to get 1-2 more prime lenses for shorter and longer focal length.

Please write here what gear do you use, and also if you have experience with the primes 24L vs 28, 50L vs 50, 85L vs 85.
Is it wort paying $$$$ more for the L lenses? ( I know that L's are better, but is the difference day n night like at some zoom lenses?)

[distant.star]

.
"Street photography" may not mean what you think it means.

I'd say what you're doing is simply portraiture outside.

Your real question seems to be, what equipment do portrait photographers use?

[rahkshi007]

Hi, i not a street photographer but more to portrait and landscape.
my lens are
canon 24-70mm 2.8L
canon 17-40mm 2.8L
canon 85mm f1.2L ii
canon 50mm f1.4 (just like yours).

form my personal opinion, the 50mm f1.4 is not a sharp lens. especially on wide open f1.4. it has sharp result only at f1.8 or smaller aperture. however,the price u pay for L lens might high, but u will get what u paid. for example, the 85mm L ii is incredible sharp even though at wide open f1.2.  the 24-70mm also very sharp at wide open f2.8.

[nda]

Hi, for street i only use the a 5d2 with 50L a great combo even at night thats where the f1.2 plays its role> and its light and small with great IQ, with the 5d3 it will be amazing! hope this helps.

[Michael_pfh]

For candid portraits in the streets I use the 300 F2.8L IS II - gets me superb results.

[EvilTed]

I'd hardly refer to a 5D MK2 and 50L as light or unobtrusive

The best I can get with Canon is my 5D MK3 + "Shorty Forty", this is very sharp compared to the 50L and a hell of a lot lighter.

I still prefer my Fuji X-Pro 1 with 18mm (27mm) or 35 (53mm) because it is just better for street photography IMHO.

ET

[Nate]

.
"Street photography" may not mean what you think it means.

I'd say what you're doing is simply portraiture outside.

Your real question seems to be, what equipment do portrait photographers use?

I dont get it why its called street photography when you go on the street looking for interesting faces in their environment and take photos but when you go and do the same think just you ask for permission is called portraiture...

[Nate]

The best I can get with Canon is my 5D MK3 + "Shorty Forty", this is very sharp compared to the 50L and a hell of a lot lighter.

Most of the time I shoot wider than 2.8 for the bokeh so...

[akiskev]

For street photography I use a Canon S5 IS from waist level. Nobody seems to notice it or care about it. If I feel more comfortable in the area I'm shooting, then  I use my Rebel XTi with the Jenna Zeiss 35mm or the 50mm Planar.
I don't want to use anything bigger because people gets defensive, sometimes aggressive and not cooperating at all

[bdunbar79]

For street photography I use a Canon S5 IS from waist level. Nobody seems to notice it or care about it. If I feel more comfortable in the area I'm shooting, then  I use my Rebel XTi with the Jenna Zeiss 35mm or the 50mm Planar.
I don't want to use anything bigger because people gets defensive, sometimes aggressive and not cooperating at all

So you don't carry a 1DX and 1D4, strapped across each shoulder, with a 400mm f/2.8L IS lens on each? 

[akiskev]

For street photography I use a Canon S5 IS from waist level. Nobody seems to notice it or care about it. If I feel more comfortable in the area I'm shooting, then  I use my Rebel XTi with the Jenna Zeiss 35mm or the 50mm Planar.
I don't want to use anything bigger because people gets defensive, sometimes aggressive and not cooperating at all

So you don't carry a 1DX and 1D4, strapped across each shoulder, with a 400mm f/2.8L IS lens on each? 

Surprisingly, no I don't!!!

[ChrisAnderson]

Typically I would use my T2i with the 40mm pancake (or my ungripped 5D3, if it's not bright out)

However, I had my 70-200 f/4 AND my battery grip attached the other day, and I think i got some wonderful shots.  You've got to be quick, as that combo will certainly get people's attention.  Luckily, there were tons of other photographers around, so I didn't get any angry or sketched out people.
Here's an example @ 200mm

[bdunbar79]

To actually contribute to this thread, I view street photography as walking down the street, downtown area, and taking photos of whatever.  For this I typically use a 50 prime, most often my 50 f/1.4.  If I went to shoot something far away and get a compressed look, I take my 135L.  That's as long as I'll go for this type of photography simply for convenience.  I take the grip OFF my 5D3 and use that, because I hate walking around public with 1D bodies when I'm not really shooting anything that would require a 1D body.  I want to find an HDR image I did downtown back in June at night, so I will look for it.

[Nate]

Nice shot Chris! I love the branches in front of the subject.

This is what I am looking for. Usually I walk around with a 50mm 1.4 because that's the only lens what I have and its not big. I am also looking for some who uses 85 (on FF). Is not to tight to use it for example in some crowded are as Hong Kong or Venice?

[elflord]

Hi all,

I shoot street photography usually with 5D3 and a 50 1.4 (thinking to upgrade to 1.2) and I have 2 600EX-RT with me, in case the shadows are to big.

Mostly I ask for permission to do portraits. And most of the times I do head shots or from chest up.

I was thinking also to get 1-2 more prime lenses for shorter and longer focal length.

Please write here what gear do you use, and also if you have experience with the primes 24L vs 28, 50L vs 50, 85L vs 85.
Is it wort paying $$$$ more for the L lenses? ( I know that L's are better, but is the difference day n night like at some zoom lenses?)

Noone besides you can decide if it's "worth it".

The difference probably isn't as great as it is for zooms though. Even the weaker non-L primes should for example give you pretty decent image quality at f/2.8. The non-L zooms won't even go to f/2.8.

I'd suggest looking at some  review sites like photozone for example if you haven't done so already.

Re the list, don't forget the sigma 85