All street photographers share your gear here!

[vargyropoulos]

my current setup for street is canon AE-1 with a 50mm 1.4 lens. film choice depends on my mood and objectives as follows:

portra 400 - street portaits
tri-x 400 - "Vintage"  B&W
tmax100 - "Modern" B&W
Fuji velvia or provia - if I'm going to be at the park or somewhere else with lots of bright colors.

on occassion I've also used my digital rebel XT with the 70-300 to get shots that I'm not able to get close to, although I would not recommend this approach too often as it may "scare away" some of the people near you... but I must say that I've seen a few folks walking the streets with 400mm glass hanging from each shoulder.

some examples of my street work are here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/vargyropoulos/sets/72157630365042412/

[dr croubie]

Kinda depends on what you'd call "street". Seeing as I have way too many cameras and lenses to choose from, here's some of my most-preferred (in order of preference/use):

EOS 3 + 40mm Pancake
Pentacon Six + Zeiss MC Biometar 120mm f/2.8 (sometimes a MIR 65mm f/3.5)
Pentax Spotmatic + Takumar 50mm f/1.4 (Sometimes a Soligor 35mm f/2.8 )

7D + Samyang 35/1.4 (although I'm using it more often with the Pancake too) gets occasional use.
I've also inherited my dad's Petri 7s Circle-eye rangefinder, think it's got a 45mm lens. I really should investigate that one day, it's got an uber-quiet leaf shutter and an extra meter-needle on the top of the body for waist-level shooting.


Considering how bulky and heavy the P6+Biometar is (think 5D3+24-105 size, at least), it doesn't fit many people's definitons of 'discrete street'. But it gets great images (like scans to 46mp at 3200dpi), and the WLF is just perfect for shooting from the hip (if you take enough light-readings first).

[Jotho]

I would say it depends on what kind of shooting you want to do and what situation you are in. I went out yesterday with a friend carrying only the MKIII and 24-105 while my friend carried his MkII and 70-200 2.8. Attached picture is shot at 24mm, f/4.0, ISO4000 and 1/1000. Yesterday I shot all the way up to ISO10000 with what I consider still good result. Some occasions I will only bring the S100.

[tomscott]

Nifty 50 1.8 and the smallest body possible. Unfortunately thats my 40D.

Street photography is the candid documentation of people.. what you see, not set up in anyway as soon as you ask someone permission it is no longer street photography it is portraiture.

My hero is Gary Winograd

"You have a lifetime to learn technique. But I can teach you what is more important than technique, how to see; learn that and all you have to do afterwards is press the shutter" - Garry Winogrand

Heres a few of mine.


Women, St. Pauls, Millennium bridge, London by tom_scott88, on Flickr


IMG_1930.jpg by tom_scott88, on Flickr


Apple Store, Covent Garden by tom_scott88, on Flickr


Couple, Covent Garden by tom_scott88, on Flickr


Man, Tate Modern, London by tom_scott88, on Flickr


IMG_1865.jpg by tom_scott88, on Flickr


London Underground by tom_scott88, on Flickr

[akiskev]

(flektogon 35mm)

[Nassen0f]

5D2
40mm f2.8 Pancake
80mm f1.8

Or if im feeling retro

Canon AV-1 with FD 50mm 1.8

I usualy use the 80mm since im still a bit shy when im in the streets taking photos. But if i need the wider angle of the 40mm its a prefect lens cause of its size. Its also easy to keep in a pocket/small bag

Both attachments are with the 40mm

[AprilForever]

7D, 70-200 2.8...

[LanceF]

5D Mark iii with my trusty 24-105 and in my bag a 50 1.4 with a 430exii

[distant.star]

EOS 3 + 40mm Pancake
Pentacon Six + Zeiss MC Biometar 120mm f/2.8 (sometimes a MIR 65mm f/3.5)
Pentax Spotmatic + Takumar 50mm f/1.4 (Sometimes a Soligor 35mm f/2.8 )

Thanks. I have the 40mm pancake, but it never occurred to me to put it on my 1V HS. What a strange sight that will be. I'll have to do a roll of film and see how it looks!

[crasher8]

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

Wow, Jaja has certainly changed a bit since leaving the peloton

[Etienne]

I am partial to wide angle, so I use 5DII and 16-35 f/2.8 II. I often bring the 50 1.4, but I don't use it much. I feel too tight with the 50.

I have forced myself to go out with just the 50 f/1.4 on the 5DII, but not with great success yet. I know people are getting good results with it, but I keep going back to my ultra-wide zoom.

[CharlieB]

New Leica body is a grand cheaper than the M9, has the essentials .... I wanna see it.  I might be good to go with that.  I've got four lenses sitting here that need a digital body.

[lucuias]

I am currently using Canon 5Dmark III together with Canon 70-200 v2 most of the time and only minority shot with Canon 24-70.For my point of view,70-200 on full frame are wide enough for most situation on the street.Below are some of the shot with this combination:-









More of my street work,please visit http://www.ronniechanphoto.com/photo-categories/street

[perperub]

Anyone else using the Canon EF 40mm pancake? Seems like the 50/1,4 is the most popular gal' in the class for street photos.

[dr croubie]

Anyone else using the Canon EF 40mm pancake? Seems like the 50/1,4 is the most popular gal' in the class for street photos.

I've been using my 40mm pancake on my EOS 3 more and more lately. It's the eye-control that does it for me, more than once i've been lining up a shot, see something move in the background, straight away it's refocused on that and i've got a much better shot. Mostly with B+W film, last roll was Ilford 125, sometimes it's T-Max 100 or 400 or BW400CN.

My other new favourite toy is a (Cosina) Voigtlander Bessa L. TTL Light meter, fully manual, L39 screw-mount. No viewfinder at all, just guess and shoot, perfect for 'shooting from the hip' (also a lot more subtle that way). I've only amassed 1 lens so far (besides SLR lenses I can use via adapter), is the 21mm f/4.0 Color Skopar. Absolutely amazing lens, second only to the Zeiss ZM Biogon, ZE Distagon, or Leica Super Angulon, except the Skopar cost me $200, they're $500 new, compare that to the Zeiss or Leicas. Came with a viewfinder too.

It's also a great tiny/featherweight hiking/landscape camera with a roll of Velvia 50.

(I also almost got a Bessa R3A and Ultron 40/1.7, but the bidding went too high for me. One day i'll get the R3A and put on a 90 or 135mm, for candid street portraits).