All street photographers share your gear here!

[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).

 

[dickgrafixstop]

best street gear I use is a 35mm summilux on an M9. It's preferable, for me, to either the 24mm or
the 50mm for candids up close. a few steps either way usually solves framing issues, but then a lot
of my street shots are zone focused grabs. I've tried the 35mm f1.4 on a 5dII, but it's too intimidating and too noticeable for many spots.

 

[Ido]

I mostly use my 40mm 2.8 pancake for street photography.
It's very small, and dose not draw too much attention.

 

[EvilTed]

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?)

Asking permissions or portraits is not street photography. It is portraiture in a street setting. They are not the same thing...

 

[ChilledXpress]

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?)

Asking permissions or portraits is not street photography. It is portraiture in a street setting. They are not the same thing...

Nonsense... asking permission is fine and still street photography, with a portraiture slant. Taking photos without permission is candid street photography. That's kind of like saying all street photography needs to have a street in it, NO SIDEWALKS. Friedlander would scoff at that. Don't let anyone tell you where you need to draw the line, especially with street work.

I've done both for years and as the Admin for 100 Strangers on Flickr I've seen thousands of both types... no longer an admin for the group but still very involved with street photography. As for which gear (all IMHO)... 135L is perfect for low profile street or my fave now... 5d3 with 50L. The 85L is too slow for the street and is an eye catcher. The 1.8 is a nice one and if you get nicked you won't cry like you would if you lost the 85L. The 24L is nice but a little too wide unless you're after enviros... if that's the case I prefer the 35L. I own and use the 24L, 35L, 50L, 85L, 135L and 70-200 II for street work but usually always grab the 50L or 135L most of the time.


This Cruel Sun... by David KM, on Flickr

Downtown Napa by David KM, on Flickr

Piano Man by David KM, on Flickr

 

[aprotosimaki]

T2i and Sigma 8-16, sometimes 17-40

 

[cayenne]

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

Yeah, but if you don't get permissions from the folks...you can't sell them for $$, right?

On the other hand, I guess it isn't like most street people aren't ever going to notice you've used a pic of them for anything....? :

 

[Dylan777]

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

+1......I'm currently in China for business trip. I brought 5D III + 40shorty + 16-35 II, so far the 40shorty has been used more than 16-35.

 

[d_biddles]

Used to be a 550d with 70-200 f/4L( nice and inconspicuous), but I've recently purchased an x100 for street work.