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? ;D

 

[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? ;D

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

 

[bdunbar79]

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?)

I do like the 24L and 85L a lot. I don't like the 50L. For my uses the 1.4 is better/sharper as I mainly use this focal length narower than f/4.

 

[crasher8]

Minolta HiMatic 40 1.7
Portra 400

 

[RobertG.]

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?

Hi, I have both, the EF 50mm f1.4 and EF 85mm F1.8 on a 5D II. For portraits I prefer the 85mm. For a head shot you are about 1.5m (5') further away from the person to get the same framing as with the 50mm lens. I like to be a few steps further away, so I mainly use the 85mm for portraits. The IQ of both lenses is similar IMHO.

 

[elflord]

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?

85mm on full frame will put you about 5ft from the subject for a head and shoulders portrait. It's a very good focal length for this type of shot. When you go much shorter than that (for a head shot), you start moving towards shots that have that far out "wide angle" look which is great if that's what you're going for but unhelpful otherwise.

 

[pwp]

For my style of street work, the 5D3 & 1D Mk4 stay at home and the S100 comes out. People have a lot of significance on a "big" dslr and you may not get as much agreement with the bigger pro-looking gear. It's all about perception. In a legally suppressive and paranoid city like London for example, you definitely leave your DSLR back at the hotel! You just have to be a bit smart and be appropriately informed about the local culture, laws and attitudes towards shooting in public depending where on the planet you are shooting.

There is no denying the IQ is way below dslr level when shooting with the little S100, but I come from the school where a prime consideration is that Content is King and this does apply completely to my style and interpretation of street photography. I'd rather a brilliantly caught moment done with an iPhone to a relatively dead, though technically perfect, mistimed shot done on a 5D3 with premium L glass. Content is King.

When the new mirrorless Canons ship, and then evolve a little further, you'll be looking at a street kit that even the street photography "God" Cartier Bresson would show interest in.

Street photography is an entirely different experience to how it was even just a decade or so ago. We're in the post 9/11 world. Suspicion, and the attitude that photographers are child snatching bestial terrorist operatives, plus the long arm of the law have diminished what could be described as one of the purest forms of photography. Remember, if you plan to use any street images commercially or plan to show them as fine art, protect yourself by carrying a dozen or so model release forms in your pocket or bag. If you can't get agreement, don't use those shots for anything beyond personal use.

You may see this as convoluted and confronting, but it sure as hell improves your personal communication skills!

-PW