Street Photography (Discuss)

Yes I love wildlife photography, dabbling in landscape and the odd portrait too BUT my real love at the moment is hitting the streets with my k-5 and manual lenses.

I am getting more and more confident with my technique but also employ the "hip shots" for my candid moments.

I'd love to hear from other members who also enjoy this world of photography and specifically want lenses or camera they might use?

At the moment I am focusing on something around ten feet away and then using this as my guage when i get close to someone - when it works its awesome.

I cant wait to hear your thoughts!

The GR is ideal for this sort of thing, fast and sharp.

Getting in close and shooting candids is the forte of paulyrichard, definitely worth looking at what he produces.

I love street photography. Depending on my mood I suppose, decides on the lens I use, its either the 70-200 or the 40ltd. I like to engage with people, I like to get a name to the shot. The 70-200 gives me a distance I like, protection if you see what I mean, gives me more natural shots as people don't realize they're in the frame. And the 40 lets me get up close with folk.

I could never use a telephoto on the street! Way too much for people but I understand how it might make you feel better.

At the moment I am looking at the 35mm macro or 40 being lenses for this kind of thing.



Not so sure about that John as I dont think there is a viewfinder? The X100 looks to be the biz.,, Am I allowed to say that??

In all seriousness though I wouldnt doubt the capability of the GR as it seems to being doing well on the net with sales etc.

Is that Paulyrichard someone on here?
QC

I have Pentax smc-M 2.8 28mm manual lens which I use with a k10 for street shots. The slightly wider lens is more useful than say a 34 or 50mm. On the down side it is sometimes a bit tricky getting the correct exposure and I am usually looking for static scenes. I understand the smc A 2.8 28 is reckoned to be better but I am more than happy with this one.

The 28mm 2.8 - is that an expensive lens?

No. I picked it up in a charity shop for £15, I think.

Used prices are around £40 the last time I looked!!

You can add the viewfinder to the GR, it fits into the hotshoe. Crystal clear and one of the best I've seen. Very similar to the Q viewfinder, which makes the Q another candidate, with a choice of lenses.

When these cameras are thus kitted out they end up looking very much like the classic 1940s/1950s Leica rangefinder style of photography. In terms of function that is, but with faster AF knocking spots off traditional rangefinder focusing. You could be a modern version of the classic photojournalist.

Paulyrichard is on here, I'm amazed you haven't seen his pictures. Worth checking out.

The Q! i would never have thought of that for street.

Expensive though for all of these tings

I love the idea of street photography but feel horribly furtive doing so. Using a DSLR is even worse. I have used a compact when I've plucked-up enough courage but Cartier-Bresson and Vivian Maier were way better.

I reckon the perfect "camera" is one of those modern all-in-one 'phones beloved of teenagers (mine has no camera, of course). I believe our own Smeggy uses one to good effect. People wouldn't know whether you were texting or taking a picture, so ubiquitous is their use.

The drawback is, you couldn't post the results on this forum, if that matters to you.

I have shot with my Galaxy S3 quite a lot

The M28 F2.8 is not an expensive lens and there are loads available on ebay for between £30 and £60. If you want one like this, go for M28 F3.5 instead - it is rarer but better and would double up as an excellent landscape lens too.

I don't do a lot of street photography, but when I do the K-01 with 40mm DA XS F2.8 (pancake lens) is ideal, I also find the K-5iis with DA 17-70 is a very versatile combination that deals with all sorts of situations, it's not compact but it allows flexibility.

Regards
David