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Author Topic: Best camera / lens combination for street photography?  (Read 18255 times)

OnyimBob

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Re: Best camera / lens combination for street photography?
« Reply #20 on: October 10, 2011, 03:05:58 am »

Steve -
how you would change your horse to better serve your needs
I thought I had answered that  .....small (unobtrusive), fast (ie no shutter lag), ability to zone focus, preferably with a viewfinder (personal preference - I've never really enjoyed the Ricoh's lack of one), 35 to 50mm equivalent fixed lens. .....
Jennifer - is the pancake the only lens you use with the NEX? What were the limitations for you with it?
Bob.
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Bob Munro.
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fotometria gr

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Re: Best camera / lens combination for street photography?
« Reply #21 on: October 10, 2011, 04:37:55 am »

Steve - I thought I had answered that  .....small (unobtrusive), fast (ie no shutter lag), ability to zone focus, preferably with a viewfinder (personal preference - I've never really enjoyed the Ricoh's lack of one), 35 to 50mm equivalent fixed lens. .....
Jennifer - is the pancake the only lens you use with the NEX? What were the limitations for you with it?
Bob.
What do you mostly find that would need improvement with you K20 Bob? Do you find it bulky? Does its IQ suits you? Would you rather have a rangefinder? Or is it OK but you want to advance on it? The reason I insisted on the fuji is that to me highlight DR is my priority when doing "street", it may be different with you. Regards, Theodoros. www.fotometria.gr
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OnyimBob

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Re: Best camera / lens combination for street photography?
« Reply #22 on: October 10, 2011, 05:37:58 am »

Theodorus,
I have no complaints at all about my beloved K20. It does everything I need for the sort of photography I've been doing - landscape, cityscapes, seascapes etc., etc. I may upgrade one day but not now.
If you look at my site you'll see that there are almost no people represented.
I have decided that I want to redress that situation by doing street photography of people, and that therefore I need a camera that is small (pocketable if possible), unobtrusive, simple and quick to use.
My Ricoh GX100 with 10 mxps (but which has unacceptable shutter lag) has shown me that image quality is not an issue as far as I'm concerned. The last two images here were made with the Ricoh and a Nikon D70 (5 mpx) respectively and print up to 16 x 12 inches quite satisfactorily.
Actually, Dale Cotton has an interesting write-up on using the Olympus EP1/2 for this sort of work here - and the later EP3 looks very interesting - 4/3 of course.
If I didn't make all this clear at the start I'm sorry.
Bob.
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Steve Weldon

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Re: Best camera / lens combination for street photography?
« Reply #23 on: October 10, 2011, 06:40:57 am »

Steve - I thought I had answered that  .....small (unobtrusive), fast (ie no shutter lag), ability to zone focus, preferably with a viewfinder (personal preference - I've never really enjoyed the Ricoh's lack of one), 35 to 50mm equivalent fixed lens. .....


In addition to my professional DSLR's I have several small consumer DSLR's, a host of PNS cameras, a Sony NEX-5, and a Fuji x100.  I don't think any of these is perfect for street photography, but I use them all for street photography all throughout South East Asia.  Each one excels for a different style. 

If I had to choose just one, and lately when not working I have been choosing just one, it's the Fuji x100.  A great viewfinder, excellent IQ, small, jacket pocketable, unobtrusive, fast frame rate, excellent fast lens, love the controls (aperture on the lens, shutter dial, ev dial), but for street photography focusing is the biggest drawback.  It has several focusing modes.. but it's not a fast focus camera.  Still, at 35mm and say F5.6.. it's easy enough to be right in there from the start.

The NEX-5 focuses a bit faster, but it's lens and IQ isn't as good, with the pancake it's about the same size, and the articulating LCD allows 'from the hip' and other perspectives you're not likely to use much with an actual viewfinder.

I'll often take a seat outdoors in a busy area and make captures with one of my DSLR's  and 135/2.. but I've also used my 300/2.8 for further reach.  A camera isn't obtrusive if you're so far away they don't consider you're taking their picture. or they don't notice it.

This might sound funny.. but my old Olympus OM-1n with it's 35/2 and tri-x is really hard to beat for the street..  It's manual focus is superb, controls great, the camera is small.. but I know no one wants to hear that.. :)

If you'd said more about your style then maybe I could have said one suits your needs better than the other.  Yet, I wonder if the new Nikon V1, IF it's autofocus lives up to the hype, might just be the best overall choice for street..

Good luck.
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michswiss

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Re: Best camera / lens combination for street photography?
« Reply #24 on: October 10, 2011, 07:05:01 am »


Jennifer - is the pancake the only lens you use with the NEX? What were the limitations for you with it?
Bob.

It's not so much the limitations on the 5, I knew what I was getting when I bought it.  It's the additions on the 7 that might let it fit an expanded set of uses for me.  I've only used the pancake so far and I'm not much of an experimenter in terms of adaptors but I might be interested in some of their new primes.  Fwiw, low light performance was more important to me than IQ.  Street is one of the genre's that can withstand lower IQ as long as you can get the shot.

Bob, I noticed you're in Gippsland.  I'm in Melbourne.  Happy to get together if you make it into the big smoke.

PhillyPhotographer

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Re: Best camera / lens combination for street photography?
« Reply #25 on: October 10, 2011, 09:22:36 am »

Bob you might want to have a look at this site.

http://www.seriouscompacts.com/

fotometria gr

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Re: Best camera / lens combination for street photography?
« Reply #26 on: October 10, 2011, 05:29:38 pm »


This might sound funny.. but my old Olympus OM-1n with it's 35/2 and tri-x is really hard to beat for the street..  It's manual focus is superb, controls great, the camera is small.. but I know no one wants to hear that.. :)

Good luck.
You may be surprised of how many ....are glad that heard that!  :) Regards, Theodoros. www.fotometria.gr
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PhillyPhotographer

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Re: Best camera / lens combination for street photography?
« Reply #27 on: October 11, 2011, 05:43:34 pm »

Just arrived today.

OnyimBob

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Re: Best camera / lens combination for street photography?
« Reply #28 on: October 12, 2011, 12:19:46 am »

Looking forward to your impressions ... and some sample shots. :)
Bob.
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Bob Munro.
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PhillyPhotographer

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Re: Best camera / lens combination for street photography?
« Reply #29 on: October 12, 2011, 09:21:57 am »

Well the GXR with the 28mm f2.5 module is the big brother of the GRD. Control layout is basically the same and menu is the same,  The camera is very solid and fits in the hand nicely. Metering and focus at night is fast even with the AF Assist light off. I was shooting at ISO 1600, F2.5 and the results are great.



fotometria gr

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Re: Best camera / lens combination for street photography?
« Reply #30 on: October 12, 2011, 11:32:14 am »

Well the GXR with the 28mm f2.5 module is the big brother of the GRD. Control layout is basically the same and menu is the same,  The camera is very solid and fits in the hand nicely. Metering and focus at night is fast even with the AF Assist light off. I was shooting at ISO 1600, F2.5 and the results are great.




Its difficult to judge from a screen, it may also be your intentional presentation, but I feel there is no DR there..., not enough anyway..., MO that is..., I hope you don't take my comment as to be provocative, I assure you its not, its only my opinion that "street" needs more DR. Regards,Theodoros. www.fotomtria.gr
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PhillyPhotographer

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Re: Best camera / lens combination for street photography?
« Reply #31 on: October 12, 2011, 11:30:34 pm »

low light performance was more important to me than IQ.  Street is one of the genre's that can withstand lower IQ as long as you can get the shot.


Without a doubt.



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