Help with new camera for street and everyday photography

[streetlover]

Hello to the forum. I need your help to choose a film camera for street photography. I like 28 or 35mm since i can zone focus but i also need to have the ability to critical focus if needed. I dont like 38-45mm lenses since they are always in between to my eyes. Id like a small camera to carry with me everywhere with a very good lens and a good viewfinder since i wear glasses. I shoot mostly street and everyday stuff. What would you suggest ? Budget till 800 euro.

 

[Paul Howell]

You will get as many suggests are there are good cameras that fit your bill.

SLR?
Rangefinder?
Point and Shoot AF?

For SLR, light decent AF with 28 2.0 will run under 800, Minolta 5 AF. As will Canon Rebel 2000 with same lens, Nikon 75 or 80.
Rangefinder, Canon 7 or P with 28 3.5
Point and Shoot AF, Pentax WR with 35 to 85 or Konica Zup wide with 28 to 50. With a point and shoot need to fast film as the lens are slow.

 

[Romanko]

Welcome to the forum!

I would consider an inexpensive M39 rangefinder with a good 35 mm lens (they are more common than 28 or 29 mm) and use the remaining budget on CLA and film.

Please tell us more about your requirements:
Do you need auto-focus or built-in light meter?
Is it going to see a lot of use? Does it need to be very reliable?
Do you shoot BW, colour negative or slide?
Do you use full analogue or hybrid workflow (wet printing vs. scanning)?
What is the intended use of the images (fine art prints, books/zines, online gallery/web)?

 

[mshchem]

Welcome! I agree with Romanko. A Leica m39 camera, find a modern (used) Voigtlander 28 or 35mm and a detachable viewfinder for the top of the camera.

Zone focusing is perfect for quick candid shots.

 

[GregY]

Another good option is the Leica CL.... here's mine w my Canon 28mm f2.8 LTM
Zone focus & it's a great point & shoot.

 

[mshchem]

Another good option is the Leica CL.... here's mine w my Canon 28mm f2.8 LTM
Zone focus & it's a great point & shoot.

View attachment 384774

Nice outfit!!

 

[George Mann]

Hello to the forum. I need your help to choose a film camera for street photography. I like 28 or 35mm since i can zone focus but i also need to have the ability to critical focus if needed. I dont like 38-45mm lenses since they are always in between to my eyes. Id like a small camera to carry with me everywhere with a very good lens and a good viewfinder since i wear glasses. I shoot mostly street and everyday stuff. What would you suggest ? Budget till 800 euro.

A small and light aperature priority slr with a good viewfinder is probably going to serve you the best along with a 35mm lens for the proper field of view.

A fully automated auto-focus model will give you an instantanious advantage so you never miss a shot.

A lot of people prefer a Leica rangefinder, but they are on the heavy side, cost a fortune along with their lenses and will constantly make you a target for theft (often violent in the US).

 

[streetlover]

Thank you all for the great answers. I am an amateur who just started getting a little better in Photography. Fully manual is not bad at all since i am used from my pentax mx. The problem is that with glasses i cant see the whole frame and i cant focus accurate, otherwise i would be more than happy with it. I also would like somehow sharper lens since the 28mm 2.8m is to me very very flat. A rangefinder with 28mm would also be nice but i would prefer to be able to focus and frame in the same place, without external viewfinder etc. i.

 

[gary mulder]

In the past I have used a Leica m4, Leica CL, Minox 35gl, Nikon Ti28, Nikon F100 and a Nikon F6 for street photography. My experience is that al these cameras have strong points and weak points. There is no clear winner. Take your pick on personal preference. My personal preference is for a 24mm f1.4 lens. That dictates the camera choice. As always a expensive camera will not guarantee better pictures.

 

[streetlover]

In the past I have used a Leica m4, Leica CL, Minox 35gl, Nikon Ti28, Nikon F100 and a Nikon F6 for street photography. My experience is that al these cameras have strong points and weak points. There is no clear winner. Take your pick on personal preference. My personal preference is for a 24mm f1.4 lens. That dictates the camera choice. As always a expensive camera will not guarantee better pictures.

I think i like most 28mm lens but i wouldnt be mad with a 35mm too.

 

[Don_ih]

The Canon VL has its viewfinder switchable between 35mm and 50mm. The viewfinder itself is pretty good. You may find a Leica IIIx viewfinder a bit hard to use with glasses (many people do). There is also the Zorki IV - has a very nice viewfinder. If you opt for the Zorki, get a nice Soviet lens for it.

 

[streetlover]

That looks like a nice camera, is the rangefinder focusing good with it ? what 35mm lens would you suggest ?

 

[Romanko]

Another option for you to consider is a SLR with a waist-level viewfinder, like Nikon F3. To see it in action check this video by Taylor Pendleton:

The image in the viewfinder is upside down and flipped left to right, so might be a bit slow for street photography but you get the benefits of precise focusing and framing while wearing glasses.

 

[streetlover]

Another option for you to consider is a SLR with a waist-level viewfinder, like Nikon F3. To see it in action check this video by Taylor Pendleton:

The image in the viewfinder is upside down and flipped left to right, so might be a bit slow for street photography but you get the benefits of precise focusing and framing while wearing glasses.

I had the Nikon f3hp in the past and it was a joy to use with glasses but the weight made me not carry it often out for fun walks so i sold it. I could compromise the precise focus if all the other aspects of the camera were great. For example i like the size of the olympus xa3 or xa4 but i am not sure about their lenses and reliability, since they are old cameras with electronics. I also would like something like an olympus trip with a 35 or 28mm lens and full frame and of course small size. Something small with great 28 or 35mm lens and a good viewfinder would be good.

 

[mtnbkr]

That looks like a nice camera, is the rangefinder focusing good with it ? what 35mm lens would you suggest ?

I owned the VT, which is the trigger-wind version of the VL (L=Lever, T=Trigger) and currently own/use a VL2, which is the "budget" version of the VL (shutter only goes to 1/500th). With both cameras, I used a Voigtlander Color Skopar 35/2.5. It's a nice lens, sharp, compact, and inexpensive.

Chris

 

[mtnbkr]

A lot of people prefer a Leica rangefinder, but they are on the heavy side, cost a fortune along with their lenses and will constantly make you a target for theft (often violent in the US).

No more or less than any other camera. Probably less so than more recognizable brands like Sony, Nikon, or Canon these days. What is more likely to trigger a violent reaction is sticking your camera in someone's face without permission.

Chris

 

[Alex Benjamin]

I had the Nikon f3hp in the past and it was a joy to use with glasses but the weight made me not carry it often out for fun walks so i sold it. I could compromise the precise focus if all the other aspects of the camera were great. For example i like the size of the olympus xa3 or xa4 but i am not sure about their lenses and reliability, since they are old cameras with electronics. I also would like something like an olympus trip with a 35 or 28mm lens and full frame and of course small size. Something small with great 28 or 35mm lens and a good viewfinder would be good.

Olympus OM-4t (or 4ti in some markets). Light, excellent lenses offered in a wide variety of focal lengths, won't bust your budget like a Leica, easy to find in good condition, and equipped with one of the best metering systems ever, allowing either spot or centerweighted readings.

 

[streetlover]

Olympus OM-4t (or 4ti in some markets). Light, excellent lenses offered in a wide variety of focal lengths, won't bust your budget like a Leica, easy to find in good condition, and equipped with one of the best metering systems ever, allowing either spot or centerweighted readings.

Is the viewfinder good for use with glasses ? thats a camera i like a lot on how it looks, not that its the most important aspect in my list.

 

[Laurent]

If that was for me, I'd have a look at Canonet or équivalent, at least for a start.

photoethnography has a brunch of information

 

[Don_ih]

That looks like a nice camera, is the rangefinder focusing good with it ? what 35mm lens would you suggest ?

The Canon (any of the LTM Canons) will take Voightlander or Leica lenses or (of course) Canon lenses. So, there are a lot to choose from. The rangefinder focus is good - but the strength of the patch will depend on what you get. These cameras are all old, after all.

 

[DaveNJ]

A small and light aperature priority slr with a good viewfinder is probably going to serve you the best along with a 35mm lens for the proper field of view.

A fully automated auto-focus model will give you an instantanious advantage so you never miss a shot.

A lot of people prefer a Leica rangefinder, but they are on the heavy side, cost a fortune along with their lenses and will constantly make you a target for theft (often violent in the US).

Where are you getting that information? I spend a considerable amount of time in a city that has gotten worse since things opened up (NYC) and you'll see quite a few Leicas on the street and in the subway. Your typical thief doesn't care about brand. Use a bit of street smarts (even a little common sense goes a long way) and you should be fine.

 

[OAPOli]

The Canon 7 LTM has poor eye-relief for the 35mm framelines. I suspect that the other Canon LTMs are the same.

The Olympus XA is as small as it gets. VF is fine with eyeglasses. Coupled 35mm f2.8.

 

[Don_ih]

The Canon 7 LTM has poor eye-relief for the 35mm framelines. I suspect that the other Canon LTMs are the same.

The VL doesn't have framelines - it switches the view to cover the 35mm field. It has a little dial that switches between 50 - RF - 35. (RF is when you use some other lens, but can also serve to magnify the scene for finer focus.)

 

[RalphLambrecht]

I think i like most 28mm lenses but I wouldn't be mad with a 35mm too.

This makes me want a Leica CL.

 

[mtnbkr]

(RF is when you use some other lens, but can also serve to magnify the scene for finer focus.)

I use it for fine focusing often. I don't recall how that option became apparent to me, but I now use it whenever my subject is static.

Chris