Rusty, here, lens choices for street photography?

jay moussy · Mar 3, 2022

In a few weeks, I will spend most of day in Boston, on foot, and plan on taking a lightweight 35mm camera, for street, maybe a Canon T70. Single lens, but I may use a small backpack, for extra lens.

I am rusty with city a street photography, so I am not sure which lens to take. Canon FD lenses I have are 50mm, 34-70 zoom and 135mm. One thing that bugs me is that I probably lost the"street" sense, and I may end up being too shy with the 50mm.

Thoughts?

Paul Howell · Mar 3, 2022

The 50mm is faster, a 1.7? or 1.4? which is good in streets with tall building. The 35 to 70 a 3.5 to 4.5? loses a few stops the pay off is the range. Downside, early manual zooms had some to quite a bit of distortion wide open. The 135mm a 2.8? If so fast enough for close up but somewhat too long for street shooting. Of the 3 I would take the 50mm, if on the other hand you want some reach the 35 to 70 along with fast film, Porta 400 and Tmax 400 or Tmax 3200 shoot at 1600, or at 3200 and treat as a push. If you take your bag, take all 3.

Alex Benjamin · Mar 3, 2022

28mm, 35mm and 50mm are the three you'll see most often for street. For 28mm, if you want to shoot people, you have to like to get close, but it's also great for groups (it was Winogrand's choice focal length, although he switched to 35mm in the early 80s, not long before he died), and context. I like 35mm because it gives you context when you want it, but without the compositional challenges of the 28mm, where you can have many things going on at the same time in the frame. Others, of course, value the 50mm most - Cartier-Bresson being for some the supreme example of what can be achieved with that focal length. Helps you keep a certain distance, which many people like, and there is of course something very "natural" that comes out of it, being a so-called "normal" lens. Above that, anything is possible, of course - there are no rules, only your taste -, but remember that the higher you go, the "flatter" you picture will be, with thing appearing to be much closer to each other than they are. There is great effect to be had with that, but, again, it's a matter of taste.

flatulent1 · Mar 3, 2022

Try to pick up a 35mm or 28mm lens. Or both, if you can. The 50 is the classic street lens, but 35 and 28 have gained favor in recent decades. When I go out I randomly select a lens that I hadn't used recently and make do with that for the day. But it's never longer than 58 and never wider than 21.

CMoore · Mar 3, 2022

jay moussy said:
In a few weeks, I will spend most of day in Boston, on foot, and plan on taking a lightweight 35mm camera, for street, maybe a Canon T70. Single lens, but I may use a small backpack, for extra lens.

I am rusty with city a street photography, so I am not sure which lens to take. Canon FD lenses I have are 50mm, 34-70 zoom and 135mm. One thing that bugs me is that I probably lost the"street" sense, and I may end up being too shy with the 50mm.

Thoughts?

"Street Photography" is all i do
If those 3 are your only options, and you want to carry just 1 lens, i would go with the 50.
I typically use a 35, but i carry a 85 or 105. The longer lens DOES come in handy, but it is not because of any "fear" about being seen.
Just go out and have a good time. It is natural to be a bit shy or embarrassed at first. Once you get rolling, your nerves WILL settle down.

After you shoot street enough, you learn when to let things go.
There are no "rules" per se.................we each develop our own.
Good Luck

Huss · Mar 3, 2022

First rule of street photography is... we don't talk about street photography.

(Street photog for me is light n agile. One camera, one lens. Take the 50, leave the rest at home)

mgb74 · Mar 3, 2022

When you're downtown, one side of the street is always in the shade. And that's the side with the subject you want to shoot. So, while a 34-70 (35-70?) is an extremely useful range for this, the speed may not work for you. I doubt you'll get much use from the 135mm. A macro can be useful for capturing small details (Is that street shooting? I don't care.). I'd bring the 50 and, if you plan to be in open area like Boston Commons, the zoom.

MatchaCub · Mar 24, 2022

In Tokyo I use a 28mm lens, occasionally a 50, but prefer the 28.

jay moussy · Mar 24, 2022

I ended up taking the 34-70 zoom, and that was good enough for me.
Fun outing.
Some sidewalks are a bit rough, and there is construction everywhere!
Young folks (16+) have zero problems with photographers, laughing it off, and I assume it is because they are all over social media!

NB23 · Mar 24, 2022

Just this morning I missed two extremely rare scenes evolving right in front of my eyes. The kind that happens once a year. One fleeting moment because I was too far away, getting closer was useless, the scene changed.
The other, I had no more film left. Yes, the 37th and 38th exposure is always where it’s at. And no, I will NEVER shoot street with a digital. My iphone just wasn’t an option.
Yes, my portfolio is lacking roughly 30-35 images that are still haunting me today. But that is the game.

The point of my post? Just use a 35 or 50 and always position yourself according to the lens you have. Just be ready at all times.

keisisqrl · Mar 24, 2022

Split the difference with a 45mm fixed-lens rangefinder

ciniframe · Mar 24, 2022

The really important accessory for street photography is some official looking identification in a plastic slip clipped to a pocket or collar. They (No, I’m not sure who ‘they’ are.) will assume you are doing your job for a newspaper or some such.

ic-racer · Mar 24, 2022

I have boatloads of primes, but really like the inexpensive and light Nikkor 28-80 kit lens for street photography.

Andrew O'Neill · Mar 24, 2022

If I did street photography with 35mm, I'd probably stick something wide on it. But if I really did street photography, I'd probably use the Rolleicord with 80mm lens. Something special about that square...

gone · Mar 25, 2022

jay moussy said:
One thing that bugs me is that I probably lost the"street" sense, and I may end up being too shy with the 50mm.

Do some trial runs w/o film in the camera to get back into the feel of it. If I remember to do this, often things go better, because sometimes switching cameras will have me wasting a lot of time and film.

Some of my best photos were made when I forgot to load film in the camera

Cinema · Mar 25, 2022

use 35mm. 28mm is equivalent to iphone. if you need wider just pull out the phone
rolleicord is 75mm not 80mm btw

benjiboy · Apr 24, 2022

My rule for myself for street photography is "one camera one lens" in my case I use a Canon EF with an FD 35mm f2 lens, and because the camera exposure meter is shutter priority with 400 I.S.O film I can set the distance on the lens at just under ten feet, and have no need to focus.

faberryman · Apr 24, 2022

Just pick any wide to normal lens and go out and shoot. It is easy to overthink it.

Arthurwg · Apr 24, 2022

Shooting in Washington Sq. Park yesterday. Weather was perfect and lots of people out and about. I shot with a 24mm AF lens as I usually do. The focal length seemed just right.

Sirius Glass · Apr 24, 2022

faberryman said:
Just pick any wide to normal lens and go out and shoot. It is easy to overthink it.

Yes, I would use a 50mm or 28mm lenses.

awty · Apr 24, 2022

The noisier the camera the longer the focal length.

Sirius Glass · Apr 24, 2022

awty said:
The noisier the camera the longer the focal length.

I think the noise comes from the camera not the lens.

NB23 · Apr 24, 2022

Coughing really loud while pressing the shutter helps

Rusty, here, lens choices for street photography?

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