street photography

[Clicker]

Originally Posted by gokenin

thanks for the hints everyone, I am sure at some point if i take enough pictures I will overcome the weird factor. Will just have to keep taking some and if any are any good i may post one sometime

There is no "weird " factor just think of yourself as a tourist

If you get a bad look just drop your camera away from your face.

[geauxpez]

For street photography, I like manual focus...on a 30-year-old compact film camera instead of the "intimidator".

[Mechan1k]

Originally Posted by Nesster

I do both - mf hyperfocal is the traditional way, and sometimes focusing in a crowd is simply easier with mf. But af has its advantages as you mention

Pretty much the spot-on answer for me as well. Once I figured out MF Hyperfocal shooting (whie driving and in traffic) it makes life a hell of a lot easier for me for quick shots

Although I will use both ... it depends on the lenses I have with me at the time I guess ... lately though ... it has been mainly MF (it just seems easier when it comes to metering in light/dark shadow situations in the city on the fly ... set it once ... chimp slightly if needed .. and just shoot at f/8 right on the hyperfocal marker on the lens.

[monochrome]

Manual - a function of the fact that I shoot street photography with a KX and K lenses or MESuper and Takumars.

[philbaum]

Cygnet, could you clarify your answer. Do you have your DA-21 on a tripod or on your chest when using the cable to the shutter. I used my DA-21 once on the street to shoot our state govenor, and it was great because i could crop out what i needed. But i would like to do more street stuff and would like to learn what you are doing so as to be more discrete some times.
Thank you!
Phil

Originally Posted by cygnet

I've got new DA lenses, but for street I still use a wide lens (DA21) and pre-focus manually to about 12 feet out, and then use a remote cable for the shutter, so I'm not even looking through the finder when I shoot. That's the old way of doing it, but it still works great for street. Just focus with the distance chart on the lens.

[OrenMc]

I'm trying both. I think they both have there pros and cons. My first try last week I did strictly AF and this weekend I did all manual. Once I get proficient doing manual I don't think there will be much difference.
In other words, I think they both have their time and place.

There is mention of using wide lenses. Are you using these lenses for architecture or people also?
I had a Tamron SP 300mm 5.6 I wish I would have held on to. Would have been great for discretion.

Living here in Seattle which is big on tourism and with people walking around with cameras everywhere helps to blend in. I am still trying to get used to it though.

[Clicker]

next time i'm packing my harmonica ...



and my book of unknown famous people...



playing pigeon doo doo soccer ...



and the odd mural ...



kit lense 18-55II

[Duplo]

Originally Posted by gokenin

My question do you use autofocus or manual? I always feel strange using a manual lens when I shoot on the street. Wonders if the autofocus speed will make the shots faster and sneekier

Well it depends very much on the situation I think, lately I have been shooting manual focus only, but when in NYC in January I shot both manual and auto focus.

But then again, as I have been doing stret photography with a D3 lately, I guess sneaky is kind of out of the question

Truth is that in my case it is very mood dependant.

[cygnet]

Originally Posted by philbaum

Cygnet, could you clarify your answer. Do you have your DA-21 on a tripod or on your chest when using the cable to the shutter. I used my DA-21 once on the street to shoot our state govenor, and it was great because i could crop out what i needed. But i would like to do more street stuff and would like to learn what you are doing so as to be more discrete some times.
Thank you!
Phil

For street, I'm using the wired cable release with the K20D hanging off the strap at chest level, with a D21. As another poster mentioned, it's not quite as wide as my old 28mm on my Olympus OM1, so I'll be looking at the 15 as well. But wide lenses pre-focused you can just take the picture whenever it looks good. I keep one hand on the camera to steady it horizontally, so it looks like I'm just keeping the camera from bouncing around. Otherwise it can get pretty tilted. So I'm not looking through the viewfinder at all. Just imagining what the lens is seeing. With the wide lens on the K20D, you can crop out the parts that aren't interesting. Here's one I did the other night, it's not quite "street", it was at a restaurant counter. F4.5 at 1/60th, ISO 3200. Manual focus so I could get the cook instead of the counter. Gotta love that ISO on the K20D. It was totally dark in there to my eye, but this is what you get.

[kerrowdown]

I use manual all the time, prefocus at a given distance, good aperture for decent dof and go for it, this method is instant and near silent.