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01-12-2011, 03:51 AM   #16
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I would have to agree with Douglas. 40/43 is a bit too narrow for a lot of street shooting. I use the 43 most when I'm out but it can get very tight at times - and I switched to the 43 from the 50/1.4 as it's really not suitable.

Ideally maybe the 35/2 Ira mentioned would be perfect. However I find that the fantastic resolution and sharpness of the 43 means you can easily crop away as much as you want to get the shot you saw.

01-12-2011, 03:57 AM   #17
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You've got live view, you can shoot from the hip or several other parts of your body with most lenses.

I find the 40 a bit too slow at night for the limited ISO capabilities of my K200D, but the K-r should be much better in that regard. There isn't a perfect choice in this range yet, except the FA31 which is roughly twice the price it should be. And why on earth do Sigma make such huge lenses?!
01-12-2011, 04:19 AM   #18
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QuoteOriginally posted by timh Quote
And why on earth do Sigma make such huge lenses?!
I know what you mean. I just pick up a Sigma EX 24-70/2.8 and it is huge. ( the price was just too good to pass )
01-12-2011, 04:51 AM   #19
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QuoteOriginally posted by Pentaxor Quote
who doesn't?
I don't. I already have it

01-12-2011, 05:52 AM   #20
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QuoteOriginally posted by Zav Quote
I don't. I already have it
Okay. If you don't want it, pass it on to me!
01-12-2011, 06:18 AM   #21
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If you had to go AF I like douglas' suggestion. one wide for from the hip and one short fast tele for composing form a little further out.
Realistically I think the best street shots i've seen are not shot from the hip. it's random, kid of neat but tough to get a well composed shot. When i do shoot from the hip it's usually with my fed and a 35 2.8 set to f8 and focused hyper-focally. speed isn't what you need for from the hip as most of your shots will be out of focus is you are wide open.
a 24 1.8 sigma gives you an effective 36 mm 1.8. you can set it to f8 and the hyper focal distance will cover shooting from the hip, then at night you can raise it to your eyes and compose using the 1.8 (really narrow DOF though)
partner it with a 55 1.8 manual focus and you'd have a good pair
if you want to shoot closer to an effective 50mm (the length Cartier-Bresson shot) then you really will have to compose not shoot from the hip. FOV is too narrow for effective from the hip (BTW I would bet HCB rarely if ever shot from the hip, he just sort of melded into the scene and people ignored him after a while, allowing him to compose and wait for the moment - and i hate to say it but there is nothing better than a rangefinder for street, though in digital a canon g-12 ot a panasonic lx5 may come close
01-12-2011, 06:19 AM   #22
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QuoteOriginally posted by timh Quote
You've got live view, you can shoot from the hip or several other parts of your body with most lenses.

I find the 40 a bit too slow at night for the limited ISO capabilities of my K200D, but the K-r should be much better in that regard. There isn't a perfect choice in this range yet, except the FA31 which is roughly twice the price it should be. And why on earth do Sigma make such huge lenses?!
they don't look as big on the canikons they are designed for

01-12-2011, 12:49 PM   #23
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QuoteOriginally posted by eddie1960 Quote
they don't look as big on the canikons they are designed for
Sigma's are designed for CaNikons?!? Something new to me...
01-12-2011, 12:56 PM   #24
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I regularly use my FA50/1.4 and FA35/2 for general street shooting at any time of day and generally like the results as well as the convenience of their small size. If I had to pick one for specific "street" shooting versus more general or landscape'ish shots, I'd have to go with the FA50/1.4.

Jason
01-12-2011, 12:57 PM   #25
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QuoteOriginally posted by axl Quote
Sigma's are designed for CaNikons?!? Something new to me...
I'm pretty certain when Sigma designs a lens this is their target. it's the biggest market and aside from their own camera , canikon are the only brands supported on all lenses made
it'd be foolish to think otherwise they are in business to sell product after all

that being said they are also very fast lenses and that comes with a size penalty regardless of camera brand
01-12-2011, 12:59 PM   #26
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QuoteOriginally posted by axl Quote
Sigma's are designed for CaNikons?!? Something new to me...
Consider the number of lenses sold with VC built-in, or that are FF.

It makes sense for them to ignore Pentax / Oly / Panny, even if they produce the mount for them. Canikon = 90% of the market = money = the reason Sigma makes lenses in the first place.
01-12-2011, 01:04 PM   #27
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I suppose small size just isn't a selling point for most SLR users. Bigger = better. People want something chunky for their money.
01-12-2011, 01:18 PM   #28
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Interesting, I am thinking of doing a bit more street photography. Having seen the pics here, I am tempted to go with the one wide and one long advice. The shots taken at more standard focal lengths don't seem to have the sense of a scene which I like about close up street photography. On the other hand, I have found a long lens very useful for candid photography - stand off and catch an expression kind of thing... I have a 28mm f2.8, which with crop factor is still a bit long for me. A 50mm which is neither one nor t'other, and a 135mm which is too long... Hmmm... I need a DA 70 and 21. Fat chance!
01-12-2011, 02:56 PM   #29
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QuoteOriginally posted by timh Quote
I suppose small size just isn't a selling point for most SLR users. Bigger = better. People want something chunky for their money.
SLRs are small. probably you meant the current trend for most dSLRs. as far as selling point for experienced dSLR users, it's all about the lens. dSLR purchase is solely reliable on which target market it is being sold at. bigger is better could be true for first time dSLR buyers who never knew what a burden it is to carry such a heavy equipment not until they got to experience it already. I'm sure those kind of buyers are only buying for the looks factor if that was their thinking or make them better photographers.
01-12-2011, 03:18 PM - 1 Like   #30
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Nearly all the stuff I shoot is street, and it's my real passion in photography. I find many of the lens suggestions a bit strange to be honest. It is, of course, each to their own, but there's a reason the 'greats' as it were used the classic 28mm, 35mm or 50mm (35mm film lengths of course). Different if you're doing something like street portraits, but for general street photography, I would find 40mm+ really much too narrow. I don't know any top street photographers who use or have used over 50mm (35mm equivalent) much.

Anyway, I had the DA 21mm which I loved but was stolen. Replaced it with the Sigma 30mm f/1.4 - now why people think this lens is huge I'm not sure. It's not. And it's super-sharp apart from the extreme borders. Compared to pancakes of course it's not small, but it's still not a honking Sigma prime like the 20-29mm ones. I would love to get the DA 21mm again and have these as my two street lenses. Until then the Sigma 30mm is great.
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