[Casul]

Hey all,

Anyone else using the K1/mk II for street photography?

As I am about to buy either the K1 or the mk II, I wanted to check the impression of others.

As for lenses, I intend to by 28mm SMC 3.5 and perhaps some 35mm.. and 50mm.

Can I get any recommendations for the 35mm and 50mm? Manual focus is of course no problem.

For me, the K1 seems like crazy versatile camera and I definitely like the ruggedness of if.. taking street photos in the rain is a cool thing

(I have used the Nikonos V for moments like this)

Also, the WR sealing on lenses is not something implemented for the older lenses right?


Sorry, im soon to be a Pentaxian and of course I have questions.

Thx in advance,

---------- Post added 03-29-23 at 05:33 AM ----------

Oh.. sorry for the type-o..
"buy" and not "by".

did not see an edit option :/

[jersey]

People are doing street photography with big format cameras (check this:

You Tube

You Tube

, it is fun to watch). So no reason why street with K-1 would be impossible.

As for WR yes, there are little WR primes in Pentax Lineup. For FF there is only 21 Limited and two stars: 50 and 85. All rather expensive. If manual focus is not an issue then check Irix lenses, lots are weathersealed and have focal ranges you may want at much lower price.

[Casul]

People are doing street photography with big format cameras (check this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDIlNMEs-Tk , it is fun to watch). So no reason why street with K-1 would be impossible.

As for WR yes, there are little WR primes in Pentax Lineup. For FF there is only 21 Limited and two stars: 50 and 85. All rather expensive. If manual focus is not an issue then check Irix lenses, lots are weathersealed and have focal ranges you may want at much lower price.

yeah, well, the best camera is the one you have with you..

And thanks for the recommendations about the irix line.. i forgot that those exists for pentax as well.

thanks for the tips (and video)

[ChristianRock]

I think a larger camera like the K-1 would make more sense with the DA 40mm f/2.8 Limited. It covers the full frame well and would make the combo somewhat smallish. 40mm is also, I think, a very good street photography focal length, unless your preference is for larger of course.

(Image from a Japanese blog)

[Lord Lucan]

.
I do some with a K-1 with a 28-70mm F4 FA. Not as conspicuous or weatherproof as using my bean-can-like 24-70mm F2.8 DFA, and picture quality is not critical for steet photograpy IMHO. I did try using the much-recommended 35-70mm F, but the angle was not wide enough for the architecture I like to include in some shots. The zoom is useful as you can go from a wide angle quickly into a telephoto if you spot and need to reach an interesting transient composition or situation among moving people, and weatherproofing is no good if you are switching lenses.

[Hattifnatt]

I have been using the K-1 for street photography for quite some time, although I consider myself to be mostly a landscape photographer. For street, the lens that I use most is the DFA * 50mm and sometimes the FA 77 Ltd.

I think that K-1 is an amazing camera, but not necessarily the best available tool when it comes to street photography. There are a few reasons that I can think of right now. First, this combo (K-1 & DFA 50mm) is quite big and heavy. I hit the gym regularly so for me it's not a huge problem, but it's something to keep in mind. If you're out there shooting for a few hours, carrying this thing around is not the easiest thing. Second, this combo is not only heavy, but it looks big, It can be intimidating for some people when you point the camera at them. Sometimes I get looks and people clearly get uncomfortable, more so as compared to other shooters using smaller equipment. Also, from what I have noticed from my own experience, I tend to keep my camera and lens safe when I'm not using it, which means I use a camera bag. Over the years I got quite good at quickly pulling it out and getting ready to take a shot, but still I miss a good opportunity now and then because I'm not fast enough. I would assume there are cameras out there that do better in those regards. Maybe something like Ricoh GR?

That being said, the K-1 is a monster in low light so there is that. Also, I can shoot in the rain or snow no worries.

Hope that helps. Here's my photo stream on flickr and also my Instagram account (which was supposed to be dedicated to street photography):

Hattifnattar | Flickr
Login ? Instagram

[ramseybuckeye]

Also, the WR sealing on lenses is not something implemented for the older lenses right?
:/

To directly answer this question, you are correct. Whether sealed lenses must be used, they are designated with “WR” or “AW” meaning weather resistant and all weather. The “AW” is more robust.

[VictorDA]

I don't do street photography (unless you include "tourist photos") but just wanted to say there is another great weather sealed lens option : the DA* 55mm 1.4.
While not officially a full frame lens, I can't fault it in FF mode and it has become my most used lens. It is also much lighter and cheaper than the DFA 50.
Anyway, get the K-1 (II), I don't see how you could regret it!

[Casul]

I have been using the K-1 for street photography for quite some time, although I consider myself to be mostly a landscape photographer. For street, the lens that I use most is the DFA * 50mm and sometimes the FA 77 Ltd.

I think that K-1 is an amazing camera, but not necessarily the best available tool when it comes to street photography. There are a few reasons that I can think of right now. First, this combo (K-1 & DFA 50mm) is quite big and heavy. I hit the gym regularly so for me it's not a huge problem, but it's something to keep in mind. If you're out there shooting for a few hours, carrying this thing around is not the easiest thing. Second, this combo is not only heavy, but it looks big, It can be intimidating for some people when you point the camera at them. Sometimes I get looks and people clearly get uncomfortable, more so as compared to other shooters using smaller equipment. Also, from what I have noticed from my own experience, I tend to keep my camera and lens safe when I'm not using it, which means I use a camera bag. Over the years I got quite good at quickly pulling it out and getting ready to take a shot, but still I miss a good opportunity now and then because I'm not fast enough. I would assume there are cameras out there that do better in those regards. Maybe something like Ricoh GR?

That being said, the K-1 is a monster in low light so there is that. Also, I can shoot in the rain or snow no worries.

Hope that helps. Here's my photo stream on flickr and also my Instagram account (which was supposed to be dedicated to street photography):

Hattifnattar | Flickr
Login ? Instagram

Thanks, much appreciated!

Im fully aware of the issues with the big dslr being not stealthy enough etc.. but i have been doing street with like a Nikon D3s and such, i can make it work.
and yes, Ricoh GR is in my scope as well for this matter.

but thanks for the inputs and the links!

[nonpigliounoshoot]

I practice street photography and have never considered the large medium as a problem, there are different techniques to try to go unnoticed. I have a k1 that I use mainly with the 31 or 43 limited even if for this genre you don't need particular optical qualities. The dimensions of the lenses, especially the 43 are modest and the overall weight remains acceptable for me. Unfortunately I don't have the 21 DFA I would like, I love that angle of view. At the moment I use the small FAJ 18-35 as wide, at f8 all the lenses are good. For street photos I prefer to have AF instead of manual focus to be more ready. I also have a k70 which obviously with the small 15 and 35 is certainly of less impact, but I've never considered the size a problem. As lenses you can also consider the 35 FA HD or the 50 FA, they are small and of less impact for the people you want to photograph who won't feel threatened by that size! Have fun.

[Hattifnatt]

Unfortunately I don't have the 21 DFA I would like, I love that angle of view.

Can't help but replying to this, I was not able to resist and got the DFA 21 half an hour ago. I need to go out and try this thing out in the streets right now!

[JoelA]

I've found the K-1 II to be wonderful for street photography. Like you I was initially concerned that it would be intimidating or problematic. Last summer I took it to New York City for a couple days of street work. No problems, no issues. And I figured if there was to be a problem that's where it would be. Subsequently used at Disney and all over Japan.

That said, I'm super respectful of subjects.

Here's the lenses I consider for use on the street. Selection depends on weather and location.

SMC M 20mm f/4.0 When I'm being kind of lazy! Easy to shoot at waist level, even with screen folded down.
SMC A 35mm f/2.8 Nice to have the 'A' option. Generally enough 'elbow' room on the street.
SMC DA 40mm f2.8 For when I'm being really lazy! Picked this up in Tokyo on a whim. Shot with it for three days on the street. Lovely experience.
SMC M 50mm f/1.7 Night time. Small enough to go in my pocket.

Hope this helps some!

Best,

Joel

[Hattifnatt]

hat said, I'm super respectful of subjects.

What I'm doing now is eyeing the subject beforehand and try to see how he/she reacts. I might even point the camera at them, without taking the shot. If I see them comfortable, I take the shot.

If I see a good opportunity but I don't have the time for the above mentioned, I just take the shot. Then if the subject is uncomfortable, I approach them and offer to delete the photo if this is what they want. Most of the time, they want to see the picture, and if it's a nice picture they will let me keep it and even ask for me to send it to them. But there were couple of times when I was asked to delete it and I complied to their request.

[BarryE]

I don't do much traditional street photography, but I use my GRiii a lot around the streets. I cannot imagine lugging my K-1 around, whatever the lens. The GRs are so handy and discrete. You can shoot from so many different positions and they don't seem to get much notice, especially as holding them at arm's length and casually pointing often leaves the subject unaware they are the focus of attention, and anyway from a distance it looks much like a smartphone - and who cares about them anyway.

Yes, they are not water resistance, but they are so small that they are easily protected. Plus when you take a break for a coffee, you feel just like a real street photog :-)

A GRiii then leaves you with the tricky choice, the original iii or the iiix. Don't forget there is a wide angle adapter (excellent) for the iii and a tele adapter for the iiix. Maybe you'll end up with the full set :-)

No point in my saying I think their optical qualities and the street appropriate functions are first rate, as you can see this in reviews all over the web.

Edit - could also say that when I've stopped to ask someone if I may take their photo, I've never been refused with a GR. I bet that wouldn't be the case with a K-1.

[JensE]

Instead of 35mm and 50mm, just using the HD FA 43mm/1.9 could work. I prefer it over the recommended DA40/2.8, which is not covering FF when SR kicks in. The 43mm offers the option for another stop of light without adding much weight nor bulk.