What's your street lens?

[Asher Kelman]

I need to get some ND filters mtself, Antonio!

Since I like shooting wide open, I often can't get a low enough ISO.

I don't use a split density filter but should! I'd love a filter in the camera with auto flipping in and out!

Asher

 

[Deleted member 55]

Ef 24-105 F4.0 L Is

 

[Clayton Lofgren]

Sigma 24-135 2.8-4.5

Most on this forum are using top of the line equipment, but I expect there are several like myself that are more frugal, and here to learn. For those on a budget, the Sigma24-135 is a suprisingly good lens , considering the price.
I seldom use flash, and less seldom direct flash, but think this pic with flash shows off the lens sharpness quite well.

 

[Clayton Lofgren]

Sorry,Asher, but still mess up on embedding.

 

[Steve Quattrocchi]

For my street rig I like something light and quick. With Pentax I seem to use my 28-70f4 AL. Quite sharp stopped down half a stop and great tone and contrast. For parades and 'crowd fishing' I use the DA 50-200. I tend not to like my backgrounds too OOF so the small max aperture is no big deal to me.

With Nikon I used the 18-70DX and the 50 1.8.

 

[Steve Saunders]

Nikon 28-70 for me. I used to use the 28-105 and then the 18-70, but the f2.8 of the 28-70 I prefer and it's definitely my most used lens.

 

[Angela Weil]

Street lense.....

Same here, Steve. I use the Nikon AFs 28-70 2.8 the most. It's the speed and the sharpness, size and weight are a little on the cumbersome side, but that is made up by quality.
Angela

 

[Jonathan Hutt]

Pancake lenses

I recall seeing a post somewhere (maybe here, maybe FM, not sure) regarding pancake lenses for street photography. The particular lens I recall was somewhere in the 25-50mm range but was only 3/4" deep! It was 1/2 the size of the nifty fifty 1.8


Anyone know what I'm talking about? As I recall, it was on a 5D body.

 

[Kathy Rappaport]

Let us know

I'd love a light small lens for my 5d for when I travel. I bought the 18-200 Tamron lens for when I had the 20d and sold it with the body. It wasn't crisp enough for me since my other lens at the time was the 24-70 2.8 and the 50 2.5; I am now a lens-a-holic. and use the 24-105 for walking around and the 50. 1.2 frequently. I am hoping for a 24-200 2.8 L is one day that weighs two ounces. - lol)

 

[nicolas claris]

Guess what?
my preferred is the Sigma 12-24 @ 12

ISO 800 - ƒ7 - Madrid Summer 2007 - Lonesome cello player

 

[Kathy Rappaport]

Love that shot!

Nicolas!

C'est Magnifique!

I never think to use the 12-24 as a walk around. There is some distortion with it - do you have to correct it in PS for much of your work? My style is usually tight as it is, so maybe I need to shoot wider for a while and see how it fits in with my style. With the 5D there is enough to crop in tigher when needed.

 

[Asher Kelman]

Hi Nicolas,

Glad you are back to the HMS OPF!

I like your style of using the sigma superwide zoom as it gathers context. It forces the photographer to select interesting settings to provide context for the main subject.

With todays high MP cameras, there's plenty of detail for large prints. A zoom does not, after all change perspective, so one may as well set the subject in it's unique world and make better pictures.

My Canon 50 1.2, 24-105L and 70-200 L's choices are too unsubtle! I use still use them, often to annoyance. For that reason I'd prefer an M8 with almost any lens!

Asher

 

[Deleted member 55]

Here are 2 of my favorites for street and on the move shooting.

First the EF24-105mm f/4L IS USM

And then it's bulky sibling, the EF28-300mm f/3.5-5.6L IS USM

 

[Brian Lowe]

I would have to say my favorite street lens would the Canon 24-70 f/2.8 L and my second choice would be the Tokina 12-24 f/4.0

Here are a few with the Canon 24-70 f.2.8 & Tokina 12-24 f.4 lens.

These are from a series I took titled "Hollywood at Night"

Enjoy,
Brian

 

[nicolas claris]

Nicolas!

C'est Magnifique!

I never think to use the 12-24 as a walk around. There is some distortion with it - do you have to correct it in PS for much of your work? My style is usually tight as it is, so maybe I need to shoot wider for a while and see how it fits in with my style. With the 5D there is enough to crop in tigher when needed.

Thanks Kathy
as an -also- interior and architecture shooter, I use the 12-24 in order to have no distortion (horizon… horizontal and verticals… vertical!) this is some times tricky but achievable most of the time.

Here I searched for the distortion to emphasis perspective and somewhat give altitude (highness) for the soul while listening this musician. In the hot night of Madrid it was so fluid and pure…

There were many people in the street at that time (as always at night in Spain) but when they saw me lying on the ground to shoot this, they miraculously respected the musician and I (he tried not to show his happiness of the moment, hired behind his concentration, but his eyes spoke to me when I left) hence I could do this shoot with no people around, this does respect the felling I had, as he was playing in great solitude among the crowd…
Did I say I gave him a good tip?

PS BTW for me wide, even ultra, does not mean untight… it's all a question of framing… what must or not be in. A kind of "écriture"…

 

[Doug Kerr]

Hi, Nicolas,

Guess what?
my preferred is the Sigma 12-24 @ 12

I also have "Popeye" but too rarely keep it on my 20D.

I generally keep the EF 24-105 F/4L IS on it.

 

[Jack_Flesher]

If I can have only one, it is the venerable 50... From my recent trip to Prague, all these done with the 50 on my 5D in "street" mode:

Cheers,

 

[nicolas claris]

Nice and sharp shots Jack!

Which 50? the're plenty around…

 

[Paul Bestwick]

300 f 2.8 IS

 

[nicolas claris]

LoL Paul

It seems we're opposite way!

 

[Jack_Flesher]

Nice and sharp shots Jack!

Which 50? the're plenty around…

Sorry Nicolas... I use the old standby, the Canon EF 50mm f1.4 lens. Would love to get a 1.2 L one of these days, but my old, beat-up f1.4 version still serves me pretty well...

Cheers,

 

[nicolas claris]

Hey Jack!
no need to be sorry, I just asked 'cause I was curious!

I'm not sure the 1.2 disserves the difference of price with the 1.4…

 

[Doug Kerr]

Hi, Nicolas,

I'm not sure the 1.2 disserves the difference of price with the 1.4…

I would almost pay it to get a slop-free manual focus ring! (Of course I could do that by moving to the 50 mm f/1.8!)

Best regards,

Doug

 

[Jack_Flesher]

I would almost pay it to get a slop-free manual focus ring! (Of course I could do that by moving to the 50 mm f/1.8!)

Or better yet, the 45 TSE -- another of my favorites...

Here is an "action" shot I captured with the 45 TSE on a 5D:

The full story is I was shooting desert scenics and came upon this old abandoned motel/bar/pool out in the middle of nowhere while scouting for a shot. The light wasn't great yet as the sun was still a bit too high for landscapes, so I was just nosing around looking for a later shot op, carrying only my 5D with 45 TSE mounted. My other gear was several hundred yards away in the car when I turned the corner and stumbled onto these guys. I would have much preferred the 50/1.4 or 85/1.8 on the camera at that moment, but we make do with what we have Here is my favorite of that series, also taken with the 45 TSE on the 5D:

Cheers,

 

[Asher Kelman]

Or better yet, the 45 TSE -- another of my favorites...

Here is my favorite of that series, also taken with the 45 TSE on the 5D:

Jack,

This bring us to zone manual focus. As we simplify, photography can be more deliberate and it shows.

That, I can see is a great lens to use as it also has the T/S capability which could be interesting to use as one could be more surreptitious. Have you used it with lateral shift for that purpose?

Asher

 

[Doug Kerr]

A new forum?

Hi, Asher,

That, I can see is a great lens to use as it also has the T/S capability which could be interesting to use as one could be more surreptitious.

An interesting observation.

I smell a new forum in the works. Perhaps "Periscopy".

Best regards,

Doug

 

[Jack_Flesher]

Jack,

This bring us to zone manual focus. As we simplify, photography can be more deliberate and it shows.

Excellent point and very true. In this case, I fell immediately back on my old Leica M shooting techniques -- and fortunately I had them to fall back on. Zone focus, select aperture accordingly, and wait for the action to unfold. The biggest challenge becomes precise shutter timing. Fortunately like the Leica M's, the newer DSLR's when used with AF off or inactive have very short shutter lag times, making the critical timing relatively easy.

That, I can see is a great lens to use as it also has the T/S capability which could be interesting to use as one could be more surreptitious. Have you used it with lateral shift for that purpose?

Asher

Indeed I have Asher! I use that technique frequently, and is one of the main reasons I own and carry all three Canon TSE's to begin with. Though obviously not a technique very well-suited to street, it is quite useful for added resolution on relatively static subjects. Here is a two-frame horizontal shift-stitch done with the 45 TSE. It is a shot of the side of an old industrial kiln taken in available (and very mixed) lighting:

Here is one of the back of the skater bar above, done likewise with the 24 TSE:

Cheers,

 

[Asher Kelman]

Indeed I have Asher, and frequently! Though obviously not a technique very well-suited to street,

Jack,

Why is the T/S not suitable for surreptitious street work. I like the possibility of pointing slightly away from a subject and still capturing them?

Asher

Asher

 

[nicolas claris]

Jack,

Why is the T/S not suitable for surreptitious street work. I like the possibility of pointing slightly away from a subject and still capturing them?

You mean to be able to shoot someone aside, hence without his consent?

 

[Jack_Flesher]

Jack,

Why is the T/S not suitable for surreptitious street work. I like the possibility of pointing slightly away from a subject and still capturing them?

Asher

Asher

No, it would be excellent for purpose... I only meant *STITCHING* with it is probably not an appropriate street technique I suspect with the 45 at full shift, you would alter your angle of approach a good 20 to 30 degrees away from the intended subject, a significant deviation for shooting unobtrusively! Two small things to keep in mind however is that one, exposure needs to be set BEFORE the shift or it will not be accurate and two, the viewfinder gets significantly darker with full shift.

Cheers,