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Street photography is what every novice or professional photographer loves. It’s interesting, vibrant, and really versatile. However, it is not anything you can do with any camera. There are certain camera qualities that are required for successful street photography.
So, here we have listed and reviewed some of the best street cameras that you can choose from.
Contents
Review of the Best Street Cameras
The following are some of the best street cameras. Each of these comes from reliable brands with exclusive features ensuring quality and durability.
Best Overall: Fujifilm X100F
PROS
- Available in 3 colors
- Efficient HD video recording
- Withstands moisture and humidity
- Durable, long-lasting lithium batteries
- Hybrid viewfinder with both OVF and EVF
CONS
- Body quality is relatively poor
What Recent Buyers Report
People were able to use Fujifilm X100F 24.3MP camera on multiple occasions for multiple kinds of photography. Most people comment on how easy it is to use, while other buyers were mostly professional photographers who enjoyed the digital-advancement of this camera.
Why it Stands Out to Us
A camera that is fit for different purposes and occasions is a must-have. For this reason, this one stands out to us since it can be used for street photography, videography and for capturing mesmerizing portraits of people as well. As a result, this is on our list of best ones.
Who Will Use This Most
This unit will be highly recommended to professional level photographers. Even though it is easy to use and can be good for beginners, it is still more of a professional camera than for beginning, learning purposes.
Bottom Line
In conclusion, whether you need to film outdoors, or capture stills, this camera will work really well for you. It is an ideal pick in terms of functionality as well as in terms of brand reliability and durability too.
- 24.3MP X Trans CMOS III APS C sensor with no low pass filter and X Processor Pro
- 8 way focus lever plus the number of focusing points has been expanded from 49 in previous models to...
- Built in ISO dial, incorporated into the shutter speed dial and operating temperature is 0 degree...
Runner-up: Olympus PEN-F
PROS
- Built-in Wi-Fi connectivity
- Touch-enabled LCD screen
- High speed shooting great for street candid
- Electronic viewfinder for accurate previewing
- 5-axis image stabilization for better quality images
CONS
- Poor tech support
What Recent Buyers Report
Buyers report that the Olympus PEN-F 50MP camera has very little to no visible screws, making it sleek and well-built. They have positively commented on the build quality, and love the easy to use smooth dials. Other buyer reports also suggest that it is capable of creating sharp and crisp images.
Why it Stands Out to Us
A street image needs to be stable and crisp so that every subject can be seen. Therefore, a camera such as this with the 5-axis stabilization and extremely reliable autofocus is what makes street photography a charm. It also has an advanced LCD touchscreen, making it even more advanced.
Who Will Use This Most
We think this would be a great choice for people who are tech-savvy and are always looking for advancements in their gear. This is also good for beginners. It is a lightweight camera with a sturdy body, making it perfect for street, travel, and on-the-go photography.
Bottom Line
Overall, the stabilizer and the touchscreen make this an advanced and highly competitive unit in the market. It features a great quality build that is satisfactory and rather low-key. It’s one of the best, higher-end units in the market.
- New 20 Megapixel Live MOS sensor with 50 Megapixel High Resolution Shot mode
- Operating temperature: 0 to +40℃ (operation) / 20 to +60℃ (storage). In body 5 Axis Image...
- 2.36 Million Dot OLED electronic viewfinder. Battery Life for Movie Shooting - Approx. 80 minutes...
Best for the Money: Ricoh GR II
PROS
- Full HD video quality
- Vivid and color-rich images ensured
- Allows capturing JPG, RAW and DNG images
- Great battery life ensuring convenience in outdoors
- Focal length of 28mm ensures good use for street photography
CONS
- Glare on the screen makes viewing difficult
What Recent Buyers Report
The majority of the buyers of Ricoh GR II 16.9MP unit have commented on its portability. They report it to be compact and lightweight both, making their street, landscape, and travel photography experience great.
Buyers have also used this for changing multiple settings and suggest that the settings and modes are versatile and easy to use.
Why it Stands Out to Us
The most distinctive feature of this Ricoh camera is its multi-purpose functionality. It is not a camera that is only fit for one purpose; instead, it can be used for filming and videography as well. Moreover, it creates really vivid images that can help you in capturing the true essence of a street.
Who Will Use This Most
It is the perfect pick for travelers and landscape and street photographers. It is lightweight and can be carried anywhere at any time. It’s also a great choice for beginners who will need something easy to start with.
Bottom Line
Summing it up, this is an overall great choice. It has all the features that other expensive units have but at a rather affordable price. This makes it stand out in the market and therefore is one of the best.
- Battery Life(Approximately) 320 shots for Still image or 190 minutes for Playback or 45 minutes for...
- The GR II comes equipped with Wi Fi functions for wireless connection with mobile devices such as...
- The advanced GR ENGINE V imaging engine offers high sensitivity shooting with minimal noise and the...
Best Film Camera for Street Photography: Canon AE-1
PROS
- Good for beginners too
- Best for videography purposes
- Comes with an informative viewfinder
- Highly durable and great brand reliability
- Automatic, electronically controlled exposure for ease of use
CONS
- Some issues reported in delivery
What Recent Buyers Report
Many beginners bought Canon AE-1 35mm product and report that they were able to get a hold of things really easily. Moreover, buyers report that they experienced some issues which were quickly solved by the responsive customer support backing this unit.
Also, the reports suggest that people were able to create good films too with this.
Why it Stands Out to Us
When it comes to buying the best cameras, we always check for brand reliability. For this reason, this Canon camera has made it to the list. Not only is it manufactured by a reliable, well-known brand in the market, but it is also supported by efficient customer support that can add further value to your money.
Who Will Use This Most
Since beginners often have trouble with new cameras, this can be a good choice for them since it comes with good tech support. Moreover, the camera is also easy to use, so it can be great for learning purposes.
Bottom Line
Canon has always been one of the best manufacturers of cameras that are learning-friendly. This is also an amazing unit by them that has an excellent range of features and functions, such as the detailed viewfinder.
- 35mm SLR (Single-Lens-Reflex) camera with electronically controlled AE (Automatic Exposure) and...
- Canon FD series interchangeable lenses with full aperture metering and AE coupling. Canon FL series...
- Standard lenses for the Canon AE are Canon FD 55mm f/1.2 S.S.C, Canon FD 50mm f/1.4 S.S.C, Canon FD...
Best Compact Film Camera for Street Photography: Fujifilm Instax Mini 90
PROS
- Good for long exposure shots
- Also comes with high-quality flash features
- Versatile and compact to capture images on the go
- Ideal for capturing kids and animals as well as moving subjects
- Great for multiple types of photography, including macro photography
CONS
- Not suitable for professional level usage
What Recent Buyers Report
People who are fond of taking Instagram-worthy shots and keeping up with social media trends love Fujifilm Instax Mini camera. They report it to be fun and overall great for beginner level purposes. It also has good compatibility with tripods and is therefore quite versatile.
Why it Stands Out to Us
The camera is particularly compact and lightweight, making it great in terms of portability. Moreover, we also like how instant and convenient it is to use. Its compact build and easy functionality make it a great source of entertainment that you can use with kids and families.
Who Will Use This Most
The camera lacks functionality at a professional level. However, it is a great companion for vacations with your family or friends to capture good street subjects and even take good pictures of people too.
Bottom Line
It is important for there to be a good camera that can be used only for fun and for capturing good moments. Therefore, this Fuji instant camera is the ideal pick. It is budget-friendly and easy to use too.
- Automatically detects the brightness of the surrounding and adjusts the amount of flash and shutter...
- Double exposure mode 2 images are produced on 1 film sheet by pressing the shutter twice, automatic...
- Bulb mode the shutter remains open while the shutter button is depressed (10 seconds maximum) and a...
Editor’s Pick: Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-RX1 RII
PROS
- High-quality lens with macro capability
- Easy and quick smartphone connectivity
- Tilt-able LCD screen for better previewing
- Hybrid focus capability with manual and autofocus both
- Wide aperture and fast AF capture moving subjects steadily
CONS
- Not the most portable camera
What Recent Buyers Report
Sony has not failed to satisfy its buyers with Sony Cyber-shot camera too. It is backed by multiple buyer reports that suggest that this unit has incredible crisp quality images with minimal settings. Moreover, people also really love the pop-up EVF, which ensures great convenience and better performance for professionals.
Why it Stands Out to Us
This camera is a high-end product that is packed with outstanding features. It has a tilting LCD screen for easy viewing and an electronic viewfinder for added convenience for the users. These features make it advanced and highly user-friendly at the same time. It’s the ideal professional-level street photography camera.
Who Will Use This Most
Since this unit is priced at the higher end of the spectrum, it is more suitable for professionals. It has advanced features and is mostly suitable for outdoors and street photography. With its versatile functionality, it can also be good for other photography purposes.
Bottom Line
Summing it up, the unit is incredible, with its range of features and exclusive brand reliability. It has a great build quality, along with a sleek, all-black exterior. Plus, with its tilting screen, it becomes easy to preview the shots before taking them.
- 42.4MP Full-frame back-illuminated Exmor R CMOS sensor
- 35mm F2.0 ZEISS Sonnar T lens with macro capability
- World's first user-selectable optical variable low-pass filter
Comparison Chart of the Best Street Cameras
What is Street Photography?
Before you choose one best camera for street photography, let’s first understand what it actually is.
Basically, street photography is a photography genre that revolves hugely around outdoor elements. These include street vendors, buildings, modern or old/historical buildings, street food, and vehicles as well. These can be captured during day or night time as well.
One tricky thing with street photography is that your subject never waits for you. If you are capturing a moving bike, a person in the balcony of a historical building, or if you are capturing someone cooking street food, they won’t wait and will be in constant motion.
Issues like these require a specific kind of gear. This kind of photography hugely depends on unplanned incidents and random candid; therefore, they require serious attention to detail.
What Makes a Camera Great For Street Photography?
Make sure to go through the following factors and features that make a camera great for street photography purposes.
Portability
Since you will be outdoors a lot of times for long durations, you need to see if the camera is friendly for traveling and carrying purposes. Some cameras come with neck-straps, carrying cases, and even ergonomic handles designed within the body which allow portability.
Sturdy Built
Since you will be outdoors, you will be exposed to lots of outdoor conditions such as humid, high temperature, and harsh sunlight. Make sure that the camera has a durable built that can withstand such rough usage.
Ease of Use
You will always be moving from one place to another and will have to capture lots of random and quick movements. Therefore, you need to make sure that that the camera is easy to use so you can quickly fidget with the settings and ensure good quality images.
Battery Life
There will be no access to power sockets and other power sources. So make sure that the camera has a good quality battery that has a long life.
Street Photography Tips, Tricks, and Hacks For Success
Here are a few tips and important things to remember when you are doing street photography.
Experiment With Angles
One subject cannot be easily captured with any one angle perfectly. Therefore, it is important to capture and experiment with different angles so you can capture the subject properly. Try this technique, especially while capturing street architecture.
Always Ask For Consent
When you are capturing candid movements of a person, someone’s kid or animal, or their shop/house/property, always ask for consent. Some people are not comfortable with getting their images clicked, while others would first want to know the purpose. Therefore, always politely ask for permission and refrain from convincing/forcing them.
Take Multiple Shots of One Subject
Just like trying different angles of one subject, we also recommend taking multiple, at least 2 to 3, shots of the same subject. This is so you can choose the best shot, which has minimal distortion and maximum focus.
Practice Changing Settings Quickly
When you are not doing photography, stay at home, and practice with the different features and settings of the camera. Set your hand on the controls and learn how to use them quickly.
People Also Ask
In this section, we have discussed some common questions that many new photographers have. If you have recently gained interest in street photography, these questions and answers will help you in polishing the skill.
How Can I Take Better Street Photos?
It is important to learn the settings of your camera before you go ahead and capture the shots. Get hold of these settings, and make sure you learn how to adjust them quickly. Moreover, you can also use the auto mode in a camera to adjust the settings automatically; however, the quality can be compromised in such settings. Use autofocus instead of manual. And also stay vigilant.
What is the Best Aperture For Street Photography?
An aperture around f5.6 should be enough for day time street photography.
When Should I Use Aperture Priority?
When your aim is not to capture moving or slow objects, where the motion of subjects is inconsistent, you should not go for aperture priority.Similarly, you should also not use it on occasions where the shutter speed is needed to be adjusted so that the subject’s motion can be captured properly.Apart from that, you can use it in other cases such as to control the depth of field.
What is the Best Focal Length For Street Photography?
Any focal length between 28 and 50mm is a good choice for street photography.
Conclusion
Get started with your street photography journey by investing in the right gear. Street photography requires lots of attention and practice. Make sure to consider important factors like portability and durability. It can be challenging to capture candid moments on the street, but the final images turn out to be highly impressive!
