Street photography gear: what do you need?

Does gear matter?

 

“Well, it does and it doesn’t. Of course, if you have an expensive, high performing, top-of-the range camera with 60 megapixels and lots of snazzy glass then of course your images maybe slightly technically better - in low light situations, for example.

However - and it’s a big ‘however’ - street photography is much more about getting picture rather than the ‘technically perfect’ picture. Just look at all the great street photographers from the past: they often used basic equipment, sometimes outdated film and they didn’t have access to all the great technology we have today. But they still managed to create amazing images. So, in one sense, gear doesn’t necessarily matter.

Some of the best street photographers I know use very basic gear to produce stunning work. So please don’t think that the latest expensive camera will necessarily make you a better street photographer: it won’t. Instead, spend your money on books, learning, travel, visiting exhibitions and invest time in perfecting your craft”.

- BRIAN LLOYD DUCKETT

  • I'll say right away that it doesn't matter which brand of camera you use for street photography - and you certainly don’t need to spend lots of money. Choose something small, light, discreet and which feels good in your hand. Don’t be seduced by megapixels or loads of facilities you’ll never use - keep it simple!

    Personally, I use mostly Leica gear for street & documentary photography - but I also enjoy using Fujifilm and Ricoh cameras. I prefer a small, light and discreet camera which makes me look more like a tourist than a professional photographer. I prefer the rangefinder style of camera and generally use the Leica M11, Leica Q2 and Fujifilm X-Pro3. My ‘take everywhere’ camera is the Ricoh GRIII.

  • In terms of lenses, I usually shoot with primes which fall within the focal range 28mm to 50mm (full-frame equivalent, or 18mm to 35mm in crop sensor terms). I think it's a good discipline to get to know one lens really well so that you'll start to see what that lens sees and you will instinctively know how it describes the world.

    If you only use one lens, the 35mm is perfect and is probably the ‘sweet spot’ - thought by many to be the best lens for street photography.

  • I always travel light and usually leave home with just one camera, one lens, a few batteries and a spare memory card - and that's it. My gear will be in a small messenger (usually Billingham) or sling bag (Bellroy). I’m a compulsive note taker so will always have a notebook and pen; I’ll have some Zeiss lens wipes, a few business cards and not much else!

BRIAN’S kit list

  • Cameras

    I use a variety of cameras in different situations:

    Leica M10-P and Q-P

    Leica SL2 (for commercial work)

    Ricoh GRIIIx

    FujifilmX-Pro3

    Leica M3

    Pentax 67

    Rolleiflex 2.8F

  • Lenses

    I tend to carry one lens with me for street photography. If I’m shooting a documentary project I may carry a few additional lenses in the bag. Here they are in order of preference / what gets used most:

    Leica Summicron 35mm f/2

    Leica Summicron 28mm f/1.7 (the fixed lens on the Q-P)

    Leica Summicron 90mm f/2 (for when I think I’m Saul Leiter)

    Leica Summilux 50mm f/1.4

    Voigtlander Ulton 28mm f/2

    Fujifilm 23mm f/1.4 (35mm full-frame equivalent)

  • Bags

    I’m still looking for the perfect bag! Sometimes I’ll carry a small sling and if I’m carrying lots of gear I’ll use a backpack. Here’s what gets used most (in order):

    ONA Brixton (my favourite and my daily bag)

    Lowepro Passport sling

    Domke F2 (for when I need to carry lots of lenses etc)

    Wandrd Prvke 21L backpack

  • What else is in the bag?

    To be honest, not much! On an average street shooting day I’ll travel very light with just the minimum of kit (I’m usually on the streets for long periods and want to keep the weight to a minimum. Here’s what’s usually in the bag:

    • 2x memory cards (Sandisk 64GB and 128GB)

    • 3x spare batteries (originals for Fujifilm or Leica)

    • Carl Zeiss lens wipes

    • Chamois leather in case it rains

    • Business cards

    • Notebook & mechanical pencil (writes better in the wet)

    • Tiny Godox off-camera flash (for when I think I’m Bruce Gilden or just need some ‘pop’)

Looking for kit? Check out the street photography gear store

We’ll be selling used street photography gear from Fujifilm, Leica, Sony, Ricoh, Canon and other manufacturers - as well as a great range of 35mm and medium format analogue gear.