The Best Street Photography Settings (and Why)

The post The Best Street Photography Settings (and Why) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Olivier Duong.

Choosing the best street photography settings can be tricky, but as an experienced shooter, I’ve spent a lot of time experimenting with different options. Over the years, I’ve determined what works – and what doesn’t.

That’s why, in this article, I’m going to share my favorite camera settings for street photography, including:

• The best camera mode
• The best aperture
• The best shutter speed
• The best focus settings
• The best white balance
• (And more!)

So if you’re ready to start setting up your street shots like the masters, then let’s dive right in, starting with an overview:

The best street photography settings: the quick version

If you’re in a hurry to get out and shoot, here’s a quick list of the best street settings:

• Camera mode: Aperture Priority or Manual
• Aperture: f/8 and narrower
• Shutter speed: Above 1/125s
• ISO: 200 and higher
• Focus mode: Manual (zone focusing)
• White balance: Auto

Of course, your settings choices should depend on the specific situation, as I explain throughout the rest of the article.

The best camera mode for street photography: Aperture Priority or Manual mode

The camera mode determines how your camera handles exposure; do you get to set the exposure variables yourself? Or will your camera do it for you?

You have a few options. You can use Aperture Priority mode, which lets you choose the aperture and ISO while your camera automatically chooses the shutter speed. Aperture Priority is good if you’re dealing with rapidly changing light conditions, though you’ll need to monitor the shutter speed to ensure it doesn’t drop too low. (While you can’t directly raise the shutter speed in Aperture Priority mode, you can boost the ISO or widen the aperture, which will have the same effect.)

Another option is Manual mode. It’ll let you select the aperture, the shutter speed, and the ISO independently. While this gives you extra control, you’ll need to pay careful attention to your camera’s exposure bar – and when the light changes, you’ll need to adjust your settings in response. (On a DSLR, this tends to be more challenging, but if you use a mirrorless camera, it’s relatively easy to adjust the exposure based on the exposure preview in the electronic viewfinder.)

At the end of the day, either Aperture Priority or Manual mode can work just fine. Sure, Aperture Priority is handier when you’re moving in and out of sun and shade, while Manual mode is better if you’re dealing with more consistent light – but my best recommendation is to try them both and see what you think.

The best aperture for street photography: f/8 and narrower

The aperture influences both the exposure and the depth of field, so it’s important you choose this setting carefully.

Wider apertures (e.g., f/2.8) let in more light, which is great if you want a bright exposure in the shade or at night – but narrow apertures offer more depth of field, so you’ll get greater sharpness throughout the scene.

Which should you choose for street shooting?

Personally, I’d recommend selecting the narrowest aperture you can afford. An f/8 aperture is a great starting point, but if you can go narrower, do it. The goal here is basically to maximize your area of sharpness throughout the scene. The greater the depth of field, the greater the margin of error when focusing – so even if you focus just behind or in front of the subject, the image will still turn out sharp. Make sense?

If you’re working in low light, an ultra-narrow aperture may result in dramatic underexposure, so you have to be flexible. Therefore, when the light starts to drop, you may need to widen your aperture to keep a nice exposure, and that’s okay. Just be mindful of how the adjustment will affect your zone of focus.

Note that you can try using a wide aperture (and the resulting shallow depth of field) to create beautiful artistic effects. This is more commonly used in other photographic genres such as portrait photography, but if you’re interested in capturing unique images, widen your aperture as far as it can go and see what you can produce!

The best shutter speed for street photography: 1/125s or faster

If you’re using Manual mode, then you’ll need to choose the shutter speed yourself. If you’re using Aperture Priority mode, you won’t have the option to select the shutter speed directly, but you can change it by adjusting the ISO, adjusting the aperture, or adjusting the exposure compensation.

Remember that a fast shutter speed prevents both camera shake and motion blur; therefore, the faster the shutter speed, the sharper your shots will turn out. Unfortunately, fast shutter speeds also let in less light, so you must carefully strike a balance between sharpness and exposure requirements.

Which shutter speed should you choose for street photography?

Basically, just stay at 1/125s or above. Things usually happen fast on the streets, and if you drop below 1/125s, you risk camera shake and motion blur. I’d also encourage you to boost the shutter speed to at least 1/250s if you’re photographing a very fast subject, such as a biker or a car.

If you want to be extra certain that your shots will turn out sharp, you could go even higher. The problem is that the higher you go, the more you’re forced to boost your ISO, which comes with other problems (as I discuss in the next section).

The best ISO for street photography: ISO 200 and higher

The ISO affects image brightness, so it comes in handy when you want to use a narrow aperture and/or a faster shutter speed. Unfortunately, while higher ISOs brighten up the scene, they also produce noise – but in my view, many street shots actually look good with noise, especially if you’re shooting in black and white.

That’s why I recommend you start at an ISO of 200 for street photography. As long as you’re getting the shutter speed and aperture you need, just leave it at 200. If the light drops, however, boost it as needed. (For instance, when shooting at night, you’ll often need to use an ISO of 1600 or even 3200!)

The best focus settings for street photography: Manual zone focusing

Beginner street photographers often shoot with their fancy autofocus modes, but I recommend an alternative:

Manual zone focusing. In my experience, it’s faster than autofocus, and it’ll never let you down.

You see, many of the best street photographers manually focus their lens a few feet in front of the camera, wait until their subjects enter the prefocused zone of sharpness, then hit the shutter button.

Check out this illustration, which includes several possible prefocus zones:

You see, by manually focusing the lens in advance, the photographer can ensure that either the blue zone or the red zone appears in focus all the time. That way, if a subject walks into the prefocused zone, the photographer can grab a sharp shot without needing to fiddle with autofocus settings.

Because here’s the thing:

Even if you have the fastest autofocus in the world, there’s always going to be a focusing delay. Plus, the autofocus might miss your main subject and hit another subject instead.

Zone focusing eliminates these problems because a zone is like a force field in front of your camera. Anything that enters the force field will be in focus, which is pretty darn nifty, right?

How to set up zone focusing

When setting up your prefocused zone, you’ll need to think about the type of shots you want to take.

So ask yourself: Do I want photos of close-up subjects, or do I want to shoot people from a distance? That will determine the perfect point of focus.

Let’s say you want to take a few shots with your subject less than one meter away. Just put your lens like this:

The aperture is at f/16, so you should put the marking on the left to 0.7, then look at the “16” marking on the right. Do you see how it’s at “1.2”? That tells you that everything between 0.7 to 1.2 meters will be in focus.

The farther you are from the point of focus, the larger the depth of field. Therefore, putting the point of focus at one meter will keep a lot of space in focus. And if you want to photograph people over a meter away, you can put the leftmost “16” to “1” and check the rightmost “16” indicator to determine your most distant area of focus.

If your lens doesn’t have those marks, that’s okay! It’s where a tool like DOFMaster comes in handy:

Simply select your camera from the dropdown menu, then dial in your lens’s focal length. Pick your f-stop, set your ideal subject distance (i.e., point of focus), then hit Calculate.

On the right-hand side, you’ll see your focusing zone (it will correspond to the near limit and far limit calculations). If you like the focusing zone, then manually focus at the subject distance and get shooting. If you don’t like the focusing zone, then feel free to adjust your f-stop, your subject distance, and even your focal length until you get a pleasing result.

Note: When you select a focal length and an aperture, the calculator will also give you the hyperfocal distance for those settings, which is the point at which you can focus for maximum depth of field. Set your lens to the hyperfocal distance, and everything from half that distance to infinity will stay in focus – which is perfect if you want to keep as much of the frame as sharp as possible.

In fact, most of the serious street photographers I know set their lenses to focus at the hyperfocal distance. It’s only when the light starts dropping that they start to widen the aperture and rein in their point of focus; that way, they can keep their exposures looking bright and keep their subjects sharp.

The best white balance for street photography: Auto

You can use white balance presets to nail the white balance setting in-camera – but in my experience, this is mostly a waste of time.

First, it can be tough to get the white balance exactly right when you’re working in the field.

Second, fiddling with the white balance can cause you to miss shots that you’d otherwise capture.

And third, as long as you shoot in RAW – and you definitely should! – the white balance is adjustable in pretty much any post-processing program.

So just set your white balance to “Auto,” and let your camera make its own decision. If you like the results, it’ll save you a few seconds of post-processing. And if you’re not a fan, you can always tweak the white balance in Lightroom, Capture One, or Adobe Camera Raw.

The best street photography settings: final words

There you have it:

The street photography settings that will get you the most keepers, and that have been used consistently by the famous photographers of the past (and present).

So try them out. See how you like them. Of course, it’s still possible to take great street photos with other settings – so if you decide to go a different route, that’s okay, too.

Now over to you:

What do you think of these street settings? Do you have other settings that you prefer? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Table of contents

Street Photography

• GENERAL
  • 10 Tips for the Aspiring Street Photographer
  • 7 Street Photography Rules That Should Be Broken
  • How to Approach Street Photography in 12 Easy Steps
  • 50 Things I Try to Avoid in Street Photography
  • 5 Questions to Ask Yourself to Help Improve Your People Photography
  • 5 Exercises to Improve Your Street Photography
• PREPARATION
  • 7 Steps to Get Over Your Fear of Street Photography
  • How to Plan a Street Photography Shoot When Traveling
• SETTINGS
  • Zone Focusing: How to (Always) Capture Sharp Street Photos
  • What are the Best Street Photography Camera Settings and Why

    • The best street photography settings: the quick version
    • The best camera mode for street photography: Aperture Priority or Manual mode
    • The best aperture for street photography: f/8 and narrower
    • The best shutter speed for street photography: 1/125s or faster
    • The best ISO for street photography: ISO 200 and higher
    • The best focus settings for street photography: Manual zone focusing
    • How to set up zone focusing
    • The best white balance for street photography: Auto
    • The best street photography settings: final words
    • The best street photography settings: the quick version
    • The best camera mode for street photography: Aperture Priority or Manual mode
    • The best aperture for street photography: f/8 and narrower
    • The best shutter speed for street photography: 1/125s or faster
    • The best ISO for street photography: ISO 200 and higher
    • The best focus settings for street photography: Manual zone focusing
    • How to set up zone focusing
    • The best white balance for street photography: Auto
    • The best street photography settings: final words
• LIGHTING
  • There is No Bad Light for Street Photography
  • Make the Most of High Contrast Lighting for Dramatic Street Photos
• COMPOSITION
  • The Importance of Capturing Gesture and Emotion in Street Photography
  • Seeing and Street Photography
    • 13 Great Subjects for Urban Night Photography
  • How to Avoid Distracting Backgrounds in Street Photography
  • How the Square Format Can Enhance Your Street Photography
  • Tips for Minimalist Photography in an Urban Environment
  • How to Improve the Impact of Your Urban Images Using Lines
  • How to Use Framing in an Urban Environment
• GEAR
  • 5 Reasons Why Shooting With a Rangefinder Will Make You a Better Street Photographer
  • Pros and Cons of a Telephoto Lens for Street Photography?
  • The Five Key Features on any Street Photography Camera
  • Which Street Photography Lens is Right for You?
  • 6 Reasons Why You Should Use a Standard Lens for Street Photography
  • A Look at the Fujifilm X100V in Action for Street Photography (video)
  • How to Use a Wide-Angle Lens for People Photography
  • Street Photography with $10 Ilford HP5 Film Camera
• ADVANCED GUIDES
  • 8 Advanced Street Photography Tips to Get You to the Next Level
  • Getting Close and Personal: 11 Tips for Close-up Candid Street Photography
  • 7 Tips for a More Anonymous Approach to Street Photography
  • A Cowards Guide to Street Photography
  • 6 Tips for Aiming Low and Going Unnoticed in Street Photography
  • 9 Tips for Creating Great Street Portraits
  • Street Portraits vs Street Photography: What is the Difference?
  • 17 Tips for Shooting Better Urban Portraits
  • What Makes A Great Street Photograph and How Do We Create Them
  • How to Tell a Story With Your Street Photography
  • In the Dark: 10 Tips for Street Night Photography
  • 7 Tips for Urban Landscape Photography
  • A Street Photographer’s Guide to New York City
  • Urban Exploration Photography – Urbex
  • 7 Tips for Capturing the Decisive Moment in Street Photography
  • A Common Misconception About Street Photography – Just Take Photos of People Walking
  • What do I look for on a Photo Walk? Part 1 – City Walk
  • 8 Things You Should Know if You are Dating a Street Photographer
  • 7 Ways to Become More Spontaneous with Your Street Photography
  • 5 Essential Shots You Need to Get for Street Market Photography
  • Using Humor In Street Photography
  • Watch a Street Photographer Going about a Shoot [VIDEO]
  • Using Street Photography to See Beyond the Ordinary
• CREATIVE TECHNIQUES
  • 5 Tips for Shooting Glass to Enhance Your Street Photographs
  • Window Street Photography ~ Try Something New And Grow!
  • The Pros and Cons of Black and White Versus Color for Street and Travel Photography
  • 4 Ways to Add a Sense of Motion to Your Urban Photography
  • 7 Steps to Create Street Photography Silhouettes
• POST-PROCESSING
  • How to Enhance Urban Night Photographs Using Luminosity Masks in Photoshop
  • 13 Steps for Editing Street Photography in Lightroom from Start to Finish
  • How to Turn Day to Night Using Photoshop for Urban Landscapes
• BUSINESS
  • Model Releases: Working with People on the Streets
• INSPIRATION
  • 20 Beautiful Examples of Urban Decay Photography
  • 30 Street Photography Images to Inspire You
  • 33 Gritty Photos of Graffiti Street Art
  • 28 Diverse Images That Showcase People Photography
  • 39 Street Photography Images That Have Common Threads
  • Focus on Thomas Leuthard – Street Photographer
  • Focus on Street Photographer Eric Kim ~ In your face with a smile!
  • Focus on Chris Porsz ~ It’s All About The People
  • Focus on Scott Frederick – Urban Explorer
• OPINION
  • The Uncomfortable Truth About Street Photography
  • Street Photography: Exploitative vs Respect
  • To be or not to be a Street Photographer
  • Consent in Photography – What to Think About When Photographing People

The post The Best Street Photography Settings (and Why) appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Olivier Duong.

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How to Fix Overexposed Photos: A Comprehensive Guide

The post How to Fix Overexposed Photos: A Comprehensive Guide appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Ana Mireles.

Are your files looking washed out? Do your photos have burned-out highlights? If so, your images might be overexposed.

Fortunately, while overexposure is a significant, image-ruining problem, it’s not unfixable. With the right techniques, you can correct overexposure – either in the field or while post-processing your photos. In this article, I explain how to fix overexposed photos on the spot, and I also show you several techniques to handle overexposure in post-processing.

Sound useful? Then keep on reading!

What is an overexposed photo?

In simple terms, a photo is overexposed when it looks too bright. An overexposed image usually looks very washed out, due to the lack of contrast in the mid-tones and shadows. Additionally, overexposed images often feature limited details in the highlights.

Now, overexposure is caused by too much light reaching the camera sensor. (As you may know, the exposure of a photograph refers to the amount of light that creates an image.)

You can control the amount of light (and, consequently, the exposure) using the three corners of the exposure triangle: ISO, aperture, and shutter speed. For instance, you can modify the sensitivity of the camera sensor by adjusting the ISO. You can let in more or less light by changing the aperture size. And you can decide how long the sensor is exposed to the light by tweaking the shutter speed. 

When you find the perfect balance of exposure variables – and hence a good amount of light – then you’ll produce a correctly exposed image. But if too little light hits the sensor, the photo will be underexposed, and if too much light hits the sensor, the photo will be overexposed. Make sense?

Keep in mind that an overexposed photo is different from a high-key photo. High-key photos feature mostly bright tones, but the few dark tones that are present look deep and intense. Plus, even high-key files feature detail in the highlights (at least on the subject).

4 basic ways to fix overexposure

As I mentioned above, overexposure is caused by too much light; you can fix it by adjusting your camera settings. Specifically, you can:

Lower the ISO

ISO determines the sensitivity of the camera sensor. (Yes, this is an oversimplification, but it’s useful to think in these terms.) In film photography, you can choose the sensitivity of your film, which remained consistent across the entire roll; in digital photography, you can adjust the ISO from one photo to the next.

High ISO values cause the sensor to be very sensitive. Therefore, these values are meant for low-light conditions. As a general rule of thumb, you should keep your ISO as low as possible.

So if your image is overexposed, start by lowering the ISO. Most cameras can drop down to ISO 100, although some can reach ISO 50.

Narrow the aperture

The aperture is the hole in your lens that lets in light. It’s an essential part of each and every lens design, and it can be a determining factor in the value (and price) of the lens.

A wide aperture allows you to shoot with faster shutter speeds, even in low light. But depending on the light levels, a too-wide aperture can lead to overexposure (if you’re not compensating for the increased light via other camera settings, that is).

A wide aperture will also create a narrow depth of field in your images, but if you don’t need a shallow depth of field effect and your images are turning out overexposed, you can narrow the aperture to let in less light and fix the issue.

Use a slower shutter speed

The shutter speed will determine for how long is the sensor exposed to the light. 

While a fast shutter speed help can help freeze anything in motion, a slow shutter speed will capture motion as a blur. 

If your images are overexposed, simply slow down that shutter speed to produce better shots.

Try other metering modes

How does your camera know how much light you need for a photo? It’s all thanks to the built-in light meter. By default, the camera analyzes the scene and calculates a lighting average; it then indicates whether your current settings will give you a correct exposure or not. 

Unfortunately, when you’re photographing a scene with lots of contrast or a large volume of dark areas, your camera’s metering mode may fail; it might tell you the exposure is correct, while in reality, the picture is overexposed. 

To prevent this from becoming a regular issue, you can change the metering mode. Spot metering, for instance, lets you carefully determine the light levels on just your subject. It gives you a better chance of getting the exposure right and can be especially helpful if you’re noticing consistent overexposure.

Additional ways to fix overexposed photos (in camera)

While the aforementioned methods are highly effective methods for handling overexposure, you do have other options, such as:

Use exposure compensation 

Exposure compensation allows you to (subtly) adjust the settings chosen by your camera when you’re shooting in a semi-automatic mode (e.g., Aperture Priority). If your camera is capturing too-bright photos, you can simply dial in a stop or two of negative exposure compensation, which will tell the camera processor to deliberately underexpose the scene and correct for any overexposure.

Some cameras have a dedicated button for this feature, which features the +/- icon. If you can’t find an exposure compensation button, you might need to search through your camera’s menu. (It can vary from camera to camera, so you may want to check your manual for this one!)

Use bracketing

Bracketing is a shooting technique where you capture the same scene with different exposure settings. The idea is to capture a handful of extra shots as insurance; that way, if you get the settings wrong and accidentally overexpose (or underexpose) the scene, you’ll have a bracketed shot that got it right.

So how do you do bracketing?

Some cameras have an automated bracketing option, called AEB (Automatic Exposure Bracketing); with this feature active, you can press the shutter button just once and your camera will take a handful of photos at different exposures.

If your camera doesn’t have AEB, you can still do manual bracketing. Start by finding the “correct” exposure (as indicated by the camera’s light meter) and take a shot. Then adjust the shutter speed by a step or two and take another shot. Repeat this a couple more times. (You can also bracket by adjusting the aperture, but you’ll end up with a variety of background blur effects.)

Use an external light meter

The exposure meter in your camera always reads the light that bounces off the objects in each scene. This method works, but it’s prone to error – and it can lead to overexposure or underexposure depending on the tones of the objects.

For a more accurate light reading, you can use an external light meter, held in front of the subject. It will measure the light levels directly, and you can use the reading to determine the right exposure settings (regardless of the color and material of the scene objects).

How to fix overexposure with a post-processing program

While it’s always best to handle overexposure while out shooting, you can still salvage overexposed shots with a bit of editing magic:

Do some RAW processing

If you’ve overexposed a RAW file, you may be able to recover some (or all) the missing detail. Start by opening your RAW file in a photo editor that supports it. I like to fix overexposure in Adobe Camera Raw, but the steps are very similar in most programs.

Activate the clipping alert by clicking on the top right of the histogram. This will highlight areas of exposure in the image (i.e., areas that are missing detail and need correction). As you make adjustments, keep a careful eye on the clipped areas.

You can start by dropping the Exposure slider. It’ll darken the overall photo, just as if you had shot the image with a faster shutter speed, lower ISO, or narrower aperture. 

Then reduce the Whites slider, which controls brightness in the whitest parts of the image. Finally, drop the Highlights slider until you’ve eliminated all clipping. (You might have to go back and forth between the Whites and the Highlights slider until you find the right balance.)

Once you’ve regained all your missing detail, I’d recommend recovering contrast by lowering the darker areas of the image. You can do this with the Black and the Shadow sliders. It can be helpful to enable the shadow clipping alert (on the top left of the histogram). That way, you can instantly see if you accidentally make the image too dark.

If your image is still looking washed out, you can try using the Dehaze slider, which will darken the shot while adding plenty of contrast.

Work with different blend modes

Open your file in Photoshop (or another layer-based editing program). Duplicate the background layer. Then change the blend mode to any of the darkening modes found on the menu: Darken, Multiply, Color Burn, Linear Burn, or Darker Color.

Different photos benefit from different blend modes, so make sure you try them all. If you’re using Photoshop CC, you’ll see a live preview as you hover over each mode, which is highly useful. And if you get a result that feels too intense, you can always lower the opacity.

Try a Levels adjustment

Photoshop offers a handy adjustment, called Levels, that allows you to carefully adjust image tones.

Start by creating a Levels adjustment layer, which will let you modify the tones in your photo non-destructively. You’ll see a histogram; grab the dark slider on the left and pull it to the right until you reach the first peaks of the graph. You can also try moving the middle slider to the right (thereby darkening the image midtones).

Then, on the gradient stripe below the histogram, grab the rightmost slider. Drag it to the left, and watch as the brightest parts of your image are subtly darkened.

(If you want an even quicker approach, simply hit the Auto button, and let the Levels adjustment layer handle the changes on its own. You can always fine-tune the results afterward.) 

Try a Curves adjustment

Curves is another Photoshop tool designed to adjust image tones – in fact, it offers even more precise control than Levels, though it’s harder to use.

Create a Curves adjustment layer, then grab the black eye dropper and click on the darkest tones in your image:

It’ll instantly darken the shot. If you prefer, you can add handles to the Curves graph and drag them to manually adjust the curve. Alternatively, you can click on Auto and let the editing program make its own decisions!

How to fix an overexposed photo: final words

As you can see, there are many ways to fix an overexposed photo! It’s always better to identify the problem while you’re in the field; that way, you can correct the exposure from the beginning.

However, as you should now be aware, it’s possible to adjust the exposure and recover missing detail in post-processing. Of course, this method has its limits, and a RAW file will give you far more flexibility than a JPEG. 

So remember the methods I’ve shared. And take some powerful steps to prevent (or fix) future exposure issues!

Which of these approaches do you plan to take? Do you have any other strategies for handling overexposure? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

The post How to Fix Overexposed Photos: A Comprehensive Guide appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Ana Mireles.

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The 11 Best Cameras for Street Photography in 2022

The post The 11 Best Cameras for Street Photography in 2022 appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Simon Ringsmuth.

Choosing the best camera for street photography doesn’t have to be difficult, but the huge number of cameras on the market – combined with the number of flashy features – can make the task overwhelming, especially if you’re only just getting started as a street snapper.

Fortunately, most of the latest camera models are highly capable, so it’s tough to make a truly bad choice. On the other hand, there are a handful of street photography cameras that rise above the rest thanks to a unique combination of features. While street photography can be done with almost any camera, from mobile phones to medium format models, there are a few key characteristics to look for when making your purchase, including a compact body, easy-to-use manual controls, a quiet shutter, and a fast response time.

Other features like a tilting screen, a built-in ND filter, a bright viewfinder, and weather sealing are nice to have, but they’re not deal-breakers for most photographers. Ultimately, you’ll need to decide what’s important to you and choose accordingly; if you’re not sure where to start, this list should be of use.

So without further ado, let’s take a look at the 11 best street photography cameras in 2022!

(Regarding our rankings: The top three picks are listed in order; after that, every camera is about equally good, followed by four honorable mentions that don’t quite make the cut.)

1. Fujifilm X100V

Back in 2010, Fujifilm released the original X100, a point-and-shoot model featuring a groundbreaking set of features including a hybrid optical/electronic viewfinder and an APS-C sensor. It quickly became a runaway hit.

The X100V is the fifth iteration of this camera, and over the years Fujifilm has steadily refined its street photography capabilities. Aperture, shutter speed, ISO, and exposure compensation settings each have their own control dials, so they’re dead simple to adjust on the fly. The hybrid viewfinder lets you shoot with an OVF, an EVF, or even an old-school rangefinder display, while the flip-out touchscreen makes it easy to compose from low angles.

Other benefits for street photographers include a 23mm fixed lens mated to an APS-C sensor, which results in a 35mm equivalent field of view that’s perfect for street photography. The lens is sharp and bright with a maximum aperture of f/2, so you need not worry about missing shots due to poor light. The built-in leaf shutter makes photography virtually silent, which is great if you value discretion.

The X100V is small but not quite pocketable, and it has a full suite of customizable buttons and dials to suit your style. If you want a virtually no-compromises camera designed from the ground up for street shooters, the Fuji X100V is a fantastic option; it is, in my opinion, the best camera for street photography today.

Pros:

• Stellar image quality
• Easy-to-use controls
• Hybrid optical/electronic rangefinder-style viewfinder (the only one of its kind among all the cameras on this list)
• Beautiful JPEG files with a wide variety of available film simulations

Cons:

• Weather sealing requires the purchase of an adapter ring for the front of the lens
• Autofocus isn’t as fast as some of its peers
• Expensive, especially for casual photographers
• No image stabilization

2. Ricoh GR III

The Ricoh GR line of cameras has been a favorite of street photographers for years, and with good reason. The third iteration of this venerable camera series continues the tradition; it’s small in size but packs quite a punch, and it offers nearly everything a beginner or intermediate street photographer could want.

An 18mm lens mated to the APS-C sensor results in a 28mm field of view; this is a bit wider than the Fujifilm X100V (above) and more like what you might get on a mobile phone. Some people like the wider approach, and if that’s you, then the GR III will be a good fit (though I must admit that I find the 35mm field of view much more pleasing and versatile). Image quality is outstanding, and high-ISO shots look great. Lots of photographers swear by the Ricoh black-and-white JPEGs, so if you like to take monochrome street shots, this may be a good option.

The Ricoh GR III has plenty of buttons but not as many dedicated controls as the Fujifilm X100V (and other cameras on this list). It’s not quite as easy to rapidly change settings, but many custom functions can be mapped to specific buttons to make things simpler. The maximum f/2.8 aperture isn’t top of the line, but the camera compensates with built-in image stabilization; this makes low-light street photography a bit more practical as long as you are shooting still subjects. A non-tilting touchscreen makes composing shots a cinch, but the lack of a dedicated viewfinder is certainly something to consider if you prefer composing your shots by bringing the camera up to your eye.

Pros:

• The small size makes it easy to carry in a pocket or handbag
• Much more affordable than the Fuji X100V and some other options on this list
• Excellent image quality
• Built-in image stabilization

Cons:

• The f/2.8 lens is not as bright as the competition
• The lack of a built-in viewfinder means photos must be composed using the rear LCD screen
• Battery life isn’t great, so you might consider carrying a spare

3. Sony RX100 VII

The Sony RX100 line has been around for many years and has gone through myriad iterations to adapt to the demands of photographers. The most dramatic change in recent years is the lens, which used to have a much narrower focal range but now goes all the way from 24mm to 200mm (in equivalent 35mm measurements). This makes the RX100 VII an outstanding camera for many genres, including street photography.

While the lens isn’t nearly as bright as the glass on the Fuji X100V or the Ricoh GR III, its maximum f/2.8 aperture (on the wide end) is great for daytime street photography. This quickly shrinks to a maximum f/4.5 aperture as you zoom in, but most street photographers typically shoot wide as opposed to telephoto, so this shouldn’t be too much of an issue.

The 1″ sensor in the Sony RX100 VII is what enables this camera to have such a versatile lens. And while it’s no match for its APS-C and full-frame siblings’ image quality and high-ISO performance, Sony makes up for it in terms of sheer technological prowess.

The RX100 VII camera is packed to the gills with features normally found on expensive mirrorless cameras. Autofocus is snappy and reliable and includes subject tracking and eye AF, video recording is outstanding, and the pop-up viewfinder will certainly be appreciated by street photographers. A rear touchscreen, a relatively robust set of manual controls, and several customizable buttons mean you can set the camera to suit your preferences. At the end of the day, the reason this camera earns a spot on my list is due to its unique combination of features and size; no other camera offers so much in so small a body.

Pros:

• The small size makes the camera extremely portable and pocketable
• Incredible technology, including 4K video and fast, reliable autofocus
• Versatile lens with a 200mm focal length at the long end
• Optical stabilization helps you get sharp shots of still subjects in low light

Cons:

• f/2.8 aperture is only available at the widest end of the focal range
• The small image sensor results in less depth of field and inferior high-ISO performance
• The pop-up viewfinder isn’t instantly accessible

4. Panasonic Lumix LX100 II

While the Panasonic Lumix LX100 II isn’t as feature-packed as other cameras on the list, it’s still an excellent street photography model thanks to its intuitive ergonomics, solid image quality, and compact size.

The LX100 II is easy to use and packs fast autofocus and responsive controls, including dedicated dials for shutter speed and exposure compensation. The built-in 24-75mm lens is great for wide-angle shots as well as tighter crops, and the bright f/1.7 aperture is perfect for low-light photography, though it does shrink to f/2.8 when zoomed to 75mm. Street photographers will love the small size of this LX100 II, though the lens does stick out from the body, so I don’t recommend letting the camera rattle around in a pocket or handbag.

Panasonic packs a lot of technology into its cameras, and the Lumix LX100 II has a range of high-tech features that’ll please street photographers. The AF points cover nearly the entire frame so you can focus almost anywhere, and various built-in crop modes let you frame your shots in a handful of different aspect ratios.

The touchscreen makes focusing a breeze, and the electronic viewfinder is great for composing your photos on the fly. Street photographers will also appreciate the aperture ring, which gives you full control over the aperture without requiring a trip to the camera menus.

Pros

• Manual control dials for shutter speed and aperture
• Built-in zoom lens covers a useful focal range for street photography
• Small size

Cons

• Image quality isn’t as good at higher ISO values
• f/1.7 aperture is only available at the widest end of the focal-length range
• The viewfinder isn’t as sharp and crisp as others on this list, which makes composing some shots a little frustrating

5. Canon PowerShot G1 X Mark III

The Canon PowerShot G1 X Mark III combines the best of compact cameras and their larger-sensor DSLR/mirrorless brethren; as a result, it’s an imaging tool that is well-suited to many types of street photography, including fast-action street snapping, thoughtfully composed street scenes, street portraits, and more.

The G1 X Mark III’s overall appeal is a bit hampered by its size as well as some limitations of the built-in lens, but anyone looking into a first street photography camera would be wise to consider it. The large APS-C image sensor on the G1 X III makes for superb shots in a variety of lighting conditions, and a long list of impressive technical specifications makes this camera great for nailing split-second moments on the streets.

Composing is simple with the rear LCD, and Canon goes one step further than most by offering a fully articulating touchscreen. Autofocus isn’t particularly noteworthy, especially when tracking moving subjects, but that’s usually not a primary concern for street photographers (depending on your style of shooting, of course).

The 24-72mm (35mm equivalent) focal range of the zoom lens means you can capture a mix of wide shots and tighter street portraits, though the aperture range on the lens is definitely less than ideal. The f/2.8 maximum aperture (when zoomed out) is respectable, but the f/5.6 aperture when zoomed in severely limits this camera’s functionality at telephoto focal lengths in low light.

However, high-ISO shots look great, and street photographers will love using the abundance of control dials and function buttons to access commonly used settings. The electronic viewfinder is crisp and sharp, and while it may not be as nice as the EVFs built into Canon’s high-end cameras, it’s certainly good enough for street photography.

Pros:

• Excellent image quality, especially compared to some cameras on this list with much smaller sensors
• Leaf shutter lets you use very fast internal flash sync speeds
• Built-in neutral density filter lets you explore more creative possibilities

Cons:

• Small maximum aperture limits the usefulness of the built-in lens, especially when zoomed in
• Battery life is not great
• The lens isn’t as sharp as others on this list

6. Nikon Z5

The inclusion of the Nikon Z5 on this list might seem a bit strange – after all, it’s not a dedicated street photography camera – but hear me out. While the Nikon Z5 isn’t specifically designed for street photography like the Ricoh GR III or Fuji X100V, and while it’s larger and heavier than most of the other cameras on this list, it has one standout quality for street photography: it is currently the cheapest full-frame mirrorless camera on the market. So if you’re a street photographer who values image quality above all else, the Nikon Z5 is definitely worth considering.

Plus, the Nikon Z5 has plenty of other features that’ll make street photographers sit up and take notice. The flip-out touchscreen lets you work from all sorts of unique angles, and it has plenty of manual controls and customizable settings for improved efficiency when shooting. It features a bright viewfinder, fast autofocus, built-in image stabilization, and an (optional) fully electronic shutter for discreet street snapping.

The Nikon Z5 can be paired with Nikon’s Z lenses, many of which are outstanding for street photography. Bear in mind that the Z5 is expensive, heavy, and downright cumbersome compared to the nimbler models featured elsewhere on this list – but for photographers desiring a full-frame camera, it’s one of the best options available.

Pros:

• Exquisite image quality and autofocus performance
• Dual memory card slots
• Built-in image stabilization helps you get great shots with slower shutter speeds

Cons:

• Larger than almost every camera on this list
• Very few small Z-mount lenses

7. Olympus PEN E-PL10

The Olympus PEN series has long been beloved by street photographers, and while it’s not quite up to the standards of some of its peers, the PEN E-PL10 definitely holds its own in key areas. It sports a powerful Micro Four Thirds (MFT) sensor, which sits comfortably between the 1″ sensor of the RX100 series and the APS-C sensors offered by cameras such as the G1 X Mark III and Fuji X100V, and it strikes a nice balance between size and capability.

Like the Nikon Z5, the PEN E-PL10 does require a separate lens, but MFT glass is much smaller than its Nikon/Canon/Sony counterparts. For example, the 14-42mm lens (28-84mm equivalent) shown in the photo above makes the E-PL10 about the same size as the Fuji X100V when the lens is at its widest. And there’s a huge variety of MFT lenses, many of which are great for casual street shooting.

The PEN E-PL10 isn’t as feature-rich as some of its more pro-oriented siblings, but it has a full complement of manual controls so you can confidently capture the shot you’re after. Some street photographers might lament the lack of a dedicated viewfinder, but the articulating rear touchscreen makes composing photos easy and enjoyable.

The E-PL10 also stands out thanks to built-in image stabilization and fast, reliable autofocus. And the PEN E-PL10 is much less expensive than other cameras on this list, which makes it a great option for people looking for a starter street photography model.

Pros:

• One of the smallest interchangeable lens cameras on the market
• Excellent manual controls and built-in image stabilization
• Inexpensive, even when factoring in the cost of a lens

Cons:

• An MFT sensor means high-ISO shots aren’t top-notch
• No dedicated viewfinder
• Serious street shooters might quickly outgrow the feature set

Honorable mentions

The cameras listed below are all well-suited to street photography, but while they are all worth considering, each is limited by some important factors. Therefore, I would generally recommend one of the initial seven cameras on this list over one of my honorable mentions.

However, if affordability, size, and access to the latest technology are not your primary concerns, then do take a look at the models listed below; maybe you’ll fall in love!

8. Leica Q2

The Leica Q2 is a no-compromise street photographer’s dream. Everything about this camera is ideally suited to street photography, from its full-frame sensor to its exquisitely sharp 28mm f/1.8 lens to the excellent optical viewfinder, durable construction, and weather sealing. Unfortunately, the Q2 is also insanely expensive, so it’s out of reach for most beginner (and even professional) photographers.

But while you could buy several Fujifilm X100Vs and a Ricoh GR III for the same price as a Leica Q2, you would be making some compromises and tradeoffs in the process that you simply don’t have to think about with the Leica. So if money is no object and you don’t mind a massive lens protruding from the camera body, the Leica Q2 is my top recommendation.

9. Sony RX1R II

If you’re searching for an ideal street photography camera but can’t afford the Leica Q2, then the Sony RX1R II should be at the top of your list. It’s similar to the Leica in many ways, with specs that surpass almost every camera at the top of this list, even if it doesn’t quite reach the same soaring heights as its German-made counterpart.

If the Q2 sits at the top of the podium, the RX1R is a very close second place. It’s expensive but not quite as much as the Q2, and its 35mm f/2 lens isn’t as wide or bright as the Q2’s lens, either. While it has a viewfinder, this pops out like a periscope instead of being elegantly embedded in the camera body. And while the rear screen flips out for greater versatility, the camera sacrifices weather sealing as a result.

In short, the Sony RX1R II is an outstanding camera, but it’s generally not one I would recommend for casual street shooters.

10. Sony a6100

The Sony a6100 isn’t designed for street photography, but it shouldn’t be overlooked. It’s a small, well-rounded, full-featured APS-C camera that also serves the needs of street photographers surprisingly well.

Everything you would expect in a proper camera is here: manual controls, a bright viewfinder, great autofocus, and a flip-out rear screen. It’s small enough to tote around but not as pocketable as the Ricoh GR III or Sony RX100 VII. I would recommend pairing a6100 with the 20mm (30mm equivalent) f/2.8 pancake lens, which essentially transforms it into a Fujifilm X100V.

Strictly from a street photography perspective, I prefer the X100V – but some might appreciate the technology and the ability to change lenses offered by the a6100.

11. Fujifilm X-E4

It almost doesn’t seem fair to relegate the Fujifilm X-E4 to the bottom of my “Honorable Mentions” category. In many ways, it’s a great street photography camera – but while this model has an extensive list of features that appeal to street snappers, I can’t recommend it over the Fuji X100V.

The X-E4 and the Fujifilm X100V share many common elements, from the sensor size to the flip-out screen to manual controls and even a built-in viewfinder. But while the X-E4 is newer and less expensive, it doesn’t come with a lens, and by the time you add one that is suited to street photography, the price is almost the same as an X100V.

And the X100V boasts a wide-aperture lens, better manual controls, and a hybrid optical/electronic viewfinder that will appeal to a lot of street photographers. As a small, capable, interchangeable lens camera, the X-E4 is great. But for street photography, the X100V is the better choice.

The best camera for street photography: final words

Street photography is all about capturing the candid everyday moments that make up the world around us. And almost every camera is capable of getting those shots, including mobile phones, pocket cameras, and DSLRs with big lenses.

There’s no rule that says the camera you already have won’t work for street photography. And your only limitations are the ones you set for yourself. But if you’re looking for the best camera for street photography, I hope this list gave you plenty to think about!

Street photography camera FAQs

Can I use my mobile phone for street photography?

Mobile phones are great for street photography – as long as you have plenty of light. When the lights go down, photo quality decreases dramatically, especially if you’re shooting moving subjects. (Night Mode on mobile phones almost always requires your subjects to be very still.)

What focal length is best for street photography?

This one is largely a matter of personal taste, but anything between 25mm and 35mm is generally ideal for street photography. Much wider than 25mm and people start to look a bit distorted. Much narrower than 35mm, and you’ll have trouble fitting everything into the frame.

Can I use a DSLR for street photography?

While traditional DSLRs can certainly be used for street photography, I don’t recommend them when there are so many excellent mirrorless options available. DSLRs are large and conspicuous, and Live View shooting often uses contrast-detection autofocus (which is highly unreliable for dynamic street photography scenarios).

Do I need weather sealing on my camera?

Unless you are shooting in extreme weather conditions, you probably don’t need weather sealing. It’s nice to have for peace of mind and I wouldn’t recommend against it, but as long as you’re careful not to let your camera get soaked with rain or covered in dust, you’ll probably be fine.

Do I need to focus manually when shooting street photos?

Many street photographers enjoy shooting manually, which is very simple thanks to focus peaking on modern mirrorless cameras. However, autofocus works perfectly fine, and there is nothing wrong with using it for street photography.

The post The 11 Best Cameras for Street Photography in 2022 appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Simon Ringsmuth.

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