The best camera for street photography (at 3 budgets)

Street photography has unique requirements, and Chris Niccolls has strong opinions about what most compelling options are. He'll walks you through his picks for the best street photography cameras at three different budgets.

Rental equipment provided by The Camera Store

0:00 - Intro
0:49 - Under $1000
4:10 - Under $3000
6:56 - Money’s no object
10:30 - The wrap
-----------------------

[bencheney]

It would have taken an average YouTuber thirty minutes to disseminate THAT much information. You and Jordan have an incredible gift for communicating, and it’s really what makes your videos shine

[michaelhall]

100% agree, the Fuji XT-30ii is a massively underrated camera and when you realise it's got all the same processor/sensors as the xe and XT and pro line (and at a lot less cost) it's a no brainier

[disraelidemon]

Second hand Panasonic GX80 (£200 or so) plus a good prime lens - there's a whole bunch of choices for under £400. Good stabilisation, quiet electromagnetic mechanical shutter, tilting rear screen with touch focus, RAW files are surprisingly good even in poor light. M4/3 also gives deeper depth of field per f-stop than APS-C or full frame, so if you're depth focussing, you can do it at lower f-stops than other formats and significantly close the gap on the image quality difference that bigger sensors provide.

[dogpadogpa]

Olympus PEN-F (with small prime), Fuji X100 series or Ricoh GR series!

I think for street photography SIZE of the lenses makes a big difference.

[patrickchase]

A1 FTW. I used to shoot skiing and cycling a lot, and always had pro DSLRs (EOS 1n, 1v, 1D3, 1Dx2, 1Dx3). When I realized that I wasn't going to be doing sports any more and that it was time to hang the big, heavy DSLRs up, I craved the same "fast" handling and experience. The A1 was therefore a no-brainer. As the video says, it can do everything well, and it's fast enough to make even old sports types like me happy.

[TheGroovyGuitarDude]

I recently got a great deal on a used Leica Q, and LOVE it. Dream camera and everything I hoped it would be. Anyone who is lusting after a Q2 but deterred by the price should consider a used Q1 for over 1/2 the price. Still pricey, as it is a Leica, but gets a Q in your hands and has ~90% (if not more) the capability of the Q2. Most people don’t need 47mp, and will be perfectly happy with 24mp ☺️🤙🏽📷🔴

[bhargavsharma]

I just got the Sony ZV E10 as a compliment to my Sony A7IV. Its actually fantastic for street photography. Great Image Quality and really nice and compact. Autofocus is Sony which is always incredible.

[Soundwrecker]

Full agree on the favorite being the Leica Q2! It's just wonderful to use AND takes great pictures.

[KarstenMeyer]

For me, the Sony A7c might be the perfect camera for street photography - if it only had the good old flip up display. So I really hope for a mark II with the display of the A7R V.

[ericlarson]

I’ve always loved Olympus for street photography. For years I used the original EM-5 with a 17mm 1.7 lens. I recently upgraded to a used EM-1 Mark II and love what this six year old camera can do in its tiny package.

[joezuu]

My choice for under $1000 was a used X-Pro 2 and a 35mm f2. Been loving it.

[chocolocotol]

Ricoh GR all the way. Probably the best compact camera to bring with you anywhere. It may not be as aesthetic as the Leica Q2 or X100V, but the quality of the photos are just as good

[hookedlifeca]

My picks (and I own them) in price order, GRIIIx, X100V, X-Pro3 with an 18mm f2, 35mm f2 or a 50mm f2. Never use burst mode so not worried about that. The GR is a great little camera that doesn't attract attention to it, plus the IBIS is essential for one handed use. The X100V doesn't need any explanation. The X-Pro3 fills in when I need more than one lens choice.

I lust after a Q2 Monochrom.

[bdssoaz]

For budget camera, the Lumix GX9 is my choice. It's small, light, looks good and has that L.monochrome D that is awesome. Not the newest camera around, but sure is a really cool little camera.

[JorgeusParagas]

I'm using X-S10. Started with XC 35mm and now upgraded to Tamron 18-300mm (they are fantastic).

[BiggeDink]

My choice is the Canon G1X Mark III. Compact, lightweight, stabilized sharp zoom lens, accurate auto focus, and fits in a waist pack so it's easy to carry.

[OliverMay]

I'm using the Fujifilm X100F as my walk and shoot camera and I love the experince of using it. It's small, lightweight, pocketable(ish), and produces stunning jpegs straight out of the camera.

I'm a little disappointed you didn't mention the Fujifilm X-Pro 3 though.

[michaelenos]

Yeah, love the Q2, I have the monochrom, and seriously consider buying the color version in addition. I have Nikon and Olympus cameras that are getting lonely, only because I love the Leica and enjoy the shooting experience and the beautiful prints.

[grossmeister]

Nothing beats the GR III. So small and compact, yet fast and superb picture quality. All menus and controls a photographer needs. Yes, the battery life is "low", but spare batteries fit in your purse, so no real thing. Just the perfect camera for every trip

[ZOB]

Love the Ricoh and X100V - wish you had included the A7c in the under $3000 category, that’s a great (and pretty) small full frame rangefinder style, more classic styling for street. Would love to have a Q2 someday