Last Updated on 04/04/2020 by Chris Gampat
There have been some excellent cameras used through the decades for street photography: let’s look at them.
In modern times, street photographers get excited about cameras like the Ricoh GR III and the Fujifilm X100V. But since the practice of street photography began, there have been some absolute gems in the hands of photographers. Many of those cameras have had their time, and moved aside to be replaced by modern, more advanced systems. But they still hold value, and there’s no doubt they were considered remarkable cameras in their day (and some are still remarkable even by today’s standards). And some cameras from the past started a movement: something people got behind and held dearly to their hearts. Let’s take a look.
Olympus Trip 35
The Olympus Trip 35 first came into the world back in 1967. It sold over 10 million units and was used by prominent photographers like David Bailey. Because it was compact and lightweight, it became extremely popular with street photographers, as well as those who wanted a camera with them at all times. The Olympus Trip 35 had a resurgence in popularity in the late 2010’s, with some models going for well over $100.
Contax G2
As far as rangefinder-style cameras go, the Contax G2 is up there with the best of them. It first landed in the hands of street photographers back in 1996, and can still be found in use by purists and retro enthusiasts. First off, it’s a gorgeous camera. The aesthetic, the feel, the fully manual controls: wow, they make you want to pick it up and go out and shoot! The camera boasted great auto-focus capabilities, which is extremely important to street photographers, and had a range of lenses made by Zeiss– one of the best lens makers on the planet!
Rolleiflex 2.8C
Let’s face it, by the standards of today’s designs, the Rolleiflex 2.8C
looks like a camera fresh out of a SCI-Fi movie. Today, many collectors keep one on their mantle, making it something of a trophy rather than a practical camera. Rolleiflex cameras are great for those who want to shoot from the hip and capture subjects while being as unnoticed as possible. The camera was used by the one and only Vivian Maier, and if it’s good enough for her, it’s good enough for the rest of us!
Ricoh GR
To say the Ricoh GR is better than the latest model, the Ricoh GR III, would be wrong. But what makes the Ricoh GR so special is that it was the camera that started a movement. The GR series has become a cult classic amongst street photographers, and it would have been great to have been at the beginning of that journey. Because of the well-designed ergonomics and impressive image quality (for APS-C standards) the camera was ideal for discreet, candid shooters.
Leica M6
Street photography really came into its own during the 80’s. Many view the 1980’s as the golden era of street photography, with the likes of Joel Meyerowitz and Bruce Gilden at the forefront of the movement. Leica was a big part of that time, and the M6 model fell into the hands of many popular street photographers of that generation. Its sleek, premium design – rather than its superior image quality – is what made the camera so successful. To be holding a Leica during the boom of street photography must have been a feeling like no other, for street photographers, at least.
Fujifilm X-T1
The Fujifilm X-T1 was another camera that was the instigator of a cult-like movement. At the time of its release in 2014, I was still Team DSLR. But many street photographers saw the benefits of moving over to this Mirrorless system. Its design replicated old school film cameras, offering full manual controls. It also had wonderful image quality and color reproduction, not to mention a range of lenses that were sharper than a vampire’s fangs! Some may believe a camera from the Fujifilm X100 series is better suited here. I disagree: the X-T1 offered everything and more when it comes to Fujifilm cameras.
Favorite Street Photography Cameras
Although all of the above cameras are still available to purchase online, it would have been nice to have them when they first made their way into the photography world. But I can enjoy them today, and that’s still good enough for me! Which street photography cameras do you wish you could have had in your hands when they were first released? Let us know in the comments below.
Some images in this article are screenshots.