Let’s look at the cameras in the hands of your favorite street photographers.
The final product – the photo – is what defines a street photographer. It’s their artistic vision and creative flair that will set them apart from the pedestrian shooter. That said, the camera they use certainly influences their quality of work, both from a technical and psychological standpoint. We want to go behind the image and take a look at what cameras are in the hands of some of the most popular shooters of street photography.
1. Arnaud Montagard – Mamaya 7
Arnaud Montagard is a french photographer based in New York. He creates truly beautiful photographs that have a premium feel and a touch of class. To create them, he uses a medium format camera that was released 25 years ago. The Mamiya 7 is still widely considered as one of the world’s best cameras – both for film and digital. It’s not the prettiest of cameras, but it doesn’t need to be. What it helps a photographer do is the main concern. And as you’ll see with Montagard’s work, it certainly helps him to produce gorgeous frames.
2. Sarmistha Bera – Nikon D7200
Sarmistha Bera’s work has been published by the likes of National Geographic. Working in India, her street photography is adored by thousands, and her black and white stills have led her to be connected with popular street photography collective, Street Photography International. Bera uses a DSLR. Which, in 2020, is refreshing to see. As the world moves to mirrorless and more compact systems, seeing her love for the DSLR makes us happy. And the Nikon D7200 is an awesome camera. It’s robust, well built, and offers super detailed image quality.
3. Katerina Christina – Leica M10
From her images to her dress sense, Katerina Christina oozes class. So it’s no surprise that trend is continued through to her choice of camera. And there’s no classier camera than one manufactured by German super brand, Leica. Christina uses the Lecia M10 as, in her words, “…the M series is truly a joy to shoot with.” She adds, “The form factor of Leica’s cameras is what continues to draw me to them and inspires me to go out and make beautiful images. I love how simple the design is.” We totally get what Christina is saying, especially when you consider the quality of her work!
4. Nina Welch-Kling – Fujfilm X100V
Nina’s documentation of New York City has resulted in her seeing great success in 2020. She been a finalist for a handful of street contests and was The Phoblographer’s overall winner in our street photography competition in partnership with Fujifilm. In the result of her winning, Welch-Kling bagged herself a Fujifilm X100V. She’s already shot with Fuji so she knows their systems well. And with many street photographer’s bigging up the X100V on a daily basis, the camera is sure going to help her to continue to produce her amazing work.
5. Elena Alexandra – Ricoh GR III
From Eye Shot Magazine to the popular IG account, Streets With Love, Elena Alexandra’s work is receiving wide recognition. Her deep, dark, colorful, frames are a joy to look at, as is her ability to capture the small moments of humanity. Alexandra is using what many would call a cult classic. The Ricoh GR III is the compact camera that can be found in the hands of many. Because it’s so small, yet produces fantastic image quality, it’s the perfect camera for the street photography ninja.
6. RK – Sony a7R III
Previously an iPhone shooter, popular street and travel photographer, RK, decided to move to the Sony a7R III. In an interview with Jessi Gowan, he said he wanted a system with “state-of-the-art technology,” and Sony has been a market leader for some time in that regard. His images are clean and his scenes make you envious. That’s why over half a million people follow his work.
Your Favorite Cameras for Street Photography
Now you know what the pro’s are using, let us know what camera you’ve got in your hand. We’re always interested to see what cameras are doing it for the community, so drop us a comment below and we’ll be sure to check it out.