Buying

The equipment you choose will depend on how you approach street photography. If, like Henri Cartier-Bresson, you prefer keeping a low profile, you will tend to choose smaller, less conspicuous equipment. On the other hand, if you’re a confident photographer who is happy to engage with subjects (like Diane Arbus), the visibility of your equipment will be irrelevant. The following tips will guide you to the best types of gear for street photography, whichever of the approaches you take…

They say the best camera is the one you have with you but could your smartphone ever replace a ‘proper’ camera?

What you can – and shouldn’t – do with equipment that is labelled ‘weather resistant’.

Macro lenses are the path to larger-than-life close-ups.

How the sensor in your camera influences the images it produces…

Back in the days of film, most photographers fitted UV, haze or skylight filters to every lens, partly to block the ultraviolet radiation that could impart a blue cast to photographs (all films can record invisible UV radiation) and partly to protect the front element of the lens. Filters still have their uses for today’s digital photographers, however there are situations where you need to be discriminating in your choice of filter.

Most photographers enjoy the challenge of depicting action in still photos, whether they shoot sports, dance, wildlife or simply family activities. The best shots capture the essence of the movement – speed, flow and/or position – in the instant recorded in the frame. Regardless of your level of expertise, all photographers must deal with five vital criteria when planning an action shoot.

Aside from lenses, there are plenty of other accessories to build up your CSC kit. The options available for different cameras vary widely with different manufacturers.

Camera designers have had a field day since the first ‘mirrorless’ models were introduced. The market has now matured to provide an interesting array of body styles that use sensors from tiny 6.2 x 4.6 mm chips to the 36 x 24mm size used in professional DSLRs. There’s a camera to suit photographers at all levels of interest and expertise, from snapshooter to professional.

Although DSLR cameras have long been promoted as providing the best image quality, many people see them as too big, too heavy and too complex. But the latest ‘mirrorless’ Compact System Cameras (CSCs) are seriously challenging most of these perceived performance advantages and providing some quantifiable benefits of their own.