Use it with almost any M-mount lens but, for street photography, try the Summilux-M 35mm f/1.4 ASPH lens. With its 24MP full-frame CMOS sensor, image quality, especially jpeg, is phenomenal, but that you already knew. ISO sensitivity runs to 6400 and noise is minimal at ISOs up to 3200.

The M is also compatible with an optional electronic viewfinder, which mounts on the hot shoe. Its 3.0' LCD screen provides live view capability, and shooting the rangefinder through the optical viewfinder with manual focus is an old-school treat. The Leica M (Typ 240) digital rangefinder is slightly bigger than other M models but has very quiet shutter action, which is a benefit in the street. As I mentioned, almost any camera can be good for capturing the energy, oddities, and compositions of the urban scene, so please use the comment section to let us know what camera you find right for this application. This is not to say that sensor type and ISO capability aren’t factors in street photography, but not necessarily more so than in any other type of photography.īelow is a select group of digital cameras that I think make solid street performers they’re chosen from the DSLR, mirrorless, and point-and-shoot sub-categories. Features like the LCD screen, viewfinder, AF speed, continuous shooting speed, lens’s focal length and aperture, and even onboard flash should be considered important. However, there are a few camera features that do jibe well with street photography and, in general, stealth, speed, and dependability are key elements. If you are comfortable with a camera and can operate it with acuity, the resolution, ISO sensitivity, dynamic range, and all the relentlessly discussed quantifiable factors are much less important than the way you interact with people, understand the rhythms of the street, and recognize the qualities of light.

In a genre that appreciates the gritty, the spontaneous, the accidental, the mistake, you can pretty much use whatever works for you. What makes a camera specifically well suited for street photography? Good question.

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