Street photography is not about gear. It´s true that Henri Cartier-Bresson and other early “street photographers” used Leicas and b&w film, but my guess is they did because these cameras were the best avaiable at the time. They didn´t have much to choose from. You will certainly find photographers today that sweat by the old leica and b&w film for street photography, but don´t be fooled. A used M6 and rolls of Tri-X, won´t make you a better photographer. Don´t misunderstand me. The Leica cameras and lenses are among the very best. and if I could afford it I would love to have a digital Leica M9. But I am also sure that the camera it self wouldn´t make me a better photographer.
The LX3 has a fast Leica lens that delivers very sharp images
There are a lot of cameras out there suitable for photographing everyday life, but it should be small an unobtrusive.. A small DSLR with a fast 24mm, a digital compact – or even a camera phone – would do the job. The best camera is always the one you have in your hands. If you are like me, the DSLR stays at home most of the time. Its just too big and bulky to just grab when you go out the door to the shop, to work or out jogging. My advice is to get yourself at good digital compact that can stay with you always.
I have chosen the Panasonic Lumic LX3. It´s not cheap, but it delieveres excellent results, and it´s small enough to fit in your pocket. Others, like the Canon G10, offers much of the same conviience in size and quality in images. There is one feature with the LX3 that I find very usefull, and that is a program mode called Dynamic B&W. In this mode the LX3 delivers high contrast images with much of the same feel as the old 400 iso Tri-X.
So, it´s not about gear. It´s about capturing those moments in time that would otherwise pass by and be forgotten.
