#Telephoto

12 Secrets For Better Candid Street Photography

By Heather Joy Milne 

Candid street photography captures unique and authentic moments in time. This street photography sub-genre is a challenge. So many components need to be right to make it work.

Read on to learn some of my secrets for creating your own perfect candid street photograph.

What Is Candid Street Photography?

Candid street photography is imagery of people shot from the street without them realizing. This sounds a bit creepy. If done with sensitivity and skill, candid street photos tell a valuable story about the people around us. And how we connect with each other.

As soon as we’re aware that someone is taking our photo, our face and body change. It’s difficult to discover the true personality behind the mask.

Keen to capture real emotion and vulnerability in your photographs? Then candid street photography is for you.

1. Minimal Gear For Candid Street Photography

Keep your camera bag light for your candid street photoshoot. Stick to a couple favorite lenses (I use a 50mm and 70-200mm). Unless you’re planning on staying in one spot, leave your tripod at home.

Restricting your gear means you have fewer decisions to make and you can move around easier and keep a low profile. Feeling brave?

Take your camera with a prime 35mm or 50mm lens and leave your bag at home.

Heather Milne

2. Photographing Ground Level Candid Photos

The best thing about taking candid street photos at ground level is that you get to sit down on the job. Find a comfortable dry spot with three or four different viewpoints.

This is a good way to be unobtrusive and capture interesting expressions.

The biggest challenge with ground-level street photography is the movement of legs walking past. This can get in the way of the perfect shot.

Use this challenge to your advantage by incorporating moving bodies as a frame for your subject.

3. Dress Down and Blend In

Standing out in the crowd is the last thing you want to do when creating a candid street photo. Blending in with your surroundings is essential.

Wear plain clothing that reflects your environment to avoid attention and maintain anonymity. My standard uniform is jeans, tee-shirt, and sneakers for comfort.

High fashion is definitely not my priority when taking candid street photography!

4. Creating Street Portrait Photos With Patience

The biggest lesson I’ve learned in candid street photography is the importance of patience. I put my trust in my intuition, and sense when something is about to make a good candid street photo. Then I wait.

Sometimes this involves waiting for a long time, but it’s worth it! Slowing down and being patient is useful in many ways.

Take the time to practice your manual settings and observe the changing light. Look at how the pedestrian and vehicular traffic is flowing. Try out your lenses and test different compositions.

The longer you wait, the more likely you are to see the connections between people. This is how you catch intriguing facial expressions, or beautiful movements.

Heather Milne

5. Accepting Mistakes In Candid Photos

Going against the rules? Making mistakes? Embrace your photographic faux pas with candid street photography. The decisive moment doesn’t always happen in the perfect light with the perfect background.

Learn how to incorporate movement and problematic lighting in your photographs so that they work to your advantage.

Understand how to convert photographs to black and white if you have color or light issues. And experiment with cropping to draw the viewer’s eye to the subject.

I made this photograph in the middle of the day in bright sun. The car drove past just at 

the ‘wrong’ time. Once I converted it into black and white, it became a happy mistake.

Photo by: Heather Milne

6. Get Close Up With Your Candid Street Portraits

The best way to capture a candid moment is to get close to your subject. This feels daunting when you’re new to street photography. Start by using a zoom lens and photograph inanimate objects to get comfortable with the concept.

Candid street portraits don’t have to be made from the front. You can capture emotions and vulnerability by photographing people from the side or back.

Body language tells strong stories in portraiture. Look for hunched shoulders, people holding 

hands, or interesting head angles.

7. Build Familiarity With Your Street Scene

One way to focus on your subject for the perfect candid shot is to be familiar with your environment. We understand the light and weather patterns of our home towns and know where interesting people hang out.

Use this knowledge to your advantage. You’re likely to intuitively know the camera settings and composition to use in a familiar setting.

This means you can really concentrate on observing expressions, behavior, and body language of people for great candid photos.

A very familiar scene in my home town.         Photo by: Heather Milne

8. Stay Friendly and Approachable

Have a clear idea of the purpose of your photographs so that you can respond honestly to any queries. Be prepared to show people their photos if they ask.

My personal code of ethics dictates that I’ll delete a photograph of a stranger if they ask me to. Taking sneaky photos from behind trees and hidden corners looks dodgy. But you also don’t want to be too obvious in the middle of a scene.

Position yourself somewhere in-between (which is easier said than done!). Keep an open mind and calm presence, and trust your instincts if you’re uncertain whether to squeeze the shutter or not.

9. Be Quick And Smart With Your Candid Photo Camera Settings

Candid street photography often consists of long periods of waiting interrupted by very fast and sudden bursts of clicking. When you’re squeezing the shutter, it pays to know exactly what settings you need to use, and how to change them fast.

If a person is moving out of the shade and into the sun, you might need to quickly change your shutter speed. If something interesting is happening in the background, the depth of field might need to change. Practice makes perfect.

Keep working with manual settings until the process becomes automatic for your hands and brain.

It might feel easy to stick to auto settings. Over time you’ll master the control and create candid photographs with a quality that auto settings just can’t produce.

Quickly shifting clouds meant I had to repeatedly change my settings while I tried to capture the scene in front of me. Photo by:Heather Milne

10. Increase Your ISO And Embrace The Grain

It took me a long time to acquiesce and increase my ISO for street photography. I was such a stickler for ISO100 and was reluctant to change it regardless of the light conditions.

The result was a number of dull street photographs made under shop awnings and on cloudy days, which required additional post-production. Technological advances mean that you can increase the ISO setting without compromising the quality of the photographs.

When I tweaked the ISO to between 200 and 400, a new world of candid street photography opened up. I was able to better capture candid facial expressions and keep the shutter speed fast to ensure sharp photographs.

I also like the slight grain that the higher ISO produces in street photography. I avoid increasing it beyond ISO 640.

The light was fading as media from around the world reported on a terrorism attack in my 

city. I pushed up my ISO to keep the shutter speed fast so the images were sharp. 

Photo by: Heather Milne

11. Be the Tourist

Still nervous about taking candid street photographs? Telling yourself you’re a tourist from out of town is a great way to give yourself permission and confidence to make street photographs.

It’s also a useful technique to observe your environment and the people with a fresh approach.

12. Tell the Story

A powerful tool when making candid street portraits is to have a clear narrative in your head. This takes practice because often the moments are fleeting. Learn about what is happening around you.

What are you observing and sensing? What can you smell? What are people saying or singing? If you understand the story, you’ll become an expert at recognizing decisive candid moments.

This helps you communicate what you’re experiencing with the viewer of the photograph. It’s also useful if you’re putting together a series of photographs.

Candid street photography plays an important role in storytelling, photojournalism, and documentary photography. The responsibility to get it right is significant.

Heather Milne

Candid street photography is perfect if you want to create an original photograph that tells a story and can’t be replicated.

You’ll avoid complications of artificial lighting, fancy lenses, or self-conscious models, and you’ll experience the freedom of movement and diverse themes and subject matter.

Take on the challenge and learn how to use your camera to share stories and history with candid street photography.

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Is There Female Representation in Photography? – Free Quick Guide

Download Your Free Guide Now →

You don’t have to be a history buff to know that the women of the world have always had a tough haul in life.

Even today, there are still human beings persecuted for the sole reason of being female.

We all hope that someday that changes.

For the moment, we wondered about the representation of women in the area of photography.

Do they have equality? Do they feel like their work is considered equally essential? Are they able to access the same professional opportunities?

We asked the author and photographer Jo Plumridge to look into these questions for us.

In this week’s eBook, she shares what she discovered.

Are you as curious as we were?

Click below.

Photo Credit: Dorothea Oldani

Download Your Free Guide Now →

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10 Types of Street Photography You Should Know

 

By Christopher Bryan-Smith 

People new to the genre might think street photography is easy to define. You could say that street photography is when the street is the location and subject. But that’s far too simplistic.

There are, in fact, many types of street photography. And there are many street photographers with unique and distinct styles. Street photography doesn’t have one set of rules. It is flexible and open to interpretation.

We’ll take you through some of the different types of street photography. It’ll provide plenty of inspiration. And by the end, you’ll be ready to head out onto the pavement to shoot your own street photography.

Photo by Gabriella Clare Marino 

10 Types of Photography You Should Know

The street is an environment familiar to us all. If you live in a city, you have to navigate your 

way through a maze of streets every day. There are streets we live on. And streets that are new 

to us.

But not all streets make us feel the same way. There are some we like. And some we don’t 

like. A vibrant street with lots of people can make us feel excited. Or a desolate avenue can 

give us the creeps. And streets, like flowing rivers, change as time moves forward.

These are the 10 types of street photography you should know. We’ll provide links to some 

of the finest master street photographers so you can get inspired. By the end, you’ll be ready 

to pick up your camera and pound the pavement.

Photo by Matthew Henry

1. Unobtrusive Street Photography

An unobtrusive street photographer is someone that does not interfere with the world 

around them. They have no part to play in the scene in front of them—they merely 

observe.

These photographers want their presence to go unnoticed. They stand back and blend 

into the background. And their minimal impact allows the scene to play out as naturally 

as possible.

It’s not possible to disappear completely. But it’s about becoming an accepted and 

non-threatening presence. It’s not about hiding—it’s about blending in.

The unobtrusive strategy allows photographers to capture everyday life on the street. 

This approach allows them to get candid shots without intruding on people’s personal 

spaces.

The photographer’s lack of impact allows street life to continue as if they weren’t there. 

The street photographer observes the unmediated chance encounters. And they capture 

the real moments as they flow by.

The art is in picking subjects and timing the shots. You need to be observant and patient. 

Forcing the shots could disturb the natural balance. People will become aware and 

self-conscious.

This type of street photography lends itself to photojournalism and documentary shooting.

Both disciplines call for natural and true-to-life street photos.

But it’s also an art form in its own right. Candid street photography can freeze a moment 

in time. They can bring back old memories or ignite our imaginations.

Master: Robert Doisneau

Photo by Harold Wainwright

2. Intrusive Street Photography

The intrusive street photographer has the opposite approach. They’re not happy to sit 

back and watch the world float past them. They want to make waves and be involved.

They still need to blend into the scene—but not to go unnoticed. The intrusive photographer 

pursues active inclusion. They take to people and make themselves known.

The intrusive style can produce vibrant images alive with energy and tension. The shots are 

candid but in a way that is more contrived than unobtrusive photography.

It doesn’t blend so well with traditional documentary photography. But it’s perfect for 

photographers interested in gonzo journalism. With gonzo, the journalist becomes part of 

the story.

This style of photography has been used to document dangerous groups. The photographer 

attaches themself to football hooligans or fringe political parties.

This type of street photography is less about waiting for something to happen. It’s more 

about making something happen. These photographers are brave. And often a little bit 

crazy too.

Master: Bruce Gilden

Photo by Ehimetalor Akhere Unuabona

3. Raw-Style Street Photography

The raw style of street photography is about finding what’s underneath the surface. 

These photographers have a no-holds-barred approach. They expose the dark reality of 

street life.

Not every street is a picturesque boulevard lined with market stalls and old men reading 

newspapers. There are dark alleys and streets you shouldn’t walk down at night.

These are the locations of the raw street photographers. Their subjects are the barflies 

and the drunks, the prostitutes and the johns, the homeless and the hopeless. They’re the 

ones ignored and swept away.

Raw photographers bring them back into focus. They lift the rug and expose everything 

society has swept underneath.

It’s not always easy to look at. And this type of street photography does raise some 

issues about ethics. People are often caught in dangerous or compromising positions.

The goal is rugged realism. But is there a human cost to this art? And do the ends justify 

the means?

Master: Weegee

Photo by Aliagha Shirinov

4. Street Portraits

Many people wouldn’t put portraits and street photography together. Portraits are 

often associated with studio photography. These days they are seen as something 

used for mugshots and resumes.

But street portraiture is a fascinating type of street photography. The street can be 

used as a location for portraits. Or you can find new faces for portraits as you walk 

out on the sidewalk.

Rosie Matheson is a contemporary portrait photographer who uses street settings 

to add meaning and flavour to her work. It’s not just about the person. Her street 

portraits are about the location.

People as subjects have always been an intriguing element in street photography. They 

bring warmth to an abstract world. A pair of eyes are like a lighthouse in a sea of concrete, 

helping the viewer connect to the scene.

Street portraits can be staged or candid. That is a decision for the photographer to make. 

It depends on their style and what they want to achieve.

Master: Robert Frank

Photo by Farah Abouel Seoud

5. Fine-Art Street Photography

Fine art and street photography aren’t usually considered associates. The former is about 

beauty and precision. The latter is about the hustle and bustle of the urban jungle.

But the street can be the setting for photography that focuses on beauty. It can be used as 

the canvas on which the photographer can paint their picture.

With many types of street photography, the content of the photo is important. But with fine 

art street photography, the photo itself is the important part. The image is the subject.

The fine art photographer finds beauty in the urban landscape. They use their skills 

of composition and framing to shoot captivating images.

The process of shooting this kind of street photography can be painstaking. Every detail 

is considered, and the camera placement has to be exact.

Master: André Kertész

Photo by Yaopey Yong

6. Fashion Street Photography

When people think about fashion, they think about studios and catwalks. But in reality, 

the main fashion catwalk is the street. That’s where most people see us wearing the clothes 

we like to wear.

Modern fashion photographers are well aware of this. They use the street as a backdrop 

for their fashion photography.

The main focus is still the clothes. But the urban scenery adds meaning to the 

photographer’s imagery. Certain locations have associations you can use to make 

clothes appeal to different demographics.

The clothes you see at fashion shows are conceptual. They can often look strange or 

even funny. But the street is the catwalk we’re all familiar with. They’re full of clothes 

we relate to, recognize, and understand.

Master: Joshua Woods

Photo by Mark Adriane

7. Geometric Street Photography

The street can be a busy place. Cars and cyclists race past. People rush here and there. 

It can seem like a mess of movement. But if you stop and look, you’ll find hundreds of 

shapes and patterns.

These shapes and patterns appear naturally in an unnatural world. They could be shadows 

or paving slabs. They could be the railing on a flight of stairs or the intersection of two walls.

Geometric street photography has a distinct lack of clutter. It has a minimalist philosophy. 

The images are stark. The lines are clean, and the shapes are clearly defined.

Many types of street photography focus on the things that move. But geometric 

photography looks at static patterns. The photographer lets the world flow past them 

while they look for shapes.

Urban architecture offers many opportunities to the geometric photographer. Modern 

and postmodern buildings often use straight lines and sharp angles. They create an 

urban minimalist landscape of geometric shapes and patterns.

Master: Henri Cartier-Bresson

Photo by Brad Starkey

8. Smart Street Photography

It might seem unfair to call one type of street photography smart. Every style has artistic 

merit. But smart street photography holds a particular element that makes us think. It might 

be something clever or something funny.

These street photos often have a feeling of self-awareness. The photographer has a sense 

of humour. And the imagery has elements of satire.

The imagery is derived from how the photographer sees the world. There’s a cynicism 

that exposes the contradictions of modern life.

Smart street photography isn’t something easily achieved. And it’s not just about 

worldview. The photographer needs to be patient and persistent. They need a camera 

around their neck 24/7.

Master: Gary Winogrand

Photo by Brad Starkey

9. Abstract Street Photography

Abstract street photographers aren’t unobtrusive or intrusive. They step back from 

the street and see it in its purest form. They’re not looking at the moving elements, 

the cars or the people. They’re looking at a combination of shapes and patterns.

These photographers actually want a simplified image. Like fine art and geometric 

photography, it’s about the imagery rather than the subject.

Abstract street photography is about shape and form. People can be involved, but they 

are only part of a constructed image. The shapes can be hard and rough, like concrete 

or soft and smooth like rain on a window.

Composition is the key to abstract photography. The urban landscape is full of unique 

shapes and forms. And the street photographer finds the stripped-down aesthetic beauty 

within the scene.

Master: Saul Leiter

Photo by Chris Barbalis

10. Modern Street Photography

Modern street photography focuses on aspects of life peculiar to the modern world. 

It’s not as simple as taking a picture of a street scene today. That would be a 

contemporary street photo. But that’s not modern street photography.

People are not always the subject. The focus is more on shapes and images that 

symbolise modernism. It’s often the things that we know will change with time. It 

could be the shape of a new car model or a toy fad that’s already nearing its sell-by date.

Like smart photography, there is a sense of self-awareness. The photographer knows how 

times change. And how the new becomes dated in the blink of an eye. Modern street 

photography is about knowing you’re in a fleeting moment of history.

Master: Matthew Wylie

Photo by Brad Starkey

 

It’s hard to define street photography. It isn’t limited to one style. There are 

many types of street photography, all distinct and different. But they all find beauty and intrigue in the street.

Every street photographer has a distinct approach. They each find street 

photographs in different places, where street action flows fast or slow. But 

the results can be captivating all the same.

I hope this post has inspired you to hit the pavement and shoot street 

photography. Whatever your style, the street is a fascinating place to 

grow your photography skills.

Are you looking for new ways to shoot?  Click Here 

 

Leica M6 Review (Best 35mm Film Camera of All Time?)

By Terry Gruber

A- A+

Related: Click Here 

Leica Germany has produced the world’s most legendary compact mechanical 35mm cameras for decades. When Leica introduced the Leica M6 I bluntly asked a NY Leica dealer what he liked about it.

Immediately he plopped an M6 into my hand. Cradled between my palms and the camera felt amazing to hold. 

Instantly I was sold. 

To own a Leica M with a built-in meter was a gift from the camera gods. That weekend I put it to use for a wedding at the Plaza Hotel. I shot 50 rolls of film, and my love affair with the M6 began.

Why is this camera from 1984 is still amongst the best in the world? Read our Leica M6 review to find out!

Overview of the Leica M6

Manufactured from 1984 – 1998, the M6 was made by hand by Leica in Germany. The idea was to offer a compact, hand-held camera that used 35mm movie film. 

From a photojournalist’s point of view, the Leica M6 is the best 35mm film camera ever made. If you don’t believe me, just google “best 35mm film camera.” It is now referred to as “The M6 Classic” and not be confused with the M6 TTL its fatter younger brother.

What makes it special is its build quality. It’s a sleek, perfectly designed, manual film camera with through-the-lens metering. 

The M6 features a crystal clear viewfinder, a durable M mount bayonet which is compatible with the best lenses in the world. 

With this machine, you can expect all controls to be smooth, quiet, and satisfying to the touch. To rangefinder aficionados focusing is a dream, especially in the dark. The M6 has also an intuitive and bright light meter, which is very important when your pictures are on film!

Who is the Leica M6 for?

Young film photographers, street photographers, photojournalists, backstage photographers, and dentists-over-fifty-on-vacation, are the audience for Leica M6. 

A Leica M6 naysayer would be a wildlife photographer, who needs long lenses to rule the plains.  The body is so small that this really is the photojournalist’s choice.  It hides well under your coat and is very discreet. 

The Leica M6 has been designed for a lifetime of use but you have to pay the price for it. It’s amongst the most expensive cameras on the market. It’s quite obvious that a small group of people can afford its superiority.

But the price comes with service. Any well-looked-after M6 that gets a CLA (“Clean, Lubricate, Adjust”) every 10 years could easily outlive its owner. Maybe these additions make Leica live up to its fame.

Key Features

Let’s dive into the specifics of this wonderful rangefinder camera.

Mount and Compatibility

Are Leica optics the secret to the Leica camera’s success? 

In a word, YES. 

The 35mm camera manufacturers routinely cut corners when it came to lenses. 

Leica lenses are fast, sharp, prime, and costly. Leica has manufactured over fifteen different 35mm M lenses and 50mm lenses since 1959. Not to mention, all of them are excellent.

The Leica M6 is compatible with every Leica M lens ever made. This fact is true even for the digital Leica models such as the M10. They all share the same mount system which is without precedent in the history of cameras. One mount, more than 50 lenses, and no adapters needed.

Leica M lenses are all prime lenses. The exception is the unique long and heavy Tri-Elmar-M 28mm-35mm-50mm lens with click stops for three focal lengths. 

The widest Leica lens I own is a 21mm. It requires a separate viewfinder that slides into the cameras hot shoe.

Generally speaking, photographers who use the M6 find themselves between 5 and 15 feet away from their subject.  

Says Leica director, David Bell: “Our lenses are for intimate environments, where a photographer might catch the emotions on someone’s face.”— I call it the storyteller’s distance: close enough to the subject, but not obtrusive. Perfect for a photojournalist.  

Image Quality

Sharp is the word.  

The lenses and the camera with no vibration make for crisp photos. It’s worth noting that image quality in analog photography is highly dependent on the lens and the film you use.

But you can expect a greater range of tone and contrast with Leica. And your subject matter will mature as you get in tune with this camera. These are the kinds of photos that you can’t take with any other SLR. 

‘The Beauty’ shot by Terry Gruber. Taken with a Leica M6 with 35mm Summilux 

Asph. 1.4, shot at 1/125 F2.8 on a Kodak PMZ 1000 film.

A great contributor to the tack-sharp images is the lack of flipping mirrors. Because of this camera shake is more avoidable due to lack of vibration. In practice, you can shoot with slower shutter speeds without worrying about motion blur. No to mention that you won’t miss the decisive moment.

‘The Afterparty’ by Terry Gruber. Taken with Leica M6 using the Leica 50mm 1.0 Noctilux, shot at 1/125 F1.0 on a Kodak TMax 1600 film

Focusing and Burst

A rangefinder camera is a camera fitted with a built-in viewfinder with split image focusing. Instead of focusing through the lens, you have to use zone focusing. 

Whilst focusing, you should also look through the viewfinder. You’ll see a double image in your frame, right in the center of the view. This is for achieving the perfect focus but it’s also crucial for the right metering. 

The Bright-line illumination window is your frame. After adjusting the focus you can press the Shutter Release Button slightly to activate the light meter. Merge the right arrow with the left arrow so both are showing simultaneously and you have perfect exposure.

Image of the metering signs. If they are aligned, you’ll have the right exposure.

Rangefinder cameras allow for more precise focusing on wide and normal lenses. With a rangefinder, lenses can be designed with the back of the lens very close to the film plane (SLR’s need to account for a flipping mirror), allowing lens designers to make lenses with rear elements set close to the image plane which makes them sharper, smaller, lighter, and have less distortion than an SLR lens. 

To focus a rangefinder, you focus on your subject in the center of your view. Then you have to recompose your image with the focus set. 

Composing your image centre can ease the process of focusing. Sparky from Fat Cats, 

Harper and Row Copyright 1981, written by Terry Gruber.

A rangefinder allows you to compose and shoot with both eyes since the bulk of the camera does not obstruct your left eye view. Lens shades for Leicas have been adapted with a corner cut out. In this way, the viewfinder is never blocked. 

Things to remember:

•     You pick the focus point – not the camera
•     Even in the darkest places, the bright rangefinder allows you to fine-tune your focus
•     Combine focusing with your thumb on the lens while pressing the index finger on the shutter. A great tip for stealthy and intuitive photography

‘End of the Night’ shot by Terry Gruber. Taken with a Leica M6 using Leica Summilux-M 75mm f/1.4, shot at 1/60 F 2.0 on a Kodak TMax 1600 film.

Body and Handling

Leica has always produced elegant cameras, with the small details of the logo and effortless design. The Leica M6 body design alone makes it clear it’s hot. 

In form and function if the Leica M6 were a car it would be a Porche 911 for power,  a Lamborghini for speed,  a Tesla Model X as its whisper silent, and a Mercedes 450 SL convertible because its a head-turner. 

The M6 is a camera built to last. With a modicum of TLC, enough 35mm film, and CR batteries, it will last two lifetimes. 

Don’t look for an “on-off” switch on the M6. The camera is purely mechanical. The meter is activated by depressing the shutter slightly. 

The film loading is easy as it could be. You should remove the bottom, insert a roll of 35mm film on the left side, drag the film end across to the right and feed it into the three teeth of the take-up spool. After wind the film advancer with the camera’s Single Stroke Rapid Advance lever to advance the film. 

The rewinding process is also user friendly. The Film Rewind Lever is located on the front of the camera, under the Leica M6 engraving. You have to flip it towards the “R” then flip the film rewind lever 180 degrees. If you turn it to the direction of the engraved arrow, the film winds back into the cassette. Then you can remove the bottom and have your finished roll.

 

Standard edition M6 cameras came in black or silver. Speciality editions were not as common for the M6 series. It is more relevant to the newer models like the M7. But surely, there are plenty of unique designs on the market.

Value

After 40 years of buying cameras, I recently moved out of a 3,000 square foot photo studio in NYC’s Flatiron District.  

I sold a palette of cameras, strobes and accessories of vintage equipment. All of my Leica equipment brought in fair market prices. Whereas my Canon and Nikon cameras did not level up to their market value. 

The M6 (body) in 1984 was under $2,000. That was a high ticket. (Compare it to a new Nikon body 1/3rd of that). 

Adjusted for inflation an unopened Leica M6 today can be worth the same as a Fujifilm GFX 50R. And that’s a digital medium format camera. 

With an average eBay price of a used M6 in “excellent” condition coming in at the same value as a new full-frame DSLR camera. It clearly shows how the M6 has retained its value over 36 years.

Accessories

There are plenty of accessories for this camera. My personal choice, the Soft Shutter button, innovated by Tom Abrahamsson. 

This smooth, convex milled, aerospace aluminium alloy shutter extension screws into the shutter and quadruples the size of the shutter to 15 millimetres. It increases the hair-trigger shooting accuracy while shooting. 

You gain as much as 1.5 stops in slow speed shooting. It is possible to shoot at 1/8 sec with a 50mm lens and get sharp images. 

Wider lenses work even slower, down to ½ sec. It is available in Silver, Black, Red, Blue, and Monogrammed. 

Another accessory I like is the M grip. You can easily take off the bottom plate and replace it with the grip which. It provides a rounded surface to hold the camera with your fingertips perpendicular to the ground, alleviating fatigue and offering you a more secure grip.  

The Leica brand price is steep, but there are off-brand options. An expansion on the M grip and replacing the need for it is the Leica M Motor Hand Grip. 

Basically, it is the M grip with a motor drive. At every event, there are moments like the wedding dip or the ceremony kiss. There a flurry of photos can help to nail the moment. 

Lastly, if you like a challenge opt for an AUFSU Leica’s waist level finder. This was designed for the candid shooting. It mounts in the hot shoe and has an adjustable feature. Using the right angle, you can set your target in a split second and shoot from waist-level. This allows you to shoot totally unnoticed.  

Alternatives

There are a few somewhat comparable rangefinders to the M6, like the Voigtlander Bessa.

The Bessa is almost entirely plastic, making it less indestructible and feel cheaper and less sophisticated than the M6. But it is still a quality rangefinder. 

For more of a price drop, there is a Canon 7. The Canon 7 did not perform as well as other rangefinders due to design faults; no hot-shoe, and no frame selector lever. Both cameras are compatible with Leica M lenses.

Verdict

If you like to shoot film and you like to be unobtrusive while shooting, the M6 is a classic choice among pros, amateurs and film enthusiastic. 

Its form and function, weight and feel, ease and quietness will make you an ecstatic Leica shooter. 

Once you join the cult of Leica users you are certain to become emotionally attached to your M6. Your images will be sharper and edgier than ever. Your challenge will be finding subject matter fitting of this camera. The only sacrifice to make is to pay the price for it.

Check it out here on Amazon.

Features (25)	24
Extras (25)	23
Value For Money (20)	17
Handling and Ergonomics (15)	13
Construction and Durability (15)	15
Total (100)	92

 

#Analogue Photography

10 Cool Vintage Film Cameras for Less Than $100 (Top Picks 2022)

By Joshua Dunlop 

Throughout the history of the camera, there are a few models that gain a special status. Either they house some special feature, an interesting setting range, or simply, have a great shutter sound.

We aren’t talking about the box brownie or the original Leica. Firstly, they wouldn’t cost less than $100. We are looking toward vintage cameras that have cult status, that you can still find today. 

Classic Film Cameras

When we think about classic film cameras we wish we owned, many of us will stare off into the distance. Our eyes glaze over as we imagine another world where our everyday shooter was a Leica M6 rangefinder camera.
Unfortunately, the reality is harsh. The camera body alone costs upwards of $1,000.
Although the Leica may remain a pipe dream for years to come, I’m here with some good news. You can own a huge range of classic film cameras for less than $100!
Sure, brands such as Leica are famous for their quality and prestige, but so are many of the cameras on this list. Some of the sharpest images I’ve ever captured have been on a film camera that cost me less than $100.
In no particular order, let’s have a look at some of these vintage cameras now.

1. Olympus Pen

I love my Olympus Pen. The thing that makes this vintage camera so unique is that it’s a half frame camera. That means that each photo only fills half a frame, so you can fit 72 photos onto a single roll of film!
It also means that when you hold the camera in landscape orientation, you’re actually taking a portrait photo.

It’s a 35mm camera that was produced from 1959 to the beginning of the 1980s, and it’s named Pen because of its size. Olympus thought it would be as portable as a pen… which it almost is!
There’s tons of different models of Pen available, even an SLR camera version, and digital camera versions too. 

2. Canon AE-1

The Canon AE-1 was produced by Canon for nearly 10 years, which sounds a bit absurd when you consider our throwaway culture these days. But that’s just down to how good, and how popular this camera was.
This is Canon’s first affordable TTL (Through The Lens metering) camera, which added autoexposure modes as well as shutter-speed priority, which we’re all familiar with today.
Because of the low cost, huge advertising campaign, and added features, it became one of the most popular cameras of the time.

It sold over 1 million units! You would expect this from one of the best, vintage cameras. For a Canon film camera, this should be at the top of your list. 

3. Rollei 35

When the Rollei 35 was released in 1966, it was the smallest existing 35mm camera on the market. Even today it remains the second smallest in compact cameras.
Like many film cameras, they were produced for a very long time so there’s a wide variety of models on the market. Something you’ll want to look out for is light leaks, as they can be quite common in older cameras.
Here’s a photo I took on mine recently:

Something interesting about this is it’s such a compact camera, the fixed lens ‘folds’ into the vintage camera. And the hotshoe is on the bottom as there’s no space on top. Check out this video I made of the one I own:

4. Olympus OM-1

When it was released in 1972, the Olympus OM-1 was a change of pace in the SLR world—a smaller, lighter, and quieter 35mm camera among big and bulky peers. 

This mechanical camera was Olympus’s conscious step towards making pro-level cameras which were more compact and usable.

Some of the features included were mirror lock-up, a self-timer, a through-the-lens exposure meter, and depth of field preview (via a button on the lens). The slimmed-down design was a hit and the vintage camera is considered a classic today.

These were very popular cameras with students. That’s because they were a great camera to learn on, having just enough features to provide flexibility and control without too many confusing extras.

Plus they were sturdy cameras that lasted for ages. It continued to be manufactured for 15 years with some variations such as the OM-1MD and OM-1n being produced over the course of that time.

5. Pentax K1000

If you were impressed by the sales of the Canon AE-1, then get a load of this! The K1000’s extraordinary longevity makes it a historically significant camera.

The K1000’s inexpensive simplicity was a great virtue and earned it unrivaled popularity as a basic but sturdy workhorse. And it eventually sold over three million units.

Super easy to get your hands on still, and very well made too. This vintage camera should be at the top of anyone’s list. 

6. Nikon F3

Okay, so this one may be stretching the $100 budget ever so slightly, but there’s always bargains to be had on eBay. The Nikon F3 succeeded the Nikon F and the F2. These two models were already famous for extreme ruggedness and durability.

It was a very popular camera, and you’ll still find people shooting with them today. Just like Canon EOS film cameras, the lenses of newer Nikon’s will still fit on these old models’ camera body.

A perfect sought after vintage camera. As far as Nikon film cameras go, you can’t go wrong with the F3.

7. Minolta SRT-101

Fun fact for you, Minolta is an acronym for “Mechanism, Instruments, Optics, and Lenses by Tashima”. This Japanese brand is one of my favorite vintage camera brands that takes film. 
This is a camera close to my heart, and one that I’ve owned two of.

The first one was dropped and damaged the light meter, so I replaced it while waiting for it to be repaired. It was first brought into production in 1966, and was produced for 10 years, with only very minor changes.
The easy-to-use light meter in the viewfinder makes exposure very easy, and the pin-sharp lenses make for some spectacular images. I recommend the 35mm f/1.7.
I honestly can’t recommend this camera enough.

8. Fujica ST801

This camera was the first to have a viewfinder LED digital data display, instead of the traditional but delicate galvanometer needle pointer, which made for much easier and more accurate exposures.
It’s a 35mm SLR with TTL metering.

And as you set aperture or shutter speed, LEDs would glow in one or two of seven positions, indicating whether the exposure was correct or not. A vintage camera that surpasses most. Not bad for under $100.

9. Diana

The Diana is a classic cheap toy camera of the 1960s. Made in China, they were very popular in the UK and US. They’re made entirely from plastic, which meant that most were given away as prizes, or sold for nominal sums.

It’s had a revival in recent years and Lomography has made a resurgence especially in street photography. And film photography has become more popular overall.

The Diana’s you’ll see on the market today are likely reproductions, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. It houses 120 film, which is a little harder to develop. With the newer models you can get 35mm backs, or simply buy a Diana mini instead.

It just goes to show how much fun you can have with a bit of cheap plastic! It still makes a helluva great vintage camera. 

10. Polaroid SX-70

Thanks to The Impossible Project (now Polaroid Originals) film for Polaroid cameras once again being manufactured. You hardly need me to explain what makes Polaroid so special. We all know them for producing hand-shake inducing instant pictures.

What makes the SX-70 so special though is the fact that it folds flat. This is no easy feat for an instant SLR film camera. And well, just look at that vintage camera design!

 

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