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Why Sigma cameras are the bests for street photography (or a street photography lesson):

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noug4t

noug4t

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Before starting, I apologize for my poor English (I’m French)

I totally exaggerated in the title, but I’m really bored to read since years in reviews and commentaries that sigma cameras are only good to use on tripod to take landscapes. Once again with the announcement of the sd quattro prices. Maybe it’s the good timing to take their defence.

So, if you think that a good street photography camera is one that can take 15 pictures / second @ iso 12800, you’re not a photographer, you’re just a techno geek. Photographers didn’t wait for these cameras to do street photography. Do you remember… film?.. And if your answer is that technology just made it easier, you’re wrong. Taking 100 picture in the hope to have one good, and looking at the result immediately after, to shoot again because no one was good is just rude and made peoples you’re shooting feeling harassed. Street photography is about being polite and discrete. Taking one or two shot, smiling and saying good bye. So you don’t care if you have to wait 2mn to see the result on the screen because your camera is too slow, and if you only can take 40 pics with a battery.

To illustrate my point, here are some pictures on my flickr that I took with my dp1 and dp2 merrill, the only cameras I use since 2 years. (I’m not an especially good street photographer, I just want to defend slow cameras)
 
Sigma cameras have some of the best image qualities in good light. I love them for that reason. In that situation they are hard to beat. The images can be simply stunning.

That being said, the cameras are not near as well rounded as other cameras. They simply don't meet the more generalist high<->low light requirements of many photographers.
 
I cannot disagree with your approach to making photographs. I prefer to work as you do, making one photograph at a time.

I do not have a Merrill camera, but I would say that your choice of this camera indicates that you have a good understanding of its special qualities.
 
noug4t said:
Before starting, I apologize for my poor English (I’m French)

I totally exaggerated in the title, but I’m really bored to read since years in reviews and commentaries that sigma cameras are only good to use on tripod to take landscapes. Once again with the announcement of the sd quattro prices. Maybe it’s the good timing to take their defence.

So, if you think that a good street photography camera is one that can take 15 pictures / second @ iso 12800, you’re not a photographer, you’re just a techno geek. Photographers didn’t wait for these cameras to do street photography. Do you remember… film?.. And if your answer is that technology just made it easier, you’re wrong. Taking 100 picture in the hope to have one good, and looking at the result immediately after, to shoot again because no one was good is just rude and made peoples you’re shooting feeling harassed. Street photography is about being polite and discrete. Taking one or two shot, smiling and saying good bye. So you don’t care if you have to wait 2mn to see the result on the screen because your camera is too slow, and if you only can take 40 pics with a battery.

To illustrate my point, here are some pictures on my flickr that I took with my dp1 and dp2 merrill, the only cameras I use since 2 years. (I’m not an especially good street photographer, I just want to defend slow cameras)
Click to expand...
Your premise is seriously flawed. Since cameras as diverse as the Nikon D5, Canon 5Dsr and the Pentax 645Z and including my own can be operated one frame at a time with no chimping at all (which is in fact how I work and I consider that high speed shooting for all but sports to be a bit desperate) claiming a Sigma is better because that is the only way it can be operated is a huge leap.

Street photography may be about "one or two shot, smiling and saying good bye" to you, but that also has nothing to do with what constitutes a better machine for recording images.

I have found many people out in public embrace that I use a larger camera, and though I may be discrete, I am clearly never being secretive or covert. These days that is less threatening to average people plus they associate big with serious artist not some guy who shoots up skirts.
 
Nah, film rangefinder Leicas are the best for street fotography because your compatriot Henri Cartier-Bresson was likely the best street photographer in the world and he used such a camera.
 
noug4t said:
Before starting, I apologize for my poor English (I’m French)

I totally exaggerated in the title, but I’m really bored to read since years in reviews and commentaries that sigma cameras are only good to use on tripod to take landscapes. Once again with the announcement of the sd quattro prices. Maybe it’s the good timing to take their defence.

So, if you think that a good street photography camera is one that can take 15 pictures / second @ iso 12800, you’re not a photographer, you’re just a techno geek. Photographers didn’t wait for these cameras to do street photography. Do you remember… film?.. And if your answer is that technology just made it easier, you’re wrong. Taking 100 picture in the hope to have one good, and looking at the result immediately after, to shoot again because no one was good is just rude and made peoples you’re shooting feeling harassed. Street photography is about being polite and discrete. Taking one or two shot, smiling and saying good bye. So you don’t care if you have to wait 2mn to see the result on the screen because your camera is too slow, and if you only can take 40 pics with a battery.

To illustrate my point, here are some pictures on my flickr that I took with my dp1 and dp2 merrill, the only cameras I use since 2 years. (I’m not an especially good street photographer, I just want to defend slow cameras)
Click to expand...
Im curious. You use the term techno geek as if it's something not to be proud of. Which is fine, we all have our opinions and none are "wrong". But then i wonder, why did you choose Sigma? You have bought multiple cameras it seems, at least two sigma bodies. Why them?

That's what struck me as odd, bc most people who love Sigma do so bc of techno reasons, specifically the sensor. They usually insist there is a "look" to the files that other cameras can't match. To them i usually say the same thing you did above, that people have been taking great photos for many decades without foveon sensors.

So unless you just flipped a coin and decided to randomly choose sigma, it seems you have the same techno geek urges everybody else has, you just prefer sensors over speed. Just another self righteous photog who thinks their particular flavor is "the best"?

Perhaps im wrong and if so disregard the above. But if i am wrong, perhaps you could enlighten us as to why you choose Sigma?
 
Could you link us to some of this 15 frame/second, ISO 12,800 street photography? I don't recall ever seeing any reference to that practice. I use my D4 and D810 almost exclusively single shot, ISO as low as possible.

D
 
Thanks for my pictures :)

For street photography, I mainly use my dp2. I turn the screen off and use an external viewfinder, and only look to the result when I'm back home. But maybe with a dp3 it's harder to have an accurate framing with a viewfinder.
 
Hello DenWil, the title of the subject was really to be provocative, I know that sigmas cameras are really special cameras, not usable in any situation. I was just bored to read that they only can be use on tripod for landscape ;)
 
Hello Max, my point was partially to defend sigma cameras, but mainly to defend a way to take street photography that seems to be forgotten by peoples that think it's impossible to take street photography with a slow camera. For me in street photography, the most important thing is to press the shutter at the good moment, a good photographer can do it with any camera.
 
I wanted to be provocative in my post, sorry :) I know that a lot of photographers know how to use their gear, like I'm sure you do! I'm just bored when peoples that make camera reviews associate some camera to specific usage. like "sigma cameras give incredible images but can only be use for landscapes"... To be less provocative I should have say "sigma cameras are the best to learn how to do street photography". But it's still provocative, because any analog camera is a good way to learn that.
 
Some nice photos.

As for the rest of the discussion, I pass, it has nothing new. Some photogs prefer certain cameras, others prefer other cameras. Use whatever you like.

But I challenge you to go out in the street at night with a focus-challenged and poor high ISO performance, see if you like the experience.
 
1.) It was done one way 50 years ago, so no improvement is needed

2.) I don't need better performance, I just limit my photo opportunities to fit my equipment.

3.) My equipment is the best because I like it.

4.) I don't need better equipment, so you don't either.

You realize you can like your own equipment (more power to you, and show your great photos, without disparaging others, don't you?

noug4t said:
Before starting, I apologize for my poor English (I’m French)

I totally exaggerated in the title, but I’m really bored to read since years in reviews and commentaries that sigma cameras are only good to use on tripod to take landscapes. Once again with the announcement of the sd quattro prices. Maybe it’s the good timing to take their defence.

So, if you think that a good street photography camera is one that can take 15 pictures / second @ iso 12800, you’re not a photographer, you’re just a techno geek. Photographers didn’t wait for these cameras to do street photography. Do you remember… film?.. And if your answer is that technology just made it easier, you’re wrong. Taking 100 picture in the hope to have one good, and looking at the result immediately after, to shoot again because no one was good is just rude and made peoples you’re shooting feeling harassed. Street photography is about being polite and discrete. Taking one or two shot, smiling and saying good bye. So you don’t care if you have to wait 2mn to see the result on the screen because your camera is too slow, and if you only can take 40 pics with a battery.

To illustrate my point, here are some pictures on my flickr that I took with my dp1 and dp2 merrill, the only cameras I use since 2 years. (I’m not an especially good street photographer, I just want to defend slow cameras)
Click to expand...
 
noug4t said:
Before starting, I apologize for my poor English (I’m French)

I totally exaggerated in the title, but I’m really bored to read since years in reviews and commentaries that sigma cameras are only good to use on tripod to take landscapes. Once again with the announcement of the sd quattro prices. Maybe it’s the good timing to take their defence.

So, if you think that a good street photography camera is one that can take 15 pictures / second @ iso 12800, you’re not a photographer, you’re just a techno geek. Photographers didn’t wait for these cameras to do street photography. Do you remember… film?.. And if your answer is that technology just made it easier, you’re wrong. Taking 100 picture in the hope to have one good, and looking at the result immediately after, to shoot again because no one was good is just rude and made peoples you’re shooting feeling harassed. Street photography is about being polite and discrete. Taking one or two shot, smiling and saying good bye. So you don’t care if you have to wait 2mn to see the result on the screen because your camera is too slow, and if you only can take 40 pics with a battery.

To illustrate my point, here are some pictures on my flickr that I took with my dp1 and dp2 merrill, the only cameras I use since 2 years. (I’m not an especially good street photographer, I just want to defend slow cameras)
Click to expand...
The reality is that almost any modern digital camera is sufficient for the vast majority of needs. There are only a few really demanding situations that remain where choosing a pro camera matters.

Saying that a camera brand excels at street photography is like saying that a particular knife is effective at cutting Jello. I don't mean to knock Sigma in any way, I think they make amazing products, its just that street photography is not a demanding situation.
 
It's all about how you use the camera you have. You can use a modern digital camera just like a film camera.

once i brought my film and digital camera out for street photography, and when i ran out of film and started using the digital camera, i had forgotten that i can see the images right away, and said oh that must have been a good shot, i wish i can see it now....oh wait i can!
 
J A C S said:
Nah, film rangefinder Leicas are the best for street fotography because your compatriot Henri Cartier-Bresson was likely the best street photographer in the world and he used such a camera.
Click to expand...
They have long since been overtaken.

And I would have to argue the point about C-B. I am an old, old fan of his, but did you see the posts about Fan Ho in this forum? I am stunned that I never heard of Fan Ho back in the day -- only now.

I wish I had.

Wonderful street work (and other) work.
 
Hen3ry said:
J A C S said:
Nah, film rangefinder Leicas are the best for street fotography because your compatriot Henri Cartier-Bresson was likely the best street photographer in the world and he used such a camera.
Click to expand...
They have long since been overtaken.

And I would have to argue the point about C-B. I am an old, old fan of his, but did you see the posts about Fan Ho in this forum? I am stunned that I never heard of Fan Ho back in the day -- only now.
Click to expand...
I see. Then the best street camera is the one Fan Ho had.
 
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