What I love most about street photography: how open and democratic it is… for all!

Beyond gear

Effectively I’ve been able to make some of my best photos with a $500 RICOH GR II camera, and I have also discovered that the photos I shot with my $8000 Leica setup ($2500 Leica 35mm f/2 Summicron Lens), $5000 Leica M9, or my $3,500 Leica MP film camera (all bought used) is relatively equivalent to anything I shot on digital RICOH GR II or Ricoh GR III cameras.

And I can say this with great confidence, considering I’ve shot with pretty much all the cameras out there.

Caveat:

Shooting street photography on a phone is great, but honestly … I would just recommend you to shoot with a digital RICOH GR II or Ricoh GR III instead.

The RICOH GR-series digital cameras are far superior to any smartphone camera (including iPhone Pro and Google Pixel and all the best smartphone cameras out of China and from Samsung). Why?

1. Physics don’t lie: A larger sensor of a ASPC-sensor looks 100x aesthetically nicer than even the world’s best smartphone cameras. Also the price differential is minimal; $890 for a RICOH GR III vs $999 for an iPhone Pro. I make the simpler statement: just buy a super cheap smartphone (I bought a Motorola Android smartphone for only $150, brand new!) and use your phone for phone calls, texting, Uber and Google Maps, and use your ‘standalone digital camera’ to focus on making images.
2. Ergonomics are superior: Compact point and shoot camera like RICOH GR II or GR III is superior to any smartphone camera, or even Leica M-rangefinder camera. Why? It fits in your front pocket, and it has a physical shutter button, and fits better in your hand. Also turns on and off far quicker than a phone. Also the problem with shooting with your phone; what if someone calls you or texts you or your phone notifications go off while you’re shooting?

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