Category: Equipment

  • What if Smartphones Had The Same Image Quality as DSLR’s?

    I had a thought the other day: what if smartphones had the same image quality as full-frame DSLR’s? How would this change photography, and how we shoot?

  • Why Is Image Quality Important?

    Why Is Image Quality Important?

    Dear friend, It seems that we as photographers have this overly-obsessive fascination and obsession with “image quality” — through how sharp our images are, how well “bokeh” renders, the depth-of-field or “3d-ness” of images, how much the colors “pop”, or things such as “micro-contrast” (not even sure what this is, but I hear it mentioned…

  • Review of the Fujifilm X-Pro 2 For Street Photography

    Review of the Fujifilm X-Pro 2 For Street Photography

    Okay, I just got off a 16-hour direct flight from Dubai to San Francisco. Yeah, I am pretty jetlagged (slept last night at 7:30pm, woke up today at 1:30am). Anyways, I am starting to power up with a coffee at Philz in Berkeley, and wanted to share some (very brief) thoughts on the Fujifilm X-Pro…

  • Review of the Fujifilm X70 For Street Photography

    Review of the Fujifilm X70 For Street Photography

    I’m currently here in Dubai, and had a chance to check out the Fujifilm X70. TLDR; the X70 is a compact digital camera with the same sensor as the Fujifilm X100T, and a 28mm f/2.8 (“full frame equivalent”) lens.

  • “Henri” Neck Strap (Mark II) & “Henri” Wrist Strap

    “Henri” Neck Strap (Mark II) & “Henri” Wrist Strap

    Dear streettogs, I am very excited to announce the new edition of the “Henri” Neck Strap (Mark II). This new version is made from a darker-leather, similar to the color of dark mahogany wood or a good cup of coffee. Buy the Henri Neck Strap (Amazon USA) >  Purchase the Henri Neck Strap (Etsy International)…

  • Review of the Ricoh GR II for Street Photography

    Review of the Ricoh GR II for Street Photography

    Dear friend, I wanted to give you a new “no bullshit” review of the Ricoh GR II (new version, Mark II). I can honestly say that the previous Ricoh GR is the best value camera for street photography (read my review).

  • More Megapixels, More Problems

    More Megapixels, More Problems

    Dear friend, It is 7:20am in New Orleans, and I just downed a “Miss Tracy’s Addiction” (Double espresso, Cayenne pepper, Thai coconut milk) at Addiction Coffee and I’m feeling good. Had a nice chat with Dave, the barista here, and ready to do some writing to share with you some ideas. Just as a random…

  • Disregard Differences, Notice Similarities

    Disregard Differences, Notice Similarities

    I’m still afflicted with GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome). I want new shit all the time. I’m always dissatisfied with the technology I have (smartphone, tablet, laptop, camera, espresso machine) as well as my car, clothes, standard of living, quality of my food, etc. What causes this constant treadmill of dissatisfaction? There is a disease that…

  • 2 Lessons Tennis Has Taught Me About Photography and Life

    2 Lessons Tennis Has Taught Me About Photography and Life

    Dear friend, I want to share a story with you. It is an important life lesson that I learned from Greg Lowe, my tennis coach from high school. Okay let’s start from the very beginning. I was a sophomore (or perhaps freshman) in high school (Castro valley high in California), and I heard that there…

  • Review of the Harry Benz “B” Strap

    Review of the Harry Benz “B” Strap

    So I met Harry Benz when I was in Toronto. My buddy Adam Marelli (probably the most knowledgeable guy about composition and photography) introduced me to him. I shot Harry an email, and we met at a bar in Toronto in the evening, when I was teaching a workshop there. He came in, cool clear…

  • “Letters from a Recovering Camera Addict” Step 1: Admission

    “Letters from a Recovering Camera Addict” Step 1: Admission

    This article is written by Josh White, originally posted here. The views posted here are his and his alone and may or may not be shared by the website as a whole ;) Hi. My name is Josh and I’m an addict. No, I never did drugs. I don’t smoke. I hardly even drink. I’m addicted…

  • Review of the Leica Q for Street Photography

    Review of the Leica Q for Street Photography

    Leica has just released one of their most ambitious cameras yet, the new Leica Q. Long story short: full-frame sensor, 28mm f/1.7 uninterchangeable lens, macro functionality, compact body (slightly smaller than Leica M), electronic viewfinder, and 35mm and 50mm crop modes, and $4,250. Personally I think the camera is an engineering marvel. Solid, well-built, thoughtfully…

  • Video Review of the Fujifilm X100T for Street Photography

    Video Review of the Fujifilm X100T for Street Photography

    I recently put together a “real-world” review of the Fujifilm X100T for street photography (which you can read here). I also wanted to record a video of some of my thoughts of the X100T (I really like it), and some of the settings, functions, aesthetic differences of the camera. In my opinion it is the…

  • How to Overcome the “Tyranny of Choice” in Street Photography

    How to Overcome the “Tyranny of Choice” in Street Photography

    I have a problem. It is definitely a “first world problem”. I currently have too many cameras in my house. This is what is sitting on my shelf at the moment (all the cameras I own): Leica MP Hasselblad 501c Fujifilm x100T Ricoh GR Contax T3 Too many damn cameras.

  • Review of the Fujifilm X100T for Street Photography

    Review of the Fujifilm X100T for Street Photography

    Disclaimer: I was given a free Fujifilm X100T for this review. It is a beautiful Sunday here in Dubai, and it is my day off “work”. I arrived last Wednesday from London after 2 weeks of teaching workshops, and I ended up doing a few workshops for Gulf Photo Plus (a photo organization in Dubai).…

  • In Street Photography, The Smaller the Camera, the Better

    In Street Photography, The Smaller the Camera, the Better

    Recently for my trip to Stockholm, London, and Dubai I brought along my Hasselblad 501c and 80mm lens (and about 20 rolls of Kodak Portra 400 120 film). I had been shooting a lot of medium-format 6×6 photos back home, and I had the natural gut feeling to bring it to my trip and make…

  • If Your Photos Aren’t Good Enough, Your Camera Isn’t Expensive Enough

    If Your Photos Aren’t Good Enough, Your Camera Isn’t Expensive Enough

    The best camera in street photography is the most expensive one. If I gave myself advice in street photography if I started all over again I would tell myself, “Eric, buy yourself the most expensive camera out there for street photography. You are a newbie and not very good at shooting street photography. You are…

  • A Guide on How to Shoot Street Photography on a Film Leica (or Rangefinder)

    A Guide on How to Shoot Street Photography on a Film Leica (or Rangefinder)

    I know a lot of street photographers who have gotten into film recently, and have recently invested in film Leicas (specifically Leica m6’s). I wanted to write this guide to share everything I personally know about shooting on a film Leica based on my 3 years of experience. Disclaimer: I am not a Leica expert,…

  • No Camera is Perfect : Embracing The 80% Principle in Photography

    No Camera is Perfect : Embracing The 80% Principle in Photography

    We are never satisfied. Nowadays with a barrage of advertisements and commercials– we always want the next big thing. We want something better. We want to optimize the stuff we own. We become easily dissatisfied with what we own.

  • 10 Tips on Shooting Street Photography on Film

    10 Tips on Shooting Street Photography on Film

    I have learned a few things about shooting street photography on film from my own experiences (and the advice of others). If you want to read the full list of things I learned shooting film– read more!

  • Video Review of the Fujifilm x100s and Tips for Street Photography

    Video Review of the Fujifilm x100s and Tips for Street Photography

    Just put together a video review and some street photography tips for the Fujifilm x100s. You can also see the full review I did of the camera here.

  • Review of the Fujifilm x100s for Street Photography

    Review of the Fujifilm x100s for Street Photography

    Disclosure: Fujifilm gave me a Fuji x100s for this review. I haven’t been paid to write this review, and will try to make it as non-biased as possible. Also there are Amazon affiliate links included– so if you order the camera or any other product from my link, it will give me a small percentage.…

  • Fashionable and Functional: Review of the Kawa Pro Strap for Street Photography

    Fashionable and Functional: Review of the Kawa Pro Strap for Street Photography

    Eric’s Note: We were given a Kawa Pro Strap for free to review for the blog. A.G. DeMesa, a talented photographer and writer based in Manila writes his thoughts about the strap in the review below. Expect more stuff coming from him soon ;) On Straps A.G. DeMesa: A strap is what physically attaches a…

  • Real-World Review of the Fujfilm X-T1 for Street Photography

    Real-World Review of the Fujfilm X-T1 for Street Photography

    Disclaimer: I was given the Fujifilm X-T1 as well as a 23mm f/1.4 Lens, a 27mm f/2.8 lens for free from Fuijfilm. I am not getting paid to do this review, and will try my best to give an un-biased opinion as possible. But note that because I was given to it for free, I…

  • Video Review of the Fujifilm X-T1 for Street Photography

    Video Review of the Fujifilm X-T1 for Street Photography

    When I was here in Dubai for Gulf Photo Plus, the guys from Fujifilm were generous enough to give me a new Fujifilm X-T1, the Fujifilm 23mm f/1.4 (35mm full-frame equivalent), as well as the Fujifilm 27mm f/2.8 Lens (~40mm full-frame equivalent). I shot with it everyday for around a week. Overall I like the camera a lot and…

  • Review of the Leica D-Lux 6 for Street Photography

    Review of the Leica D-Lux 6 for Street Photography

    About two months ago (before I was going to embark on my Michigan to LA road trip), Chris Moore and Shirley DeSilva from the marketing division of Leica lent me a Leica D-Lux 6 to test out on the streets (thanks guys!). I have always been a huge fan of compact cameras– for their weight, size,…

  • Small is Beautiful: Review of the ONA Bowery Bag

    Christine from ONA was generous enough to give me the Bowery Bag to test out and review during some of my travels the last few months. I put it through the rounds, and find it to be an ideal situation for street photographers who want a smaller bag to hold their Fuji, Leica, Micro 4/3rds,…

  • How to Be Grateful For What You Have

    How to Be Grateful For What You Have

    We are always tempted by what’s new. We want the newest cameras, the newest cars, the newest computers, the newest smartphones, the newest tablets, and more. When does all this madness end? In this article I share some of my experiences succumbing to “G.A.S.” (Gear Acquisition Syndrome) and some techniques I have learned from the…

  • Review of the Ricoh GR for Street Photography

    Review of the Ricoh GR for Street Photography

    Disclaimer: I have been provided a Ricoh GRD V (no strings attached) from Pentax-Ricoh. However I will try to keep this review as un-biased as possible. Update: The new Ricoh GRD V (Version Number 2) is out, which is essentially the same camera with Wifi and some other minor changes. If you’re interested in the…

  • Street Photography Camera Game-Changer: The Ricoh GRD V

    Street Photography Camera Game-Changer: The Ricoh GRD V

    There are a few cameras that make me excited. The Ricoh GR-series are one of them. Ricoh has an almost cult-like following in Japan (and all around the world) for its compact size and versatile functionality. In-fact, Daido Moriyama (one of Japan’s most famous photographer) uses the GR-series cameras exclusively (he used to shoot black…

  • What to Consider When Buying a New Camera for Street Photography

    What to Consider When Buying a New Camera for Street Photography

    On my flight from Dubai back to the states I just finished an excellent book by psychologist Barry Schwartz titled: “The Paradox of Choice.” In the book, Schwartz addresses the following question in Western society: Why is it that people are getting more miserable when the amount of choices we are given goes up? I…

  • Adventures in Mumbai, Thoughts of the New Fujifilm X100s, Leica M & More

    Adventures in Mumbai, Thoughts of the New Fujifilm X100s, Leica M & More

    It has been a while since I did a travel update video, so I just put one together to keep you guys in the loop. Also some written notes are below. Click more to read more about my adventures in Mumbai, thoughts on the new Fujifilm X100s and the Leica M, and more!

  • For Street Photographers On-The-Go: Review of the Chrome Niko Camera Sling and Camera Pack

    If you are a street photographer on-the-go looking for some new camera bags for street photography (small or large) check out my above video reviews on the new Chrome Niko Camera Sling and Chrome Niko Camera Pack. The Chrome Niko Camera Sling is a small bag designed for street photographers with small DSLR’s, Micro 4/3rds…

  • My Personal Thoughts on the New Leica M, Leica M-E & Sony RX-1

    My Personal Thoughts on the New Leica M, Leica M-E & Sony RX-1

    Leica recently has released a range of new cameras at Photokina, including the Leica M, Leica M-E, Leica S3, Dlux-6, and V-lux 4. As a street photographer, the two cameras that were interesting to me were the new Leica M and Leica M-E. Here are some of my thoughts of these new cameras as well…

  • Review of the Leica M-Monochrom for Street Photography

    Review of the Leica M-Monochrom for Street Photography

    Eric’s Note: This review of the pre-production model of the Leica M Monochrom isn’t going to be a technical review, but rather a practical one for street photographers who may be interested in the camera.  I’ll start off my preview of the Leica M-Monochrom with a story. I was ecstatic when I got in my…

  • Review of the CSLR Glide Strap for Street Photography

    Review of the CSLR Glide Strap for Street Photography

    (Above image: my Leica MP and CSLR Glide Strap) In my 6 years of shooting street photography, I have experimented with lots of different straps. I tried neck straps, wrist straps, hand straps, and even no straps. Finding an ideal camera strap for street photography is very difficult. You need a strap that is discrete,…

  • Why Gear Doesn’t Worry Me Anymore Whilst I’m Shooting Street Photography

    Why Gear Doesn’t Worry Me Anymore Whilst I’m Shooting Street Photography

    I started off my photographic career with a my a Nikon D60 two years ago. I loved it and loathed it and wished that I had something that had video mode, so I looked into entry level DSLRs and thought the Nikon D3100 sounded like a pretty good shout. After about two months of using…

  • Review of the Leica MP vs Leica M6: What’s the Difference?

    Just got a mint (used) Leica MP from Bellamy in the mail and have been using it the last 3 weeks. I was using my Leica M6 for the last several months, but the M6 I had gave me some funky issues (my shutter would get stuck at around 22 shots – and it broke…

  • Introduction to Hasselblad Medium Format Cameras by Jeroen Helmink

    An introduction to using Hasselblad Medium Format Cameras by Jeroen Helmink, Dutch street photographer. Check out Jeroen’s work on his website or on Flickr! Also if you are interested in getting a Hasselblad, email Jeroen at jeroen.helmink@gmail.com Got any questions about Hasselblads or shooting medium-format film? Leave a comment below! 

  • My First Impression Review of the New Leica M-Monochrom Camera for Street Photography

    My First Impression Review of the New Leica M-Monochrom Camera for Street Photography

    I recently had the chance to shoot with the new Leica M-Monochrom camera at the Leica May 10th event in Berlin, and was quite impressed. The High-ISO is amazing but the camera is quite expensive. Curious if the camera is worth the hype? Keep reading to find out more – and see the amazing b/w…

  • 5 Responses to my “Why Digital Is Dead For Me In Street Photography” Article

    5 Responses to my “Why Digital Is Dead For Me In Street Photography” Article

      (Pre-war Zeiss Contax III, via Peter Hennig) Thank you for your feedback and thoughts in my previous article titled, “Why Digital is Dead For Me In Street Photography“. The post I written has sparked a healthy amount of discussion and debate. However I would like to clarify some points which I made in the…

  • Unboxing and Review of the Ricoh GR1s Film Point-and-Shoot for Street Photography

    Just got a new minty Ricoh GR1s film P&S camera in the mail from Bellamy Hunt (Japan Camera Hunter). Unfortunately the LCD screen got a bit damaged en-route from Tokyo to Australia. Bellamy is getting it fixed for me now! If you want to find out more about the Ricoh GR-series, check out this Ricoh…

  • Interview with Detroit Street Photographer Brian Day and Review of the Fujifilm X-Pro 1

    Had some time to catch up with my good friend Brian Day, a street photography local in Detroit. We chatted about shooting street photography in Detroit (the pros and the cons) as well as his new Fujifilm X-Pro 1 – which is a fantastic camera – with its quirks (like every other camera out there).…

  • Fujifilm X-Pro1 Review + 18mm f/2, 35mm f/1.4 & 60mm f/2.4 Macro by Kai Wong from DigitalRev TV

    A nice and fun review of the new Fujifilm X-Pro 1 from Kai Wong from DigitalRev TV. Check it out and subscribe to their awesome show today – or else Kai will hunt you down ;) Lenses reviewed: Fujifilm 18mm f/2 (~28mm full-frame equivalent) Fujifilm 35mm f/1.4 (~50mm full-frame equivalent) Fujifilm 60mm f/2.4 Macro (~100mm full-frame equivalent) Still…

  • Mini Review of the Fujifilm X-Pro 1 by Mijonju

    My good friend Mijonju from Tokyo recently got his hands on the new Fujifilm X-Pro 1 in Tokyo and made this little mini-review on it. Hope you find it entertaining and helpful! Make sure to subscribe to him on YouTube and follow him on Twitter. More info: X mount to M mount adapter http://www.petapixel.com/2012/02/09/fujifilm-showing-off-leica-m-mount-adapte… All…

  • Review of the Olympus OM-D EM-5 For Street Photography

    Recently when I was in Kuala Lumpur, I had the great pleasure of meeting Robin Wong, a passionate local street photographer. He was also lucky enough to get a test-unit of the new Olympus OM-D EM-5 directly from Olympus, and tested it extensively the past few days. As mentioned in my last post, you don’t…

  • 10 Tips on How to Cure Yourself of GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome)

    10 Tips on How to Cure Yourself of GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome)

    We are all gear-heads at heart. We love hearing about the newest and greatest camera out there, and we love seeing comparisons with different lenses, at different apertures, and the sharpness and “characteristics” of each lens. I think it is fine to think and discuss about gear in photography, but when discussed about in excess–…

  • The “Best Settings” and How to Use The Leica M9 for Street Photography

    After traveling and having done many workshops on street photography, I have met many Leica M9/rangefinder users who have had difficulty configuring their camera for shooting on the streets. There are lots of misconceptions out there, which make things confusing for people. Therefore here is some advice I have for Leica m9 users (or Fuji…

  • Bag Review: The Stylish ONA Union Street Camera Bag for Street Photography

    Bag Review: The Stylish ONA Union Street Camera Bag for Street Photography

    For those who are looking for a stylish, sleek, and functional messenger bag for street photography – check out the new ONA Union Street Bag. ONA sent me a bag to review, and after thorough testing (took it all over India) here is my review/overall impressions of this bag. Keep reading more if you are…

  • The QL17 Love Affair and My Newly Adressed Obsession With Gear

    The QL17 Love Affair and My Newly Adressed Obsession With Gear

    Eric’s Note: If you are wondering what all those crazy things coming out of Ollie’s head are, check out his last blog post. Ollie Gapper: I was recently lucky enough to pick up a Canonet QL17 rangefinder off of eBay for a steal at £30 with postage, a camera I had been after for quite…