Street lenses

It’s time to get back to shooting life in motion, so here are eight of the most streetwise buys

- Matthew Richards

Many of us easing out of lockdown recently have rediscovered the simple joys of ambling around city streets, feasting on the sights and sounds of bustling life. It’s only natural to want to capture this ‘new’ normality on camera. And if you’ve never been into street photography before, it’s a chance to try something new. But what is street photography, and how do you shoot it?

Classic street photography is all about reacting to your environment,anticipating events as they unfold and capturing definitive moments. More often than not, classic street images include people set against urban surroundings, photographed candidly as they go about their lives.You’ll therefore need a camera and lens combination that you can use fairly discreetly, and that enables you to shoot with next to no setup time. Traditionally, a full-frame camera with a 35mm prime lens is the ideal tool of choice. Let’s look at the best options for DSLRs and mirrorless cameras.

The contenders

1 Canon EF 35mm f/2 IS USM £539/$599

2 Canon RF 35mm f/1.8 IS Macro STM £529/$499

3 Nikkor AF-S 35mm f/1.8G ED £455/$527

4 Nikkor Z 35mm f/1.8 S £799/$847

5 Samyang 35mm f/1.4 AS UMC £487/$499

6 Sigma 35mm f/1.4 DG HSM | A £699/$799

7 Sigma 35mm f/2 DG DN | C £549/$639

8 Tamron 35mm f/2.8 Di III OSD Macro £239/$199

Canon EF 35mm f/2 IS USM

£539/$599

Get it while you can…

Lens mount Canon EF