If you are looking to buy a new street photography camera, then you are in luck. The last year has released some pretty incredible cameras for street photographers.
Before I go ahead and give you my picks for the best street photography cameras of 2024, we will have to define what makes a good street photography camera. With the way technology has developed in the last few years, almost every major camera produced has the technical ability to make great street photographs. So, I will not be digging too heavily into the tech specs, instead I will be focusing on key usability and image making factors.
- Size, Weight, & Ergonomics
- Smaller cameras are more discrete and often times lighter, so it is easier to carry and use in the streets for hours at a time.
- Lens selection
- A camera is only as good as its lens. So, the lenses need to be compact, high-quality, fast aperture, and have all the most common street photography focal lengths covered (28mm, 35mm, 50mm).
- Controls
- The camera should never get in the way of creating photos. A good street photography camera should have simple controls that don’t require you to go into the menus with every shot.
- Sensor Size
- Although smaller sensor cameras have come a long way in recent years, I will limit this list to APS-C and larger sensors because of their superior ability in low light.
- Key Features
- Some cameras have 1 or 2 additional killer features that separates it from the rest of the pack.
- Cost
- Street photography is hard on gear. Cameras can get stolen, damaged, or totaled, so making sure the cost is reasonable is essential.
Alright, with all of our requirements out of the way, what are the best street photography cameras for 2024?
#1 – Fujifilm X-T5
As of January 2024 if someone asks me what camera to get for street photography, I hands down recommend the Fujifilm X-T5. This is the latest flagship photo focused camera from Fujifilm and they knocked it out of the park.
Size, Weight, and Ergonomics
This camera is light and ultra compact. It is smaller and lighter than my old X-Pro2 and has really good handfeel with the built in grip.
It weighs 19.6 oz ( 557g) with battery and SD cards which makes it one of the lightest interchangeable lens cameras on this list.
Lens Selection
This is the primary reason I selected a Fujifilm camera for the best street photography camera for 2024 because they have a full line of compact f/2 primes that covers every common street photography focal length and then some.
16mm f2.8 (24mm) 18mm f/2 (28mm), 23mm f/2 (35mm), 27mm (40mm), 35mm f/2 (53mm), 50mm f/2 (75mm)
Full-frame equivalent focal lengths in the parentheses.
Each of these lenses is fairly affordable, and most of them are even weather sealed. No other manufacturer has dedicated this much attention to creating a full collection of small, lightweight, fast aperture, prime lenses.
Controls
The camera has dedicated dials for shutter speed, aperture, ISO, and exposure compensation. It feels very similar to an older SLR camera or Leica, so it is very intuitive to use.
The Sensor
The camera has an APS-C sized sensor. It performs well in low-light situations with ISO 3200 looking acceptable. Full-frame has the advantage in low light, but the X-t5 still holds its own.
Furthermore, the smaller sensor sizes give more depth of field compared to a full-frame sensor. For example using a 23mm lens on this camera compared to a full-frame camera sporting a 35mm, you will get more depth of field at a given aperture on the X-T5. This can be a huge benefit for manual focusing or people who like their image fully in focus.
Lastly, this camera has a 40mp sensor. So you have plenty of pixels to crop with or use to make massive prints.
Exciting Features
- 7-Stop In-Body Image Stabilization – This is a killer feature that reduces handshake while shooting at slow shutter speeds
- Tilting Touch Screen – Having a tilt out screen rather than a flip screen makes it better for waist level shooting.
- Dual Card Slots – With dual card slots you have your photos saved to each card backing them up in-case of card failure.
- Weather Sealing – Shooting in inclement weather is one of the most fun activities a street photographer can do, so a camera that can handle a little rain is a great plus.
Cost
It is $1,699 which is a decent chunk of change, but nothing compared to a Leica or a full-frame camera with this same feature set. If this camera is out of budget, but you would like something similar, the X-T30II may be another camera to consider at $899.
Who Should Buy This?
I think this camera is perfect for the jack-of-all trades street photographer who also dabbles into other things like wildlife, landscape, or even sports. Features like IBIS, weather sealing, and dual card slots make this a well rounded camera for all photographic disciplines.
#2 – Ricoh GrIII or GRIIIx
This camera continually blows my mind. It has an APS-C sized sensor, a sharp 28mm or 40mm equivalent lens, and it fits in the palm of my hand. It is the only truly pocketable street photography camera I have seen. Among street photographers in my community, this camera is sparking a die hard following.
Size, Weight, and Ergonomics
This camera is light and freakishly compact. You can easily pop it into your pocket and forget it is even there.
The cost is you lose the viewfinder and interchangeable lenses, however, this is a small price to pay for portability. You can really bring the Ricoh GRIII everywhere, concerts, bars, family gatherings, or any place an interchangeable lens camera would not be allowed.
Lens Selection
You can purchase this camera as either the Ricoh GRIII which has a 28mm equivalent lens or as the Ricoh GRIIIx with a 40mm equivalent lens. Between 28mm and 40mm, most photographers can find a version of this camera that they prefer. Or buy both and still pay less than purchasing the above Fujifilm and a lens.
My only dig against this camera is that the lens only opens up to f/2.8 which is not the fastest. Although, it should be enough for most situations. Potentially, in some serious low light situations, you would want f/1.4 or f/2, but at that point I would whip out a flash.
Controls
As a compromise for its tiny size, you lose your classic film camera controls and viewfinder. Everything is controlled through the rear touch screen, command dials, and buttons on the body. Which are all really well laid out and seem to work as a great substitute!
The Sensor
It still blows my mind that the Ricoh GRIII can fit an APS-C sized sensor in a package this small. It has all the benefits and drawbacks of the X-T5 sensor. So, it has reduced low light performance when compared to full-frame, but it does generate greater depth of field.
Key Features
- IBIS – Although not as robust as Fujifilm’s system, I would argue it is good enough to combat hand shake quite well.
- Snap-Focus – This is a mind-blowing feature! Rather than rotating the lens to set manual focus, you can actually set a focus distance in the camera. Then when you take a photo, the camera’s focus “snaps” to the preset distance you assigned. This is perfect for one-handed zone focusing or if you are using autofocus most of the time, but want to snap-real quickly to a certain distance.
- Macro-Mode – Despite having a fixed lens, Ricoh included a macro feature in their cameras which allows them to focus to less than 5 inches away. You can get up close detailed shots that would not be possible on any other point and shoot.
Cost
You get a full APS-C camera with lens for about $1,000 USD which is a pretty killer deal given all the features it has. Plus, you can probably purchase the Ricoh GRIII and GRIIIx for the cost of one of the bodies on this list to get both focal lengths. You could wear one on your wrist and one around your neck and use whichever suits the scene best.
Who Should Buy This?
This camera is perfect for the hardcore or minimalist street photographer. This is someone who lives by the one camera, one lens philosophy. If you are minimalist, then this is perfect because you can pop a few batteries in one pocket and the camera in the other, and you can leave your big camera bag at home.
#3 – Nikon Zf
If any camera was going to make me consider selling my Fujifilm kit, this camera is it. It is a beautiful throw back to the older Nikon FM series of film cameras. It has a very similar top-plate configuration and size. The best part is that it is full-frame, so you can have all that low performance and shallower depth of field that APS-C cameras just can’t match.
Size, Weight, and Ergonomics
It is definitely larger and heavier than the previous cameras on the list, but that is the cost for a full-frame sensor. This definitely feels more like a traditional SLR camera, so you won’t be popping this one in a jacket pocket.
On the flip-side, the added size and heft make it very nice to hold like an older brass Leica.
Lens Selection
This is where the camera struggles a bit for me! In order for a camera lens to fit autofocus, modern optics, and full-frame coverage, they tend to be on the larger side and more expensive.
Overall, it is a small price to pay for a full-frame sensor with old school controls. They also have a few custom designed primes that are designed to be used with this camera.
As an added bonus, with this camera you can adapt vintage glass without any crop-factor! Which means your lenses will perform the exact same as they did on their old film bodies.
Controls
If you haven’t caught on yet, I am a huge fan of dedicated dials. I tend to prefer the simplicity of knowing exactly what each dial does and being able to see my exposure settings by looking down at my camera.
The Sensor
It is a full-frame sensor in a vintage styled body, what more can I say to get you to buy this camera. It is likely a similar sensor to the other full-frame z-mount cameras, so you know you will get beautiful images out of this camera.
Key Features
- IBIS – This camera claims to have up to 8-stop of image stabilization, which is crazy. That means if you can hand hold without IBIS at 1/60th of a second, you should be able to handhold exposures well over 1 second easily.
- Silent Mechanical Shutter – This camera has a crazy quiet mechanical shutter. The first time I triggered it, I did not believe it took the photo.
- Dual Card Slots – You have 1 SD Card and 1 Micro SD card slot, to guarantee you don’t lose any photos.
Cost
This camera is about to break that $2,000 price point, however, I think it is worth it. You get Nikon’s Z-Mount lens library, full-frame sensor, and beautiful vintage styling.
Who Should Buy This?
This is for the vintage purist who needs a full-frame camera. If the latest Leica M is out of budget, this is the closest you can get to a camera with film-like control without breaking the bank. It has all the features from other great Z cameras, and you can adapt vintage glass without any crop-factor.
#4 – Leica M11 or M11P
If I had unlimited money in the bank, the Leica M11P would be the camera I would shoot with. It is the Rolex of street photography cameras. Admittedly I have not played with this one in person, but I have used M10Ps and vintage Leicas and everyone one of them put my Fujifilm’s to shame.
Not that they make better images or have better features, as they are objectively inferior to nearly every modern digital camera. Where they shine is in user experience and build quality.
Size, Weight, and Ergonomics
This camera has an average weight and medium size. It is not the most comfortable to hold as it is really just a rounded rectangle, but that is not why you are buying this camera.
Lens Selection
This is really where Leica has the edge. They have a variety of lenses that covers every essential street photography focal length. All of their lenses have a compact form factor and are usually at least an F/2 aperture.
I usually don’t like third-party lenses, but Voigtlander makes a great selection of similar lenses at a very appealing price as well. The only downside is that you have to buy a camera that costs as much as a used car to use them.
Controls
This is my favorite part of the Leica. If you want to use it just like an old Leica, you can pretend the rear screen does not exist and just shoot it like you would a film camera. I think that is the best feature on this camera, it is just so simple to use.
The Sensor
It is a full-frame sensor with a thin filter stack. What that means is that you can actually use vintage Leica lenses without any degradation in image quality.
If you use Leica’s wide angle lenses on any modern digital camera, the edges of the image will smear. Most manufactures have a thick stack of protective glass and filters on their sensors that can mess with the optics of wider Leica lenses.
So if you were thinking you could get the Leica experience on your Nikon Zf by adapting some M lenses, you probably can’t. Leica is the only manufacturer that offers full compatibility with Leica M lenses.
Key Features
- Optical Viewfinder – It is the only camera to make this list with a true optical viewfinder. So you can actually see what you are shooting in real time.
- Resolution – 60mp of resolution is a lot of resolution and allows for some serious cropping in post if needed.
Cost
Cost is the true reason why I am not currently using this camera. It is $9k, give or take a few hundred, if you get the M11P or a special edition. This is just too much money for a street photography camera. If it gets dropped or stolen, I would have a really hard time financially replacing this camera.
Who Should Buy This?
This is for the old school purest with cash to burn, or someone heavily invested in Leica glass and can justify the expense. It truly is an amazing camera and lens system, but it is a shame that is so cost prohibitive for the average photographer.
The Best Camera is the One You Have
I know we reviewed a lot of nice, fancy cameras here, but the best street photography camera is the one you have. Even a smartphone can be a great street photography camera, and plenty of contemporary photographers have gotten their start on an iPhone.
You can also look for a lot of these cameras used or previous models of them to save significant amounts of money. You don’t need to spend a lot of money to make good art.