I’ve not used the LCD on either my CL or Q2 for any photography but wondered whether for street there might be advantages.People are used to seeing phones held up to photograph so maybe that’s less intrusive.You can more easily see what’s outside the frame and about to walk into it.Anyone here use the LCD for street?MTIA!

Purely out of habit I use the EVF. Very, very rarely do I use the screen. It seems alien to me. I do live in the tropics and during daylight hours I find the screen difficult to see. I live in Thailand and the Thais don’t care about cameras, in fact I regularly get asked to take their photo

I to find it a foreign concept, you lose a degree of stability using the screen. I live in the sticks so I don't do that much street photography anymore, but when I try I always use the EVF. Are you having people giving you trouble?

No, just wondering whether it might be more discreet.

Le Chef wrote:I’ve not used the LCD on either my CL or Q2 for any photography but wondered whether for street there might be advantages.People are used to seeing phones held up to photograph so maybe that’s less intrusive.You can more easily see what’s outside the frame and about to walk into it.Anyone here use the LCD for street?I do. Quite often. And sometimes, I don't use either the EVF or the LCD, especially with the 18mm Elmarit mounted. No matter the angle the camera is dangling from my wrist, I still press the shutter if I see something (or someone) of interest. Now, imagine if Leicafinallycame out with a camera that had a tilt or swivel screen - that would be a game changer, wouldn't it? One of their latest surveys hinted at that. Whether we'll actually see it happen, that's another story.

I think it depends on the type of street photography one does.IE...Not me, but many people practice more 'posed or studio' street photography and they bring along a model and make it look candid. In that case, no....no need to use the live screen.Other people who are doing candid and want to get close enough to people to see their nose hairs; well....it would help.Other people do street photo's not so 'up close and personal'...so no reason to use live screen.Others do mainly architectural  and no reason to use live screen.So....it really depends on your shooting style for a broader question like this to truly be responded. I would suggest that many people have no idea what their shoot style is on the streets and perhaps this type of question forces them to actually think of their style and indeed, do they even have one? Have they given it any thought?  OR...are they just hitting the streets taking tourist shots of whatever person walks by? ....

My “style” if one wants to be pretentious, is to find places where people are gathering and then wait for something interesting to happen.So in Chicago places like the “Bean” or outside museums, or the outdoor chess table on the lake front are obvious locations where people will gather. Like fishing you just have to be patient and wait for something to happen.This works just fine with a 28mm or 35mm lens which make the camera unobtrusive. The question was really about whether using the LCD aided “hiding in plain sight” in order to get more interesting shots.

Like Tom said, you lose your ability to secure the camera to your body and self-stabilize your shots. Additionally, there’s nothing discrete or clandestine about photography. Cameras are ubiquitous and seen everywhere - no one is invisible so just take your pictures.

A little addendum to my post. I was out on the street yesterday in Bangkok and was met with the usual smiley faces and as is normal a few requests to take their photo. For the first time ever I was abused by a guy who stepped into a shot I was composing - not a local. The shot was all about geometry, highlights and shadows and when I was composing there was no one around. Before I had finished composing this guy stepped out of a building and immediately started ranting and raving about photographers taken photos of people who don’t want to be photographed. Even though I explained firstly I had no interest of him being in the shot and secondly if I had got him in the frame I would have no problem to delete the shot if that’s what he wanted he still ranted on. Makes you wonder what they have to hide !

The locations I mentioned almost always have people shooting with mobile phones. My point was whether you more effectively “hide in plain sight” by using your camera like a mobile phone. And if your shutter speed is north of 1/60th wobble is not an issue.I’m not going to stop using my camera’s EVF but it was just to see if others did things differently.

jaiyenyen wrote:... Before I had finished composing this guy stepped out of a building and immediately started ranting and raving about photographers taken photos of people who don’t want to be photographed. Even though I explained firstly I had no interest of him being in the shot and secondly if I had got him in the frame I would have no problem to delete the shot if that’s what he wanted he still ranted on. Makes you wonder what they have to hide !Crazy doesn’t need an excuse.  Just tell them to move along out of the shot and you can continue on your shooting.

I have to have it, for comfort at a low angle of view.