The best lens for street photography in 2024: top options for every mount

best lens for street photography
(Image credit: Future)

With the best lens for street photography, you shouldn't be thinking about your lens at all. This discipline is all about being reactive, immersing yourself in the moment, and as such, a good street photography lens only really requires two things. 

One: it needs to be small. It should be unobtrusive, and avoid attracting attention the way a big zoom lens will. Also, since you're going to be carrying it around all day, your street lens should be nice and lightweight, since even with an extensively padded camera strap, if you carry a heavy lens around for more than a few hours, you'll feel it. 

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Sony FE 35mm f/1.8

Sony FE 35mm f/1.8
The new FE 35mm f/1.8 offers a balanced blend of performance, value, and handling, fitting neatly between the two options. Despite lacking weather-sealing, its quality build and fast focusing make it ideal for Sony users seeking a compact, sharp prime lens without the hefty price tag of Sony's G Master optics.

Fujifilm XF 23mm f/1.4 R LM WR

Fujifilm XF 23mm f/1.4 R LM WR
If you are after the ultimate in image quality alongside a wide aperture for some creative background blur then the Fujifilm 23mm f/1.4 might be a better option for you. The downside is that this lens is much more expensive than the 27mm pancake.

Canon EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM

Canon EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM
This Canon lens for APS-C DSLRs boasts a slim 23mm profile and weighs just 125g. The autofocus is quick and quiet, though the manual focus ring is small. With a 38.4mm effective focal length, it may feel narrow for street photography, and lacks image stabilization despite the f/2.8 aperture.

Tamron SP 35mm f/1.8 Di VC USD

Tamron SP 35mm f/1.8 Di VC USD
This Tamron f/1.8 street prime, though slower than f/1.4 counterparts, offers compactness and optical stabilization, yet weighs more than Nikon's 35mm f/1.8G. With weather-seals, fluorine coating, and close focusing, it's versatile, but lacks depth of field markings for zone focusing.

Nikon AF-S 24mm f/1.8G ED

Nikon AF-S 24mm f/1.8G ED
This Nikon lens, compatible with full-frame but providing a similar angle to a 35mm lens on DX bodies, boasts a compact f/1.8 aperture ideal for street photography. While lacking in solid build, it features weather-sealing.

Matthew Richards

Matthew Richards is a photographer and journalist who has spent years using and reviewing all manner of photo gear. He is Digital Camera World's principal lens reviewer – and has tested more primes and zooms than most people have had hot dinners! 

His expertise with equipment doesn’t end there, though. He is also an encyclopedia  when it comes to all manner of cameras, camera holsters and bags, flashguns, tripods and heads, printers, papers and inks, and just about anything imaging-related. 

In an earlier life he was a broadcast engineer at the BBC, as well as a former editor of PC Guide.