Mastering Zone Focusing for Street Photography

A Timeless Tecnique

Shoot faster. Think less. Capture more.

In street photography, moments happen fast—often faster than autofocus can keep up. That’s where zone focusing becomes not just useful, but essential.

This timeless manual technique lets you pre-set your focus, so you can shoot quickly, discreetly, and confidently—without having to wait for your camera to catch up.

I’ve used it for decades, especially with Leica rangefinders and manual lenses. It’s not flashy, but it’s fast, reliable, and deeply intuitive once it clicks.

Let’s walk through how it works, why it still matters, and how to master it.