How to shoot concerts/events with a 10D

[vvizard]

In April we're throwing off the worlds biggest computer-party in Norway again. After a year as a "regular animal" I re-applied for a crew position this year, and got it, in the "content"-crew. Which means, I'll be partly responsible for writing info on the website, but mainly, I'll be the guy with the responsibility for shooting whatever we need pictures for in articles etc, but also, the guy responsible for taking pictures of the music-bands etc performing on the live-stage there. They usually have some well-known bands playing, and it's a very professional stage setup, with killer light/sound systems connected, which got professional people controlling it, and professional guys filming it on video. They also got a professional photographer to shoot stills.. Oh sh*t I forgot, they don't have the latter this year, they got me :-P The primary reason they picked me this year, I think is because I've been involved with this arrangement several years earlier, and I also beat their photographer last year to get my picture-archive slashdot'ed [www.slashdot.org] last year. But last year I didn't shoot stage-stuff officially, and I didn't have a good camera, and I really didn't have a good spot to do it from. I was just jumping around in the crowd with a to big Microdrive, and then occasionally one of 100 shots went fine ;)

This year however, I'll get more opportunities. I can do the following. Get inside the fence encapsulating the stage, to shoot with my 50mm f/1.4 from less than 10 feet away from the artists. The other option is standing with a tripod on a podium about 30 feet from the scene, with the film-camera team and sound/light controllers (elevated a bit from the crowd attending the concerts) with my 70-200mm f/2.8.

Any of you guys who've done this kind of work earlier? What would you recommend? My equipment is:

10D
EF 50mm f/1.4
EX 70-200mm f/2.8
1GB Microdrive
30GB X-Drive II
Tripod
Nearly unlimited choice of backup P&S' ;)

I'll at least get a backup-CF in case the MD should fail during a concert. Anything else you would recommend me to buy for this gig? I guess a 550EX would be nice, but if it's possible, I'll rather do without a flash, as the flash usually trashes the lightning-mood in the pictures (at least the concert-pics I've seen done with big flashes). The (enormous big) hall is complete dark during concerts, but there's plenty of stage-lights there. Will the 200mm f/2.8 from distance work? As said, I've never shot concerts before, so I've never seen if there's enough light for a 2.8 without flash there.

What do you guys use when shooting stuff like this? Where would you position yourself, what kind of lenses would you use? Would you use flash? What settings? They normally use two days to rig up/test the light/sound of the scene up there, and during those days, they have bands practicing on it with full sound/lightning, to check and tweak the setup. That means, I get (hopefully) your good advices, plus 1-2 days of practice before the "real thing". And the first night is usually when the biggest band of the whole event is playing. I really don't want to screw up to bad :-P So help is appreciated. If it's any help, you can see some pictures of the hall.

http://images.google.com/images?q=vikingskipet

To give a reference to which one it is (as that might turn up other things as well), it's this one:

http://www.hedmark-sk.com/images/VM/vikingskip4.jpg

This was built to host the ice-skating competitions when Norway hosted the Olympic games in 1994. To give you the hard facts fast:

- It got friggin strange looks (a vikingship turned upside down)
- It's friggin big

More detailed details (if it for some strange reason should matter):

Length: 820 feet
(biggest) width: 361 feet
Square-feet of (main) floor: 236 806.029 square feet

[robertwgross]

It sounds like you are already studying the right angles.

Ultimately, you won't know what works best (like flash or no flash) until you see the stage lighting as they set up. However, that may be only a day or so before the event. So, if you wait until then and then say "I need a 550EX!" it might be too late to get one. To play it safe, you might be forced to procure all of these things in advance and test them. Then when the stage lighting is tested, you can shoot some test shots and decide for yourself what to use.

Personally, I do not like non-zoom lenses. I only use them if I have full control over where I stand with respect to the subject, and that is limiting.

---Bob Gross---

[vvizard]

No I would also prefer zooms, but I tend to think the 50mm f/1.4 might be good up front because of it's aperture. There's no way I can afford a nearly as bright zoom-lens in the wide-end. The 550EX I Might get on loan from one of their sponsors. Beeing the worlds biggest computer-party, we're fortunate enough to have companies like Sun/Microsoft/Asus/Ati knocking down the doors wanting to sponsor us with anything from network-equipment to competition-prices worth $10.000+ Therefore if I ask for it, we might very well mail around to the biggest online hardware-shops and ask for a 550EX to loan, and probably get it. But I don't think I can afford it myself atm :(

[Anders Östberg]

As said already, the key is the lighting. In my limited experience f/2.8 is on the slow side unless you want to crank the ISO up high. I don't like to go above 800. I have used the same two lenses you list (50/1.4 and 70-200/2.8 ) and at least in smaller venues I think f/2.8 is too slow to get good pictures. Many people seem to use the 35/1.4, 85/1.8 and 135/2 lenses for concerts. I recently bought a 24/1.4 and 85/1.8 but not had an opportunity to use them for a concert yet. If you have access to the venue before the concert you could check out likely shooting positions, check with the zoom what focal lengths would work, and perhaps borrow or rent a lens or two for the occasion.

[CyberDyneSystems]

I've been happy with a 70-200mm f/2.8 at 800ISO but,. certainly if you can move around and get close,. then the 50mm will help a lot with available light. (I usally can't get close,. thus the 70-200mm)