concert lens

[colin uk]

I am sure is been asked before, could any one recomended lens for concert photogphy. most of my venues are small and it is rare that i would shoot from a distance.

I have been looking IS lens is there any of the none canon lens that can compete with these?

[narlus]

if you want an IS lens and you are shooting in a small place, the 17-55 EF-S lens is about yr only choice. luckily, it's a great lens!

[mrbeagle]

check out this thread, I asked the same thing a few days back

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=342721

[KIPAX]

I am sure is been asked before, could any one recomended lens for concert photogphy. most of my venues are small and it is rare that i would shoot from a distance.

Concerts makes it sound like theatres? (Where in NW?) You should get away with 2.8 .. But pubs you would maybe need better like a 1.8 (I am presuming no flash). I did a rock band in a pub in accrington and needed the 50 1.8 because the lighting was so poor. even wiht that I was at the high iso and lowest speeds.. 100 ish..

[Steve Parr]

I routinely shoot in large venues and small venues, and use f/2.8 (both non-IS)lenses all the time. Yes, f/1.8 is nice, but I'd rather have the versatility provided by zooms. That said, on rare occasions, I'll use my 85mm f/1.8.

I also wouldn't get too hung up on IS. I went the other route, and I'm more than satisfied with the results I'm getting from my non-IS lenses...

[TMR Design]

I also recently posted a similar question after shooting a performance at night in low light wit just the stage lighting, which at times was nice and bright and other times was not bright at all. I plan on shooting 10-15 more of this type of performance this Summer and since these shows go on every year I want to be prepared for the future and any other venues I might shoot.

I use a 30D and I had to crank up the ISO to 3200 (which I did not like at all) to use my 70-200 f/4. I was able to use ISO 1600 very comfortably with the 50mm f/1.4 and the 85mm f/1.8 but could only use those lenses when I could get very close to the stage and I realized that you can't count on that unless you have a pass or a position already worked out.

Many people recommended the 70-200 f/2.8 or f/2.8 IS but the 2 lenses I'm looking at for this, that will also round out my lenses for portraiture are the 135mm f/2 and the 200mm f/2.8. I'm finding I like low light primes. I also like the ligter weight and less conspicuous look of the smaller, lighter black lenses. IS would be nice but I'm not as concerned with being able to use slower shutter speeds as much as I want a fast lens that will let me use higher shutter speeds with lower ISO's.

I'm not sure if I helped any but that is what I've come up with so far.

[MaDProFF]

Are you allowed to use a flash?, if not, and you can get quiet close, then the 50mm f1-4, on a 30D works pretty well, I got a few great shots at 1600 iso at one I did recent
Is is good on lens, but tbh most mad pop stars tend to jump around a lot, etc. so it will help you in some shots and you will need higher shutter speed in others anyway.
The small gigs really have terrible lighting, and it is hard.
Biggest Prob I found on a 30D was focus, auto ok a lot of the time, but better to manual focus with the 1.4, and not easy on a 30D in dark :(
Good Luck

if you really want to take a look at the shots i did do with 50-f1.4, go to

http://www.madproff.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=33&Itemid=39

heh please don't laff at my web site :(,,, it is just for fun, and only recent done, and still updating, and not sure what route I want it to take with it
and also Bear in mind, only had 30D for like 6 weeks, and just got back into Photography well just started really.

[KIPAX]

This is with the 50 1.8 .. lighting was very bad and I was at F2 with iso 1600 and down to 100 shutter speed.. just a flashing light coming in from the right and I had to time it right... it came on at random...erk..

http://www.kipax.com/mbgfx/potn/wrecked/1.jpg

[colin uk]

Thanks for all the interest.
By the time I got back to this post there’s quite a few posts in reply which I have found very helpful.
To answer a few questions and to ask some and catch up. I am based on the Wirral and have been photographing bands at the Cavern Club, Cavern Pub and Lenons Bar in Liverpool and Alexander’s Jazz bar and Telfords Warehouse in Chester and one or two pubs here and there.
I have a canon 50mm F1.8 prime lens and Sigma 28-70 F2.8-4 which I am using at the moment for gigs.
I prefer not to use a flash but on occasions I have bounced off a wall.
I was under the impression having the IS you could get away with the equivlent of a couple of stops.
MadProFF your site is defiantly green! Refreshing. Really like the Cutting Crew image.

[jkoc]

i brought my 70-200mm f4L IS lens to a night outdoor show and i noticed it performed very well handheld but only when subject was not moving very much. see attached images. IS is handy but i think the faster lens is more important imo . [edit] i just re-read your post and realised you are in smaller venues so 70-200mm is prob too long :/

however this lens is really too slow for pubs where the lighting is torture. for that i just bring my 50mm f1.8. i just acquired a sigma 30mm f1.4 and the canon 85mm f1.8 so i cant wait to use that at an upcoming INXS show (if the lenses arrives on time!!)

[kidpower]

Inside or out your need a certain shutter speed to stop action. It hardly matters what lens you use as long as you can get a correct exposure and that shutter speed.

I would say that for something like basketball I try to get shutter speeds of 1/500 +. At concerts I shoot for 1/250 +. Sure you can shoot at lower shutter speeds but you are risking motion blur. These groups move at concerts and some of them move around fast. If you prefer a little motion and blur then that is something different. If you prefer to shoot performers when they aren't moving, then that is different also.

No matter how many stops IS "gets you" you still need a certain shutter speed to stop action. It's a balancing act between exposure, shutter speed, ISO, and aperature. IS is great, but it generally will not help you much indoors with an F4 lens with subjects that are moving. Even a 2.8 lens will have problems in many indoor dark venues. And some places tax a 1.8 and 1.4.

Personally, I'd go fast and prime for tight dark indoor venues.


Good luck.

[RichNY]

The 17-55 makes a great classical concert lens as well. This image is from this year's New Year's Day concert in Vienna. ISO 800, 21mm, f/2.8, 1/80 no PP.

[TMR Design]

No image Rich. :D

[fivegallon]

Are you allowed to use a flash?, if not, and you can get quiet close, then the 50mm f1-4, on a 30D works pretty well, I got a few great shots at 1600 iso at one I did recent
Is is good on lens, but tbh most mad pop stars tend to jump around a lot, etc. so it will help you in some shots and you will need higher shutter speed in others anyway.
The small gigs really have terrible lighting, and it is hard.
Biggest Prob I found on a 30D was focus, auto ok a lot of the time, but better to manual focus with the 1.4, and not easy on a 30D in dark :(
Good Luck

if you really want to take a look at the shots i did do with 50-f1.4, go to

http://www.madproff.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=33&Itemid=39

heh please don't laff at my web site :(,,, it is just for fun, and only recent done, and still updating, and not sure what route I want it to take with it
and also Bear in mind, only had 30D for like 6 weeks, and just got back into Photography well just started really.

nothin to laugh about there, you got some nice shots of the band members... ;)