Concert photography

[grimey121uk]

I may be going watching a band called new found glory with a mate of mine and am also planning on buying a 85 f/1.8 for the event
a few questions

1-will the 85mm 1.8 be fast enough to capture the action in low light (im thinking iso 800 and id be aiming for above 1/250 SS)?

2- do you think i would need flash or will a fast lens and high iso be enougth to freeze the action?

3- I hear your not allowed to take slrs with you is this correct??

[René Damkot]

1) Yes. Use ISO 1600 if needed.
2) Don't use flash.
3) Ask the venue.

Have a look in the Performing Arts section... There's a FAQ there ;)

[jureis]

all i have to say to that is i agree with René but all i have to say is its not not allowed if u dont get caught, im saying this simply because im currently working on an assignment for one of my classes im taking pictures of passengers on our local metro system and if u get caught you will get nailed with a $600 fine so yeah. as i always say not illegal till you get caught

[bluesguitar2]

I've done quite a bit of this and I'd suggest you won't be happy with a fixed focal length lens for this situation. I use my 70-200 f/2.8 almost exclusively for this and have come up with lots of good images. Unless you're at the edge of the stage, you're not going to get much of individual musicians with an 85mm.

[shutterfiend]

I went to a Police concert last year. Since I paid an arm and a leg for the tickets I decided to ask. They said "no photography allowed" as was specified on the tickets. Practically everyone else had a camera, some of them had dSLRs. I was probably the only dupe with a puny cell phone camera.

PS: They were even checking bags at the gates.

[oaktree]

all i have to say to that is i agree with René but all i have to say is its not not allowed if u dont get caught, im saying this simply because im currently working on an assignment for one of my classes im taking pictures of passengers on our local metro system and if u get caught you will get nailed with a $600 fine so yeah. as i always say not illegal till you get caught

It's still illegal...until the law gets changed making it legal or the Supreme Court decides that the law itself is illegal. There's a fine line between civil disobedience for a good cause and just disobeying a law for the heck of it.

[freebird]

The 85 1.8 will work nicely in low light. One thing to keep in mind if your close to stage, shooting 1.8 or so your DOF will be very shallow and focus/recompose can lead to alot of OOF shots. This lens really shines in this kind of venue.

Good Luck,
Chuck

[djthemac]

enjoy new found glory, they are awesome live!

[90c4]

As others have said, 85mm isn't very long for a concert. I've snuck an XTi and 70-300DO into several shows and THAT is an excellent stealthy lens. If I see them checking bags and frisking prior to taking the ticket, I often take my chances.

[jdaly]

my 85 worked out great last time. Need to find out where you're sitting, is it reserved seating, how far from the stage will you be, can you move around, what kind of venue is this, etc. So many factors.

[johnms88]

my 85 worked out great last time. Need to find out where you're sitting, is it reserved seating, how far from the stage will you be, can you move around, what kind of venue is this, etc. So many factors.
Exactly. the 85 would be great for a 200 person venue but awful for a 20,000 person venue. New Found Glory is a smaller band so its probably a local club for around 500ish.

I think you will be fine with the 85. use iso 1600 and hope for the best.