Thinking of renting a lens for a small concert... (Suggestions?)

[PFDarkside]

A week from Tuesday one of my favorite bands (Pelican) is coming to town. They're at a small, local venue and I expect to be right next to the stage. Currently I've got an XSi/450D with kite lens (worried it's too slow), 50 f/1.8 and 85 f/1.8. This will be the first time I take everything to a show, and I'm wondering if my lenses will do the job. I'm concerned the kit lens just won't cut it, and also wondering if the 50/85 combo will give adequate coverage.

I'm thinking of renting a lens both for this concert and to try out with various other things over a week or two... Someday I'd like to upgrade the kit to the 17-55mm, but I wonder if that's fast enough for a local gig. The other half of me is thinking of renting a (two) prime(s) to fill in the lineup, maybe a 24mm and a 135mm?

However, I'm wondering if I should just get what I can with my current lenses (If the kit is two slow, there goes the wide angle) since I've never really "shot" a concert before. (Just random fan P&S stuff). Get used to the environment, and remove too many lenses from the equation... (I also started adding up 14 day lenses rentals and I almost feel like I should just put that in the lens kitty!)

Anyone else remember their newbie beginnings that can offer advice? (FWIW, I'm planning on doing more concerts in the future, and my other big interest is nature and landscape. Not sure if that matters with lens selection. ;))

[AdamGasson]

I never really found myself lacking with f/2.8 lenses. True faster lenses are nicer, but f/2.8 zooms give you that flexibility that you need. When you're starting out I think it's easier to have zooms and as your experience grows you'll instinctively know what primes you need.

I think the 17-55mm f/2.8 is a good start (although not THAT wide on your body) and in the future it will couple well with a 70-200mm f/2.8.

Personally I think if you shoot the entire gig on a 50mm and an 85mm you'll find your set of shots will look quite similar. You need that wide angle to add a different perspective to your photos.

If the show is quite small you may be able to use flash, negating the need for fast lenses.

[narlus]

lenses i would look to rent:

a f/2.8 zoom in the ~18-50 focal length (tamron, canon, etc)
sigma 30mm f/1.4
possibly a fisheye

the 135 will be way too long for what you are trying to do.

[londonblue007]

15mm Canon Fisheye is great on a crop body (Not as intense a fisheye effect as on a full frame sensor or old film cam). 17-55mm f/2.8 is also great in it covers the zoom and wide angles.

These were shot with the 17-55mm f/2.8
http://www.flickr.com/photos/londonblue007/sets/72157604983762373/

These were shot with the 15mm Fisheye and the Sigma 50-150 f/2.8
http://www.flickr.com/photos/londonblue007/sets/72157606816937775/

In a small room, on a crop sensor, the 135 and a zoom like the 70-200 or the sigma 50-150 is probably too much and all you'll get are some nice headshots (or even closer, maybe just the eyes:D)


Don't be afraid to boost your ISO to max (1600 on XSI?) to get a decent shutter speed (greater then 1/60 IMO). Get up to 1/100 or faster if possible to more effectively capture stage movement.

[PFDarkside]

Cool guys. I am fully prepared to go 1600 ISO, burst mode, check lighting during the openers (should be the same lights) then either try AV or TV based on the results or just go straight to manual if the lights are crazy. I hope I can just set an open aperture and blast away, but I will remember to check the LCD to see if it's hitting the exposures.

So if you think 2.8 is fast enough, 17-55mm should net a good range.

For general shots, should I spot meter on the face? For the dark, atmospheric shots, can EV do it or should I plan on manual?

[londonblue007]

Cool guys. I am fully prepared to go 1600 ISO, burst mode, check lighting during the openers (should be the same lights) then either try AV or TV based on the results or just go straight to manual if the lights are crazy. I hope I can just set an open aperture and blast away, but I will remember to check the LCD to see if it's hitting the exposures.

So if you think 2.8 is fast enough, 17-55mm should net a good range.

For general shots, should I spot meter on the face? For the dark, atmospheric shots, can EV do it or should I plan on manual?


Honestly, i've never done anything other then shoot, check the screen (zoom in and out), shoot, check the screen(zoom in and out).

Concert lighting is so moody and weird that the camera gets easily confused. I've learned not to trust the camera. It has a tendency to be wrong.

I shoot in M, AV and TV haven't ever been useful to me. Also shoot in RAW. you can fix a lot if you shoot RAW.

[narlus]

Cool guys. I am fully prepared to go 1600 ISO, burst mode, check lighting during the openers (should be the same lights)

that's actually kinda doubtful....headliners typically have different lighting schemes than the opening bands.

[PFDarkside]

It's at a pretty small venue. The band rents their amps when they travel to Europe I believe, so I don't know if they bring lighting. Venue lighting only, that's why I was thinking it could be pretty similar. At the very least I'll get some practice beforehand!

[PFDarkside]

Well, I rented the 17-55, both for the concert and to try to get some sharper foliage pics as well. I also rented a 200mm f2.0 and 1.4x not for the concert, but to try out at the nature preserve. Might as well take it to the concert in case there's an elevated place to get pics from.

Thanks again for the advice. (I hope I don't like the 17-55 TOO much! ;))