Shooting from the soundboard, what do you use??

Seems that more and more concerts that come to town are from the soundboard only. My longest lens is only 200mm and the last show I did, I had to crop significantly to have any kind of close up image. What lens/body combo do you guys/gals use to get the best results?

I always ring the promoter and ask how far back the soundesk is.

Normally a 400f2.8, sometimes with a 1.4xTC (which i always take, just in case)

I have used the 500 and 600f4 too - but for most places they are a bit long.

(I should add, that work owns these big guns, and i just grab them from the pool lens cupboard - if i had to buy/rent them - it would be a 400f2.8 - in conjunction with a 70-200 and 1.4 you can easily get 200mm 280mm 400mm and 560mm)

Echo63 wrote in post #17644815
I always ring the promoter and ask how far back the soundesk is.

Normally a 400f2.8, sometimes with a 1.4xTC (which i always take, just in case)

I have used the 500 and 600f4 too - but for most places they are a bit long.

(I should add, that work owns these big guns, and i just grab them from the pool lens cupboard - if i had to buy/rent them - it would be a 400f2.8 - in conjunction with a 70-200 and 1.4 you can easily get 200mm 280mm 400mm and 560mm)

Thanks for the reply. I would call the promoter but the soundboard is in the same location for every show. My problem, I guess, is that us photographers are basically not told where we are shooting from until we are walked to the floor. Last show I shot, I had an email from the management company of the artist, saying 3 songs from the pit. I get walked to the floor and all of a sudden, its 1 song from the soundboard. I am lucky as I had all my gear as I was coming from a pervious shoot, but if I brought my normal concert gear, I would have only had 70mm at the longest.

The lens rentals would be out of my pocket but I could speak to the boss about getting the costs covered. 200mm is too short. There needs to be a fair bit of cropping for something usable. I am on a budget so dropping thousands isn't in the cards but I have been looking at the 300 f4L IS and that could be doable.

the flying moose wrote in post #17645108
Thanks for the reply. I would call the promoter but the soundboard is in the same location for every show.

I shoot a few different venues, (8 that i can think of) and in one of them, the sound desk can be in one of 3 locations, depending on the size of the gig and how much floor space is open.

(Kings Park and Sandalford both need a 600mm, Challenge Stadium and the Arena really need a 500, but 400 works pretty well too, i take a 400 for the Arena, as its sometimes a shorter setup, I haven't shot from the sounddesk at the Motorplex, Subi Oval or Metros, NIB really needs a 500, and a box to stand on, or you are handholding a long lens, standing on the crowd barrier steps.)

the flying moose wrote in post #17645108
My problem, I guess, is that us photographers are basically not told where we are shooting from until we are walked to the floor. Last show I shot, I had an email from the management company of the artist, saying 3 songs from the pit. I get walked to the floor and all of a sudden, its 1 song from the soundboard. I am lucky as I had all my gear as I was coming from a pervious shoot, but if I brought my normal concert gear, I would have only had 70mm at the longest.

the other part of the call to the promoter is to double check the shooting location - pit or sounddesk.
I normally call 2-3 hours before the gig - by that point in time they should know what is going on.

the flying moose wrote in post #17645108
The lens rentals would be out of my pocket but I could speak to the boss about getting the costs covered. 200mm is too short. There needs to be a fair bit of cropping for something usable. I am on a budget so dropping thousands isn't in the cards but I have been looking at the 300 f4L IS and that could be doable.

300f4 can be had with a 70-200 and 1.4x converter, for a lot cheaper than the cost of the new lens (although the 300f4 will be a bit sharper, and focus quicker)

I am lucky, working for a newspaper that has a bunch of big lenses - i would probably be stuck with the 70-200 too if i couldn't just walk to the cupboard for a big lens.

Echo63 has pretty much covered the bases on this one. I agree that a 1.4 TC is invaluable and should be in your kit. With the higher ISO these days, shooting at f/4 isn't impossible.

Another thing that makes a difference is having a crop body available. I've shot many a concert at the soundboard with a Canon crop, 200mm f/2 and a 1.4TC.

Echo63 wrote in post #17645940
I shoot a few different venues, (8 that i can think of) and in one of them, the sound desk can be in one of 3 locations, depending on the size of the gig and how much floor space is open.

(Kings Park and Sandalford both need a 600mm, Challenge Stadium and the Arena really need a 500, but 400 works pretty well too, i take a 400 for the Arena, as its sometimes a shorter setup, I haven't shot from the sounddesk at the Motorplex, Subi Oval or Metros, NIB really needs a 500, and a box to stand on, or you are handholding a long lens, standing on the crowd barrier steps.)

the other part of the call to the promoter is to double check the shooting location - pit or sounddesk.
I normally call 2-3 hours before the gig - by that point in time they should know what is going on.


300f4 can be had with a 70-200 and 1.4x converter, for a lot cheaper than the cost of the new lens (although the 300f4 will be a bit sharper, and focus quicker)

I am lucky, working for a newspaper that has a bunch of big lenses - i would probably be stuck with the 70-200 too if i couldn't just walk to the cupboard for a big lens.

Thanks for your replies. I will definitely take them all into consideration moving forward. I do have the ability to crop with the 5d3 but I would like to take the best photos possible.

skifurthur wrote in post #17647958
Echo63 has pretty much covered the bases on this one. I agree that a 1.4 TC is invaluable and should be in your kit. With the higher ISO these days, shooting at f/4 isn't impossible.

Another thing that makes a difference is having a crop body available. I've shot many a concert at the soundboard with a Canon crop, 200mm f/2 and a 1.4TC.

Thanks for your reply as well. I will definitely be looking into the TC. I have read so many things on both sides of the argument but if I buy from a place with an excellent return policy, I will try it out and if its not for me, then I will return it and start saving up for a lens. I do have the 135L too and I have been intrigued by what the bokeh would look like with that on a TC.