Noob question aabout shooting in concerts

Hello hello. I recently purchased the SD1000 and despite reading the manual, I have no idea how to configure my camera for shooting in low-light conditions, right up close to the stage. I mean, do I turn on AF-Assist? Do I turn on Slow-Syncro? Do I turn on Auto ISO Shift? Do I set the ISO to "Auto" or "High Auto"? What do I do with the AiAf, should I turn it ON, OFF, or set it to FACE DETECTION. Sorry about the nubbish question.

Thanks in advance,
Mike

First, you probably won't be terribly happy with the results - the SD1000 really isn't designed for those conditions.

Turn off the flash - it only makes it easier for the bouncers to find you. It has an effective range of around 15-20 ft., and will be thrown off by people in the foreground (not on stage). You'll need High Auto to get a reasonably fast shutter speed, but that will make the pictures "grainy" (noisy). Unless the people are really close in, just leave AF at AiAF. As you don't want to use flash, slow-synchro won't be necessary. And you will need to take a couple of test shots and decide whether to use Exposure Compensation. Stage acts, brightly-lit in a dark area, will throw off the exposure, so you may need to set the camera to underexpose a stop or two.

Jon wrote in post #4219523
First, you probably won't be terribly happy with the results - the SD1000 really isn't designed for those conditions.

Turn off the flash - it only makes it easier for the bouncers to find you. It has an effective range of around 15-20 ft., and will be thrown off by people in the foreground (not on stage). You'll need High Auto to get a reasonably fast shutter speed, but that will make the pictures "grainy" (noisy). Unless the people are really close in, just leave AF at AiAF. As you don't want to use flash, slow-synchro won't be necessary. And you will need to take a couple of test shots and decide whether to use Exposure Compensation. Stage acts, brightly-lit in a dark area, will throw off the exposure, so you may need to set the camera to underexpose a stop or two.

Damn those commission salesmen, they told me it was great for dark conditions. Anyways, should I keep my shooting settings on "Auto" or "Manual" and tweak the ISO to 1600? I'll be right up in front of the stage basically.

Edit: Forgot about the Auto ISO Shift, should that turned on as well Jon?

"Manual", or what passes for it on the SD1000, and high ISO. You might try a few shots with a lower ISO to see if you can get away with it, but zoom in close on them when you review to look for blurring from either subject or camera motion. If they don't look very sharp, go back to the higher ISO or decide you want the "motion" effect. You'd have been better served (as would their commissions) if they'd tried to steer you toward the S5, or even better, a 400D/XTi and fast lens for those conditions.

I took a photo with 1600 ISO and wow, was it ever noisy. Almost unbearable. So I have Manual on, AUTO ISO shift on, and an ISO of 800. That should be decent hey?

It'll still be noisy - just not quite as bad. But given the choice between noisy and blurred, I'll take noisy. Just know what you can expect going in and you won't be disappointed.

Jon wrote in post #4219900
It'll still be noisy - just not quite as bad. But given the choice between noisy and blurred, I'll take noisy. Just know what you can expect going in and you won't be disappointed.

Exactly man. I kind of have the ISO figured out now. 400, hell even 200 takes a pretty nice picture but depending on my shakiness (which will be hardcore), the pics get blurred easy. That's why I have 800 ready to go with the click of a button.

Thanks for all the help Jon, MUCH appreciated

Not just your shakiness - the people on stage will be moving. How blurry do you want them?

Jon wrote in post #4220070
Not just your shakiness - the people on stage will be moving. How blurry do you want them?

Not too much preferrably. Any advice for using standard movie-mode in concerts? For instance, should I use AFL or AEL?

I have the SD1000 and I have to break it to you, you're really not going to get the greatest shot here. Play with the white balance and see whatcomes out to your liking. Unless you are shooting off of a tripod, and the band is standing still for you, you're just going to get a blurred out washed out mess. They do a good job of fooling you into buying it with the compact size, though- don't they?