russ_savage Posted November 27, 2005 Share Posted November 27, 2005 Need some advice as to which lens would be the best bet for some concert photography. Need a fast lens with medium zooming.. i should be pretty close. i have looked over some of the obvious and have around 800$ to work with.. just seeing if anyone out there has some ideas, personal experience, overlooked info that would be helpful, thanks in advance. rSavage Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
armando_roldan Posted November 27, 2005 Share Posted November 27, 2005 just how close are you going to be? I used a 80-200mm f2.8 a few times and I was leaning on the stage and got great images of the singers tooth fillings..Maybe a 35-70mm f2.8 would fill your needs.The are going now for like $300-400 used. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ben_clark4 Posted November 27, 2005 Share Posted November 27, 2005 50mm 1.4, 50mm 1.8, 85mm 1.4, 85mm 1.8, 105mm 2, and 135mm 2 all seem like good options to me, but no zoom (do you have room to move back and forth?) and I believe all are within your budget. Maybe get a 50 f/1.8 and the 85 f/1.8, and spend the leftovers on something else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spearhead Posted November 27, 2005 Share Posted November 27, 2005 I shoot concerts a lot. I don't use Nikon, but that isn't really what matters here.<p> There are a lot of things to consider:<p> How far from the stage are you?<br> How many people are playing at once?<br> Do you want to get them all in the photo at once?<br> How much light is there?<br> Will you use (need) flash?<br> How rowdy will the audience be?<p> I almost always take three fast primes, 20mm, 35mm and 50mm. For some venues, I take an 85mm also. I always take a flash, because stage lighting can be a lot lower than you think. I go to sound check and talk to whoever will be doing the lighting. I get permission to shoot onstage if it's going to be really crowded.<p> <Center><img src="http://www.spirer.com/jellys/candyfromstrangers/images/candy4.jpg"><br>CandyFrom Strangers, Copyright 2005 Jeff Spirer</i></center><p> That was shot with 50/1.4 from fairly close. Music and Portraits Blog: Life in Portugal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bourboncowboy Posted November 28, 2005 Share Posted November 28, 2005 I've shot a lot of concerts at different venues. If you're close, I'd recommend using a 35-70 2.8. I've gotten some great shots with this lens. Here's one of them.<div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bourboncowboy Posted November 28, 2005 Share Posted November 28, 2005 Oops...I fogot to resize the shot. Anyway, I'd recommend the 35-70 2.8 to anyone doing those kind of shots. I shoot a D70, and I really like the results with the lens. Here's a resized shot.<div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mksnowhite Posted November 28, 2005 Share Posted November 28, 2005 I shoot some musicians. Most of these were shot with 80-200 2.8 The studio shots were with 24-120 VR. BTW the 80-200 is around 850.00...and the other lens around 525.00 http://mksnowhite.smugmug.com/Music Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
russ_savage Posted November 28, 2005 Author Share Posted November 28, 2005 i'll be right up close to the stage approx. 2-4 feet from the singer with about 4 feet to move back if necessary.. there'll be three people playing that aren't that far apart, but the main subject is the lead. not sure about the lighting, but i am thinking i'll need a pretty fast lens if it isn't that good. also i'd like to shoot at least some without a flash.....i have a 50mm 1.4... so maybe i should get that 85.. i like the primes you take, good call...the audience shouldn't be an issue, i'll be in front of a small fence thing. thanks a lot for all your help everyone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roger krueger Posted December 1, 2005 Share Posted December 1, 2005 If you're going to be that close I'd go wider--my favorite is a 24/1.4 on FF (sorry, trespassing Canon user), even a 50 on FF seems long to me, let alone on 1.5x. Nikon's excellent 28/1.4 is out of your budget, but the Sigma 30/1.4 would fit, as would the Sigma 20/1.8. Both of these lenses have a few issues, but they're far from bad, especially on a crop sensor. <br><br> Remember that noise and underexposure can, up to point, be fixed later. Motion blur is forever. Get a decent shutter speed--I try to stay above 1/100--and keep your lens not quite wide open. If that means 1600 and a couple stops of underexposure so be it. <br><br> If you've got a wide lens, especially if you've got the 20, don't be afraid to try away-from- your-eye shots. This lets you get even closer, and by equalizing height can help prevent the up-the-nose look. You'll have a lot of misses, but the keepers will be worth it. <br><br> <img src=http://www.punktures.com/images/agentorangejt/AW1C9839.jpg> <br> Bruce Taylor of Agent Orange, 24/1.4 shot with my arm fully extended at about a 45 degree angle. <br><br> Roger Krueger<br> <a href="http://www.punktures.com">www.punktures.com</a> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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