Can't take DSLR gear into concert. P & S?

[tridakfoto]

Ok so I have a bit of a dilemma. My lil' bro wanted to go see Ozzy Osbourne

playing live as its his first ever show in our area and probably the last! I

scored two tickets which are 4 rows from the center stage so the seating is not

bad at all.

 

Problem? No professional equipment is allowed! So my SLR gear will not get in

the main doors. I was going to try to sneak in my Rebel XT instead of the 40D

with an 85mm 1.8 lens but I don't want to risk having it taken at the door and

who knows what will happen to it or if I'll even get it back!

 

So I am looking to buy the best P&S camera I can get for a low light venue and

which has some decent zoom capabilities as well as IS if possible. I know it

will not compare to the SLR gear and fast lens but it will have to do

unfortunately.

 

Anyone here have a P&S that they can recommend?

 

I was looking at the G9 and also the S5 IS. How would these do?

 

The concert is Monday night so I need to run out and buy the best P&S I can for

this purpose. I know it will not compare to my 40D or even the XT with a fast

lens but I need something.

 

Thanks in advance folks.

[shuo_zhao]

>>" was looking at the G9 and also the S5 IS. How would these do? "

The G9 is better.

 

I had some experience shooting in low light w/ a P&S. Things tend to get problematic if you don't use the flash, and ISO 400 is about as high as you will want to go.

 

You should check the sensor sizes of the P & S yor're insterested in, obviously bigger is better. The G9 has a 1/1.7" sensor, which is as big as P & S sensors gets (before someone come up w/ a aps-c size P & S sensor).

 

Read some reviews online, and stay away from the ones that are said to have bad high ISO performance. That doesn't mean other P & S are good for your purpose, but it will at least save you some trouble.

 

Good luck!

[tridakfoto]

From what I can see I could at least attach a 430EX Speedlite to the G9 or even the S5 IS I believe. I have looked online and I know not many point and shoot cameras are going to be the best for low light venues and I do not plan to go above 400 ISO since after this they do tend to get very noisy like you said.

 

I know there are plenty of options out there and I'm not sure how bad or good the lighting will be in the arena so maybe the best bet is a P&S that allows an external flash to be attached as well?

 

I've heard good things about the G9 as well as a few others but the hot shoe option is a bonus for a Speedlite!

[steve_crist]

Get a Canon G9. I have a 5D and a G9 and the G9 is getting a lot of use. Here's a link to a comparison of the two cameras. The results are significant. Steve

 

http://www.thecleverest.com/blog/281

[beauh44]

I guess they do search people pretty thoroughly for an Ozzie show. I can't recommend smuggling in a DSLR but I have done it a few times - but none were concerts like Ozzie which might attract just a few maniacs. I wasn't searched at all.

 

Anyway, Shuo's advice is good. I'd look for the best compromise between the longest and fastest lens and the best high ISO performance. I'd also try to get Image Stabilization, if possible.

 

I saw Black Sabbath back in '71 or '72. I think I was 12 years old. I remember leaving pissed because they didn't do "Iron Man". HA! It's hard to believe that guy's still going - he might give Keith Richards a run for his money for the oldest, most self-abused rock star. Have fun!

[anthony_zipple]

The best... Could you sneak a Leica M8 past the door guy? If not (or if you do not want to spend $6,000), the Canon PowerShot G9 is a 12 MP camera, has a 6x optical zoom, is reasonably fast (f/2.8 to 4. something), shoots RAW and has IS. And it generally looks like a point & shoot. The Canon Powershot S5 IS has a longer lens, is a bit faster, but looks more like an SLR, does not shoot RAW, and is "only" an 8 MP camera. Neither is an SLR with great glass in front. Each gets noisy at lower ISOs than even a cheap SLR. Maximum aperture is not as big as you would like for a concert. But, within those limits, they will shoot great photos.

[steve_parrott]

LOL, I have never heard of the not allowing "professional equipment" restriction. It is

usually just no cameras PERIOD. I assume they do not allow a "real" camera in because

they figure the person may actually know how to use it and get some decent photos. I

have never seen a point and shoot user that was not having the flash popping off all the

time, no matter how far back they are from the stage. So the promoters assume the P & S

crowd are not going to be getting any shots except the backs of people's heads. Don't kill

me P & S users, I know there are those who do know how to turn the moronic flash off, but

all you have to do is see all the flashes going off in some huge stadium to know that most

people don't have a clue about how to use a camera. Yeah Jay, you can get some photos

with the P & S, but as you said, they are not going to equal the DSLR simply because you

are so limited on f stop and horrible high ISO noise. Turn off the dumb monitor and use

the viewfinder, try to steady the camera against your face, use ISO 400 at the max, and try

to catch a shot when "the OZZ, is relatively still. Some blur to show movement can actually

look good though. You might want to convert to B & W later for a more hardcore look

which will also hide the noise problem. Good luck... have fun!

[tridakfoto]

Well I'm so upset about the whole "NO SLR" cameras but I'm going to go ahead and buy the G9 tomorrow as I like the fact it can shoot RAW and has IS as well. I'll mess with the images in PP and convert to B&W or whatever I have to do to try to minimize and adverse the effects such as noise.

 

I am also going to try to sneak in the XT with an 85mm 1.8 and maybe a 50 if I get cocky enough ha-ha. Maybe I'll go in earlier in the day and hide it in the back of a toilet or something in a sealed off bag. Who knows!

 

Ya Steve they will allow FIXED lens cameras in the door but no bodies with detachable lenses or video gear apparently. I'm going to attempt it I think and if it does not work I'll just get a friend to hang by the doors in case I have to send it out of the building ;)

 

Either way we still get to see one of the best rockers of all time and it should be a blast. Thanks for the info guys.

[mark u]

Fuji F30, F31 or even F20. 1600 ISO f/2.8 and 36mm FoV is usable without flash, although 800 is better, and 3200 (not F20: 2000 max) beats anyone else's in a P&S, but only good for a postcard, not a poster. Hard to find now - prices have shot up since they were discontinued, but still the low light P&S champs due to the ongoing megapixel wars. Remember to use exposure compensation if he's in his ritual black outfit.

[alan_myers]

"It is usually just no cameras PERIOD."

 

Kinda hard to enforce. Any more, they'd have to make everyone leave their cell phones, etc. at the door too. What doesn't have a camera built into it these days? ;-)

[tridakfoto]

Good point Alan! It is true and I don't believe there is any way that they will be able to stop everyone from bringing (or sneaking) in camera equipment.

[john_davids]

the odds are VERY good you can get the XT with a 50mm on it in.

 

Ask a girl out with you, and have her bring the 85 in the purse. They won't search it hardcore.

[mwaks]

It might be best to just enjoy the show, forget about exposure settings and not have to worry about getting kicked out of the concert. Can't a photographer ever just sit back and quit thinking about taking a picture for a while?

[tridakfoto]

I'm taking the photographs for my little brother. Growing up I never had the chance to go see many concerts or events and I try to take him to the ones he wishes to see and I try to grab at least a few images for him to have as a souvenir and I come home, edit them, frame them and give them to him as a gift.

 

That's about it ;)

[michael_huizenga]

I go to quite a few concerts with the same limitation, no pro stuff. What I did was buy an Olympus Stylus 35 film camera with the 2.8 35mm lens. I usually shoot T-MAX 3200 B&W film. You have to get kinda close and turn the flash off. Probably not what you want, but there is my solution. Good luck and have fun at the show.

[JosvanEekelen]

Read the article on concert photography on Pnet (learning > all articles > technique). I don't know the G9 and the S5 with regard to flash but the G7's shutter lag when used with flash makes it unusable for any action pictures. Forget flash with these cameras, also because shooting without flash will give you better picures.

[kelly_flanigan1]

Many guards which are photo experts:) view a slr or dslr as a pro camera; and the Epson RD-1 as just an amateur toy one. Thus somebodies Canon Rebel with kit F5.6 zoom gets busted; and an Epson with say a Noctilux is ok.

[kelly_flanigan1]

Using a flash is really begging to get busted; whether its a disposible or expensive camera. Its annoying to folks and your location is easy to find. Its like speeding with a red car with a siren and strobe on. If its posted no cameras then their rules might get your camera gear taken away for you to enter. If you do sneak in gear; using a strobe is abit asking for trouble. With many cheap cameras "flash mode" bumps up the iso and opens the lens wide and lowers the shutter speed. Thus the flash really may do little; but the mode change does most all. Thus taping the strobes tube area often tricks a P&S to shoot better in available light work.

[shuo_zhao]

The G9 has a 1/1.7" sensor while the S5 IS had a 1/2.5" sensor (which is the smallest P & S size). The G9 should be much better.

 

Another solution is to sneak in the XT w/o a lens on, carry a speedlite, and a 50 f/1.8 seperately. The XT w/o a lens on is small enough to fit in a jacket pocket. The speedlite and the 50 f/1.8 are both small enough not to catch attention.

 

I suggest the 50 f/1.8 because since you want to get pictures of your little brother, who will probably be fairly close to you in a crowded place. The 85 f/1.8 is less ideal for "concealed carry" and could be too long/narrow for your purpose.

 

The speedlite is about the size of a larger P & S, and can probably be hidden away as well.

 

The XT package in 3 pieces idea will save you $ and get you better results. (Assume it won't be confiscated while you're using it.)

 

Goos luck

[shuo_zhao]

*Good luck

 

Bytheway, w/ a f/1.8 lens, you could probably get away w/ no flash (or use the pop-up). Though the FOV will be shallow at f/1.8.

[kelly_flanigan1]

Another cool trick it to have a dud camera; or a disposable for guards to collect/capture; so they are doing their job.:) Thus when *caught* you surrender the pawn; not queen.

[peter_j2]

Personally, I haven't used one in a concert. But, someone has spoken highly of the Apple iPhone. Of course, they had floor seats close to the front of the stage.

[mwaks]

Maybe send in a Mission Impossible Team to conceal a still camera at the foot of the stage.....or kidnap Ozzy and his band only to free them after a performance of Paranoid is done in the living room.

[ken munn]

Leave the camera at home. Enjoy the gig, and let other people enjoy it too.

[les]

"No professional equipment is allowed!"

 

Another manifestation of idiocy...Personally - I am not attending any events purely because of that reason. If someone thinks that he owns the reflected light - he can think this, but without me paying for the privilege.