natalie_mykytiuch Posted June 25, 2003 Share Posted June 25, 2003 I own a Nikon 6006 and love it, but I'm looking to do some concert coverage. As a result, I need to buy a lens, possibly two. I'm looking to get close-up shots from below the stage and even wide- angle. Could someone recommend a solution? Also, where would I go to find the best equipment and prices? What kind of price range should I be looking at? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hugh_t Posted June 25, 2003 Share Posted June 25, 2003 35mm PC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lex_jenkins Posted June 25, 2003 Share Posted June 25, 2003 I've used everything from 17mm to 300mm for concert photography. All depends on what you want to cover. I like ultra wides to get a sense of the crowd. Otherwise, tho', you can get by with a couple of zooms, one midrange (around 28-85), one telephoto (the classic 80-200). Faster is better. If you can't afford a good fast zoom get a good fast prime. Years ago when all I had were a 28/2.8, 50/1.8 and 135/2.8 I got lots of great shots, my best coming at a Stevie Wonder show. Helped that I had access to the lip of the stage, tho'. However, 20 years later, there are good fast films that help compensate for slower variable aperture zooms. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
james_brand Posted June 25, 2003 Share Posted June 25, 2003 What size venue will the band be in? A small bar will have different requirements than Madison Square Garden. I have two favorite lenses for concert work in small to medium venues- a 50mm f1.4 and a 80mm f2.0. The large apatures are very important. Zooms are tough because of their high minimum f-stops. The 80mm is a MF lens and the 50mm is an AF-D lens. The N6006 can meter with both types of lenses but you might be better off with all AF-D lenses. I was thinking of adding an old 35mm f1.4 for wide angle shots as the 28mm f1.4 is really expensive. There was also a 24mm f2 that should make a fine concert lens. Some more tips for band photography- use the spot meter for better exposure acuracy (though the spot meter may not work with a MF lens on a N6006). I will also sometimes use an off-camera TTL flash (SB-28) with a -2 exposure compensation to fill in the really dark areas, but otherwise, I prefer to use the available light and a wide apature. Another good thing about the SB-28 is that it can work with really wide angle lenses (like 20mm -24mm), which is good for real small dives. I use Fuji NPZ or NHGII 800 speed film and love it. I don't have to push it with fast prime lenses so I can't say how it handle being pushed to 1600. Basically, I recommend any fast prime lenses. Get lens shades if you plan to go into a mosh pit to get better shots of the bands. I have been knocked around quite a bit there. The rubber lens hood Nikon makes for the 50mm has help to protect my camera as well as the kids who have run into me! If you have the good fortune to work in a really large venue, perhaps someone could offer their opinion on longer large apature lenses. I have often wondered what a 80mm - 200mm f2.8 would handle a professional rock concert... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lex_jenkins Posted June 25, 2003 Share Posted June 25, 2003 Spot metering mode works fine in the N6006 with manual focus lenses like the AI or AIS Nikkors or third party lenses. It's only the matrix mode that doesn't work. If the camera is set to matrix metering mode when a manual focus lens is attached the camera simply defaults to averaging mode. So far I haven't seen any differences in exposure accuracy between my shots in matrix and averaging modes, tho' spot metering definitely has an advantage in tricky lighting. Concert photography would be one such situation. A great value in a moderate, fast telephoto now is any version of the 180/2.8 Nikkor. I saw a like-new current model 180/2.8 AF-Nikkor at a camera show last weekend for something like $300-$350. That would be an outstanding lens for concert photography - these lenses are razor sharp wide open. But for only $50-$150 you could buy a manual focus 200/4 AI or AIS Nikkor. Even stopped down for sharpness (some users say it's not at its best wide open) f/5.6 is often enough for concert photography when fast film is used. The best place to shop around and get a good idea of prices is keh.com. Even if you don't buy from them their website is among the easiest to navigate for price comparisons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
todd peach seattle, washi Posted June 25, 2003 Share Posted June 25, 2003 If you missed it, there's a great article here on photo.net on the subject:<br> <a href="http://www.photo.net/concerts/mirarchi/concer_i">http://www.photo.net/concerts/mirarchi/concer_i</a> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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