andrew_luke2

flash photography is nothing to be afraid of...check out http://www.strobist.blogspot.com for a great resource of info.

my biggest tips are to use manual exposure mode and try to get the flash off-camera onto a stand (with wireless triggers if possible). in flash photography, aperture controls the effect of flash, not so much shutter speed (most of the time, the shutter is open 4x or more the duration of the actual flash). just throw the camera and flash in manual mode and shoot. then adjust aperture, ISO, and flash output until you get a good exposure on your LCD.

it's a challenge to get really good but in a situation where the lighting is fairly consistent, using manual off-camera flash will give much more dramatic photos

Honestly, I've shot many shows and had great luck with the 50mm f/1.4. Other than that the 85mm f/1.8 and 28mm f/1.8 are also great lenses. for a larger stage, the 85 can be replaced with the 100mm f/2.0.

The venue I shoot at primarily is not very well lit (and seems to love the red cans....you'll figure out why that sucks real fast). I found the range of the 24-70 or the 24-105 L's were good but the shutter speed was not. I prefer the primes to the zooms because for about a grand you can cover the 28, 50, and 85/100mm range (the difference between 50 and 70 is about 1 footstep) and you're still under the L price with at least an extra stop of light.

if you'll be shooting at the same venue consistently, buy a 50 1.4 and go test drive it. see what shutter speeds and make a mental note of what you can get away with...i rarely reach for the 85 on my 30D because the shutter speeds required to freeze the shot are not possible with the lighting/shooting from the crowd.

good luck...concerts are hard but therein lies the fun.<div></div>