best type of lense for gigs

RazielDoomgate

i seem to be taking more and more shots in lowlight condistions but a lot are turning out blurd/ too dark and beyond rempart (photoshop) i wandering what would be the best type lense for taking these pics.

tnx in advance
raz

Peteee

Lots of people round these parts use the 50mm f1.8 from Canon. It goes for about €100 and can be gotten for less on eBay.

I presume Nikon have a similar lens, Though maybe not as cheap

punchdrunk

a sigma 30mm 1.4 would be a great gig lense,or a canon/nikon 50mm 1.4 or ideally both!

Fobia

RazielDoomgate wrote:

i seem to be taking more and more shots in lowlight condistions but a lot are turning out blurd/ too dark and beyond rempart (photoshop) i wandering what would be the best type lense for taking these pics.

tnx in advance
raz

You're still shooting with the 350d? The kit lens will do you for the bigger shots, just throw up the ISO to 800/1600 and keep the aperture as wide as you can (ideally get close so you can go at f/3.5). Then get the 50mm 1.8 prime for portraits.

That's just the cheap option, the decent gig photographers all seem to use some 28-75mm (or so, I can't remember) lens, but it's very pricey.

RazielDoomgate

tnx all, i see what my wallet can afford maybe il get lucky and find a nice 2nd hand one or a €500 will fall from the sky

Fajitas!

If your going for gigs, and don't mind a prime, go for a 1.4 lens like the Sigma 30mm or the Canon 50mm.

Add to this a slightly longer prime like a 105mm 2.8, and your set.

Borderfox

Maybe an 85mm f1.8 if you feel like pushing the boat out!

aFlabbyPanda

another vote for the 50mm but why not consider changing the kit lens to something like the sigma 18-50mm 2.8 which will give you some range too.

DotOrg

24-70mm f2.8 is the ideal concert lens, most of my live stuff comes from it

here's a bit from my music photography faq:
www.AAAphotos.org/faq.htm


s regards lenses, in general you get what you pay for. The faster a lens is, (meaning the wider the aperture will go) the easier you will find it to shoot in the low light settings of most concerts. Very fast lenses, especially zooms, are very expensive (€1000+)

I often use a Canon 50mm prime lens (meaning it's a fixed focal length and doesn't zoom) which has a huge aperture of f1.4
This means I can shoot in very dark conditions and still get well exposed photos using medium iso settings. The drawback is a very shallow depth of field so focusing must be spot on. If the nose is in focus the eyes won't be, so you have to practise with this type of lens to get the best results. The Canon 50mm f1.8 is generally around €100/$80/£60 which for me is the ideal starter lens if you don't have much money to spend.

The standard lenses you get with cameras are often of very little use for concert photography. So go buy a cheap prime lens and do the zooming with your feet.

mishima

I recently got a Canon 50mm f1.8 and I'll hopefully be testing it out on Thursday night at a gig in the Voodoo Lounge. I'll post some pics here on Friday if I get the chance.