Newbee needs some Pro advice


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NPYYZ

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Sep 15, 2005
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Hi all I just joined the site yesterday. I have a question I hope I can get some info on.

First some background. My wife recently was able to get a photopass to the Gigantour metal concert when it came to our town. She was able to interview band members and take some shots of them and she was of course also allowed to take live shots during the show.

She has never done anything like this before but she has been interested in it for quite some time. We only have a digital camera , A cannon powershot A 80. It takes great pictures but we didn't think it would be right for this situation so she rented some equipment from a local photo shop.

She told the girl at the shop what she was going to be taking pic's of and she set her up with the following:
Nikon N 65
70/210 zoom lens
SB 50 DX flash - I do not believe my wife ever used the flash

So she took the pictures, some came out great, mostly the ones she took from the very front of the stage, and others came out grainy and a bit out of focus, those being the ones taken with the zoom lens.

My wife really enjoyed doing this and she has got the go ahead from a local music paper to do two interviews and 4 photo's for an upcoming issue. She has two shows to shoot in early October. Since her birthday is next week I want to buy her some equipment so she won't have to keep renting it. So my question is, is the gear she rented the right gear for this type of photography? Live shots under several different lights, or should I be looking to get something different?

I can buy the same set up she rented used for around $550.00 ,but if it's not what she really needs I'd rather get the correct gear of course. Since she is a beginner I'd like to spend no more then $1000.00 if possible. Also she is thinking about shooting some weddings as well.

If you need to see a couple of the pictures I can post a few if it is ok with whomever runs the message board.

Thanks for any info you can offer.
NP
 

NPYYZ.. I suggest you post a couple of pics so that the members here can have an idea of wat kind of photos are required so we can advice you on the setup to go for.

Firstly, since you mentioned that your wife intends to shoot both weddings and concerts, you might wanna consider whether you wanna stick to film or you might wanna go digital.

Secondly, though you mentioned that your wife might not have used the flash for the concert shoots, you may wanna know that a flash would be of help, or it may be an essential when shooting weddings.

Lastly, are you considering to buy the equipment new or used? (prices can vary alot)

Well, hope to be able to provide some useful advice :)
 

Thanks for the quick response. She did not use the flash for the concert shots because of all the stage lighting. I am looking to buy used from this Photo shop here in Portland. The equipment they offer used is in excellent condition.

Here are a few pic's:

John Myung - bass player Dream Theater
DT028.jpg


Mike Portnoy - Drummer Dream Theater
DT022.jpg


John Petrucci - Guitar /Vocals Dream Theater
DT067.jpg


James Labrie - Lead Vocal Dream theater
DT063.jpg


Those are a few of the photos I felt looked pretty good for a first timer.

Here are a few of the one that look less clear and clean, these were taken with the zoom.

Nevermore
Nevermore05.jpg


Continued below
 

Nevermore
Nevermore03.jpg


Mike Portnoy again

DT049.jpg



Thanks
 

Wow. Dream Theatre, your wife sure is lucky. You sure she hasn't done this kinda thing before? Some of the shots look quite good.
 

might wanna get a diff lens for the camera body,would suggest a Nikon 28-105mm if she can access the front of the stage.

a monopod to steady her hands for those low light shots if she dun mind carrying it ard.

Fuji 800 film for faster shutter speed.
 

ur wife has never shot before? she managed to hand hold a 200mm zoom in that kind of lighting condition? wow.

maybe ud consider going digital? but if you're shooting concerts all the time in dim light, bright and fast lenses are not going to come cheap, be it digital or film
 

Well, judging from the pics, i must say your wife is good :) i'm not too sure abt the prices in poland...but i suggest getting a basic set for ur wife. If she is able to produce pictures with the set loan.. maybe she's very comfortable with the setup...u might wanna sound her out on this. Since u mentioned the setup cost $550, fits nicely within ur budget.

Given your budget, i would not suggest going digital for now. Also, u may need a lens on the wider end if u were to do weddings.

Get a basic used set and slowly begin from there. Get more opportunities to shoot more concerts. You never know where things may lead to.

Listen to wat the rest has got to say. Then consider carefully before making a decision. :)
 

Yeah, I'd would go digital.
It gives you instant results and all you have to do is make some quick adjustments, and shoot away.
Telezooms like a 70-200mm f/2.8 would be great for these concerts.
People wanna see their facial expressions when they're playing.
And maybe a wider lens for shots of the crowd.
For someone who had never done this before I have to say that her pictures are great.:thumbsup:
How I wished I had a pass to Gigantour.
You might want to watermark your pictures.
Someone just might use one of these for their mags or websites without your knowledge.;)
 

Hi,

Since we do the same thing, my advice,

1. To shoot concert shots, get a "bright lens", the bigger the aperture, the better.

2. Try not to shoot concert shots with flash, it will kill the mood of the event.

3. Best get a digital camera, you will learn faster by experimenting and shooting at the same time.

4. When shooting concert shots, the stage light is the best element for you to play around with your composition.

5. Have fun!
 

NPYYZ said:
Thanks for the quick response. She did not use the flash for the concert shots because of all the stage lighting. I am looking to buy used from this Photo shop here in Portland. The equipment they offer used is in excellent condition.

Here are a few pic's:

John Myung - bass player Dream Theater
DT028.jpg


Mike Portnoy - Drummer Dream Theater
DT022.jpg


John Petrucci - Guitar /Vocals Dream Theater
DT067.jpg


James Labrie - Lead Vocal Dream theater
DT063.jpg


Those are a few of the photos I felt looked pretty good for a first timer.

As a DT fan, i will die to see them perform here in Singapore! Where did ur wife shot these?
:devil:
 

Holy Cow...dream theatre!!!
how considering prosumer digi cam Fuji 9500
 

I think his budget of 1k is in USD.... that should open up alot of options
 

Thanks everyone for the fast response. This is the first time my wife has ever done this type of thing. Like I said we have a small digital cannon A80 powershot and she has taken pictures with that but not any concert shots, just family outings and stuff like that.

Yeah it was a real thrill for her, we are both big Dream Theater fans and well as Nevermore fans. There were 9 bands total playing at the show. I'm a drummer of 25 years myself so I'm going to be her assistant on the next shoot so I can go up that close as well. lol I may try taking some shots with the Cannon.

The Pictures were taken at the Cumberland County civic center in Portland , Maine.

With the photopass to these shows she is allowed to go anywhere she wants in the arena. She can take shots from in the crowd with a zoom or she can go right up to the front of the stage between the barrier that holds the crowd back and the stage, this puts her only a few feet from the band.

The reason she used film for these shots is because that is what the photo store recomended.

Personally I'd like her to go digital if it is right for the job.
 

Isaiahfortythirtyone said:
do u have any camera's or lenses in mind?


Well we were going to get the same set up she used for the concert shoot that I listed above. We can get that gear used for $550.00 What I am trying to find out is , if that is the way to go or if we should be looking at something else??? I came to these forums to find out what equipment is right for this type of photography, and if we should stay with film or go digital.
 

My suggestion to you is that
Go for a F65,F80 or N80(as it is called in the US), F90X or F100, used. It should set you back between 150-500USD with the F65 going at 150 and the F100 going at 500. Don't go digital if your wife is only going to use the camera when she goes for these concerts. Film produces excellent results too, just that you have to be more careful with your shots and can't just machine gun the event. May I suggest you use fuji press 800 for finer grain?

Lens wise, get a used 80-200/2.8 AFD one-touch, it should set you back about 400-500 USD used. That set up should take your wife a long way. There is no lens per se that is right for this kind of photography but the lens above that I recommended is used often for this sort of photography and is usually one of the best choices for photographing under such conditions. It is also fairly affordable. I suspect that the telezoom your wife uses is an f4 constant or f3.5-4.5, which, barring really good lighting, may not allow for images at most points during the performance. However, do consider that the lens i recommended, while it allows you to achieve higher shutter speeds(can shoot in lower light levels), is also heavy, which may or may not be a problem for your wife.

If you find it necessary to get a wide angle lens, you will likely exceed you budget. May I suggest the AF-S 24-85/3.5-4.5? It delivers good results as well and will set you back another 200.

A flash unit may or may not be necessary, but it usually spoils the atmosphere for stage photography so I wouldn't recommend it. If you feel the need for it, a simple flash like the SB50DX will do. In fact, may i suggest that you only buy the 80-200 lens and the camera body. Rent other lenses and a flash unit only when necessary.

That's the best advice I can offer.

Best of luck :)
 

Thanks very much
 

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