The Gear
So what’s it take to be able to shoot concerts?
First you gotta realize that you’ll be working in a low-light environment and it’s almost always a given that you won’t be able to use your flash. Yeah, I know its cool for the fans to bring their point-and-shoots and go crazy with their in camera flashes, but for better or worse you’re placed in a different league when you shoot from the pit… better get used to it.
The Nice to Have vs. The Must Have
The are a number of rigs that will get you where you want to be and some of them could actually be affordable if your just starting out. One of the main things is whatever camera you get you need to be able to shoot at least ISO 1600 with low digital noise. (Great article on digital noise).
Though you probably want to be looking at a Dslr, there are a number of Point-and-Shoots that could do the job nicely. Point & Shoots For Concert Photography.
If you decide to get a DSLR, most shooters choose the Nikon or Cannon. Both have their strengths and weaknesses so you’ll have to do your own research. But be warned there has been a war going on for years over which is better ( i.e. Mac & PC).
Both system are great and either way you go would work fine. Two very reputable sites to help with your decision are DxOMark & dpreview.These sites review data on the various camera and can help with your decision.
Get Good Glass
Once you have decided on a camera body, take a look at lenses. This is probably the most important part of your rig and the most expensive. Spend more money on good glass then on the camera body. Good Glass can stay with you for years.. while you’ll always be upgrading your body as finances allow.
For sure you need your glass to be able to go to f2.8, no exception here. You’re gonna have to dump that kit lens… trust me.. it ain’t gonna work. (maybe use it for music festivals or other bright sunny day shooting)
My Personal Gear: (this is the “what you can afford” part)
Sometimes money is actually an issue when it comes to gear 
. Sometimes you just get what you can afford, jump in the pit and just go for it.
Truth is, that’s what I’ve been doing for a number of years now. Tryin to live by the adage ”Gear is good, but vision is better“.
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| Nikon D7000 | Nikon 80-200 f/2.8 | Tamron 17-50 f/2.8 |
| The D7000 is a 16MP cropped-sensor DSLR and features a 1.5x crop factor. I just got this mid-2011 and really like it! Still have a lot to learn about it’s limitations. High ISO noise is pretty amazing for a DX body. I can shoot ISO3200 with great results. | Nikon 80-200 f/2.8 is a great lens it’s not the VR and the thing is like carrying a brick around. But it focuses pretty fast and the image quality is excellent wide open. | Tamron 17-50 f/2.8. I needed something wider and fast. The 80-200 didn’t always allow for the wider shots I wanted. It was a great buy. It’s sharp wide open, fast & affordable. |
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| Nikon 50mm 1.8 | DataColor Spyder3Pro |
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| This is a prime lens everyone should have. You can get them really cheap and on a DX body it acts like a 70mm. You also have the added advantage of this lens being a 1.8 which is great for those really difficult lighting situations. |
Camera Bag:
I haul all my gear around using the Kinesis belt system.. maybe I look like a geek wearing it, but for me, it’s the right bag in the pit. Specifically, I use the M550 Medium Multi-Pouch and the B100 padded belt. I got it just before a 3 day music festival and it was fantastic! (I’ll probably never use a shoulder bag again.)
Ear Protection:
Finally, let me insist that if you are gonna shoot any type of show up close and personal you MUST MUST buy some ear plugs. Seriously take my word for this… if you’ve never been up front, you just can’t imagine how loud it can be and how fast you can loose your hearing. …can you say Tinnitus (noise-induced hearing loss). There are a number of different type of ear plugs you can get, but I got a pretty good set of musician’s ear plugs for $30.00..
I got these (Alpine MusicSafe Pro) … other popular ones are ER-20′s from Etymotic
And for great conversation around hearing protection and concert photography, check out the running comments over at ishootshows.com (hearing protection)
… hopefully this will get you started.. any questions, drop me a comment.
