Good Lens for Concert Photography?

[anibyte]

I am really enjoying shooting concerts, and I want to pursue it further, and I have decided to pickup a new lens for this application, but also to be used for portraits, and as a walk around lens.

I shoot on a Canon 1000D (Rebel XS), soon to be upgrading to a 7D, so I will be on a crop sensor for a while.

I think I have narrowed it down to my choice, just looking to get some opinions if it would be a good lens for concerts

Tamron SP AF 28-75mm f/2.8 ( http://www.vistek.ca/...875mm-f28-di-xr-ld-asl-macro-lens-for-canon-hood.aspx )

 

[ScottyNV]

that might be a good lens, but not having used it, can't really comment.

we need more details before answering.
what kind of venue are you shooting at?

• how big (or small)?
• how professional are the bands?
• lighting/stage set is important here
• how close can you get to the stage?
• what kinds of sightlines can you get?

me, I prefer fast primes, but f/2.8 usually works for me (I'm using a 5D2)

very few venues allow flash photography, it distracts both the performers and the audience.

cheers,
S.
--
beam me up captain, there's no intelligent life down here!

 

[anibyte]

Sorry,

I shoot in small and medium venues, mostly bands no ones heard of. Lighting is anywhere from bad to decent

 

[anibyte]

Sorry,

I shoot in small and medium venues, mostly bands no ones heard of. Lighting is anywhere from bad to decent

Here are some shots I took at a recent show with a Sigma 30mm f/1.4 prime: http://www.flickr.com/photos/anibyte/sets/72157626127179325/detail/

Im just looking for something with some zoom to it so I dont have to crop my pictures as much to get close shots

Im just trying to find out from people who have used the lens if it is decent in low light, and how much worse (if at all) it is than its $1500 counterpart, the Canon 24-70 in low light situations

 

[Joe Photo Lover]

Canon 85mm f1.8 or Canon 100mm f2 are two of the best all around concert lenses and they complement your Sigma 30mm f1.4 very well. Both are comparatively low cost and excellent quality.

 

[fmian]

I don't think you will find a zoom lens that will do the job.

Your photos are great and show off the performers and scene lighting excellently. They really put me in the location and in the mood.

In this environment you have to shoot way under what the cameras meter reading will advise you. The only way to do that and maintain a decent hand held shutter speed is with a prime lens.

I would suggest the 50mm f/1.4 (Canon or Sigma) and the 85mm f/1.8 (Canon or Siigma) to add to your existing Sigma 30mm (great lens by the way).

That's a 3 lens combo to give you standard through to long portrait focal lengths (in 35mm equiv).

A zoom lens will open it's aperture to f/2.8 at best which is half the amount of crucial light that a f/1.8 lens offers. Add to that the softer photos and bad aberrations that all but the best zoom lenses will give you and you can see why a zoom lens will not be such a good choice for you.

 

[anibyte]

With all due respect, most of the concert photographers I know shoot on Canon ef 24-70 f/2.8 or the Nikon 24-70 f/2.8 respectively, all im trying to find out is if the Tamron equivalent to these lenses does a decent enough job to negate the need to spend an extra $900 on the Canon lens instead