Hin - my relevant blog articles are:
Marc Sabatella: Concert Photography - Equipment Marc Sabatella: Concert Photography - Technique
And yeah, once I get the hang of how this whole blog site thing works, I'd be happy to add a link to yours :-)
Originally posted by superfuzzy I appreciate all of the replies
I'm not new to shooting concerts, and have had pretty good success.
Gotcha. Sorry, I didn't really want to assume one way or the other there, but didn't have anything to go on.
Quote: Maybe half of the other photographers use FF's - 5d mk II and D700's, and I've never heard anyone mention they used MF.
FWIW, most other concert photographers I see use 70-200/2.8's mostly, whether on FF or APS-C (and like you, for lack of a better stat, I'd say half FF, half APS-C). I see quite a lot of MF going on, mostly from the folks using monopods and taking their time, as opposed to the quicker snappers. So I know I'm not the only one who uses it. No idea if they all use split screen, but I don't - I don't find it *that* difficult to get the hang of MF using the stock screen. It does take practice, but no more so than anything else. With the smaller pentamirror viewfinders, I find the O-ME53 magnifier helps, though.
Anyhow, given the equipment being used, most of these guys are not dealing with DOF as shallow as the FA77 would produce wide open. Not to say it wouldn't be usable - of course it would. Just that it really is something to take into consideration. I'm sure someone with your experience will be able to make effective use of it. Luckily, no one is forcing you to use it wide open all the time. You might find, for example, stopping down to somewhere between f/2 and f/2.4 a good compromise. If you've got the money for it, then great!
Quote: This is why I need f/1.8 instead of f/2.8. These are choices for identical lighting. If there's an error please point it out:
No errors, per se - I'd just point out that no one forces you to use the shutter speeds suggested by the camera meter. I routinely underexpose at ISO 1600 and then push process (giving me the equivalent of ISO 3200 or more) to get the shutter speed I want. I avoid shooting at 1/15" unless my subject is perfectly still and I can brace myself well, and I don't like shooting 1/20" as a matter of course either, but 1/30" is doable most of the time, and 1/45" really quite comfortable for me. If I were routinely shooting in conditions in which I couldn't get a usable (with appropriate PP) exposure at 1/30" or 1/45", I too would be looking at faster lenses. But in practice, I find that is not the case very often, and when it is, it is usually *tiny* clubs where I'm right on top of the bandstand (no stage per se) and can make do with my A50/1.7.