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Archive 2018 · Concert and people photography - optimal lens?

manhattan01
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Concert and people photography - optimal lens?

Hi all, new here and quite new to people photography. I just started volunteering to be a part of a team that photographs moments at our church. A lot of the photography would be in an auditorium with essentially concert lighting. Most of the team uses 70-200 which I don't have. I do have a kit 55-200 for my Nikon d7500 but it's not as fast as their 2.8. My main shooting lens is a 17-50 2.8 and a 35 1.8 neither of which would allow me to get close enough to grab this shot ( https://m.facebook.com/VillageChurch/photos/a.467291536708/10155842791096709/?type=3&source=54&ref=page_internal )

Aside from these shots, I figure that lens would let me take more candid photos of people without having to get too close where they'd feel my presence.

Should I look at a 70-200? I joined here primarily in search for that lens used (tamron).

Thanks

Nov 05, 2018 at 03:33 AM

story_teller
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Concert and people photography - optimal lens?

The 70-200mm will give you the same approximate telephoto capability as your 55-200mm, so taking candids will be similar with the exception that you will have to either open up your aperture, slow your shutter speed or increase ISO a couple stops. For a lot of photographers the 70-200mm f2.8 is a must-have lenses in their kit. It's an expensive lens, but great if you do a lot of photography.

I can only speak for the Nikon 70-200mm f2.8 VR II. No history with Tamron, Sigma, etc.

Nov 05, 2018 at 08:11 AM

trenchmonkey
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Concert and people photography - optimal lens?

Love the Sigma 50-100 f1.8 A on a crop body.

Nov 05, 2018 at 08:28 AM

manhattan01
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Concert and people photography - optimal lens?

trenchmonkey wrote:
Love the Sigma 50-100 f1.8 A on a crop body.

Oh man...now what?! 50-100 f1.8 or 70-200 f2.8. If you could only have one on a crop sensor? Your image above, I assume you're at full length there (150 effective zoom on your crop). How far away were you from the guitarist there?

Nov 05, 2018 at 11:45 AM

trenchmonkey
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Concert and people photography - optimal lens?

trenchmonkey wrote:
Love the Sigma 50-100 f1.8 A on a crop body.

manhattan01 wrote:
Oh man...now what?! 50-100 f1.8 or 70-200 f2.8. If you could only have one on a crop sensor? Your image above, I assume you're at full length there (150 effective zoom on your crop). How far away were you from the guitarist there?

Close, @90mm (135mm equiv. FOV) It's 1 1/3 stops FASTER than the 70-200's

Sharper all day long AND if needs be, shoot in 1.3X for 100-200mm FOV. This was
taken from about 20' away and cropped. AF is brisk and love the combo in low light.
My only DX lens...and it's superb. Have all the FX glass > 105 f1.4/135 f1.8/200 f2
300 f2.8 and the 50-100's right there with 'em.

Nov 05, 2018 at 11:59 AM

manhattan01
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Concert and people photography - optimal lens?

I'm sold. Thanks for your help! Now looking for a 50-100 f1.8. I found a used one locally at a shop for roughly $750. I can maybe find one for a bit less online here but they don't seem to come up very often.

Nov 05, 2018 at 04:18 PM

trenchmonkey
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Concert and people photography - optimal lens?

GL in your search, eh?!

Nov 05, 2018 at 04:34 PM

manhattan01
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Concert and people photography - optimal lens?

Just wanted to update...I picked up this lens and it's been nothing short of magical. The focal range on this is perfect on my crop and the images are sharp even wide open. It's heavy as hell though... It's like a workout everytime I shoot with it.

But thanks trenchmonkey for the advice on this lens. I wouldn't have even looked at it without it.

Nov 20, 2018 at 10:57 PM

elkhornsun
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Concert and people photography - optimal lens?

My favorite lens for this purpose using a APS-C crop camera is the Sigma 50-150mm f/2.8 APO HSM DC lens. It provides the view angle range of a 75-225mm f/2.8 zoom on a full frame camera. It is about half the weight and size of a 70-200mm f/2.8 lens. There is an optically stabilized version of the lens but it is heavier than a 70-200mm f/2.8 lens.

A problem with a 70-200mm lens on a camera such as yours is that 70mm becomes 105mm and that is too long for many indoor situation in terms of camera to subject(s) distances normally encountered.

A lens to consider is the Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 that sells for $499 and provides excellent image quality and fast and accurate autofocus. On your camera if functions like a 42-112mm f/2.8 lens that works well in low light an indoors.

For people at events I need 1/80s to avoid subject movement blurring. Easy enough to practice with friends shooting at that slow a shutter speed and learning to get sharp images. I find that I need to slow down and be more deliberate to avoid having camera motion and blurring. Digital film is free so all it costs is your time to practice and learn good technique.

The other half of the picture is using an off camera speedlight to provide fill lighting, warm up skin tones, and add catchlights to your subjects' eyes. Most photographers are intimidated by flash and as a result their images suffer greatly. A good place to start is with one of Neil van Niekerk's books on the use of flash. It will be the best $20 you have ever spent.

Nov 25, 2018 at 02:27 PM

manhattan01
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Concert and people photography - optimal lens?

I saw the 50-150 2.8 from sigma and yeah, I thought that would be the optimal range but I did find it harder to track down. I found a solid deal on the 50-100 with a sigma dock for $800 cdn and had to get it at that price. I still look out for the 50-150 though but it's hard to find. Why did sigma discontinue this lens?

Nov 25, 2018 at 02:56 PM


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