need help with shooting live bands - low light

[Kellyj69]

I would like some suggestions as for shooting live bands . ie camera settings, suggested lenses, obviously lighting becomes an issue. I've tried shooting in "continuous mode" but I still get alot of blur.

I have pretty much free roaming on stage etc .. These photographs will be taken at small venues, bars etc ..

Thanks

EXIF

shutter speed 1/25th
f5.6
ISO 1600
focal length 55mm
no flash

shot with my Rebel Xs w/ kit 18-55mm lens


theres more at Blue Finger Disco - a set on Flickr

[Jensers]

If you have freedom to get as close as you want - try the nifty 50. It is only 100 bucks, and it is a 1.8... that will help you out a lot in the low light so you can keep your shutter speed up and get the crisper image you are looking for. Obviously it is a fixed 50mm so that will require that you do the moving - not the lens... But as you sit right now - you only have a 55mm reach so it will not be all that different.

I kind of like it when people take these kinds of images that they keep their ISO up so the images have a grit to them - because, hey - its Rock and Roll!

So the combo of the 1.8 and the higher ISO should get you there.

[WVCoalMiner]

50mm 1.8, 85mm 1.8 highest ISO you can get without noise. Flash with difuser would help if it can be used.

[mlbillard]

I use my 50mm f1.4 and I love it for small venues. Lighting can be really tricky it helps if you can go a little early to take some test shots and figure out where the best lighting is. Its a bonus if you know the band and can tell them to stand in the light.

[Fun4all]

Along with the high ISO and low f-stop (f1.8, f2.8, f4, etc, using aperture priority) you might want to use spot metering on the part of the image you want correctly exposed.

[Camdixon]

I have exactly what the first reply has suggested (because I love shooting this stuff). The nifty fifty. It was $100 and it's a 50mm f/1.8 lens for my Canon. The settings I like to use on it are the lowest f-stop it can go to allow for maximum light (1.8), and a ISO of 1600 (low light, no flash). The shutter speed is the part that you can vary depending on what you want.
I have found 1/90 or 1/100 is slow enough to allow light in, but fast enough to not have blur, and have sharp images. A cool effect you can also shoot is shutter speed of 1/60 or even 1/30 if you actually want the blur effect of something cool (like a drumstick twirl !!!! :] )

The lens mentioned is a good starter lens or you can even go with the 50mm f/1.4 (which I think is like $400 or $450?), and it would allow more light in for a better shot. A lens that my mentor for this has suggested to me is the 100mm (with the lowest f-stop you can afford for max light). This allows you to get some tighter more awesome shots and still give you some room from the stage if you need it.

I have had lengthy discussions with him about prime (fixed length) lenses verse zoom lens specifically for this purpose. He argues that it's much better to have a fixed length because you can get ones that allow lots of light in which is great for low light, and it makes you at least move around since it's fixed length which generally means it allows you to maybe be more creative in your shooting. I have to admit the limited focal length allows some very different shots. With a zoom lens I have this bad habit of trying to frame everything the same way, and you can still get normal frame shots with a prime. It's just easier for me to think about actually moving my feet and body around for different shots if I don't have the zoom capability.

Also, a problem I noticed is when focusing it might be hard at times with different items in the way. I found it's easy to focus on the mic in front of them. At first I tried using autofocus, but sometimes it would just refocus and I would lose a shot I wanted.

Hope this helps!