Whats more important to get a clear shot in concert photography?

Question: Whats more important to get a clear shot in concert photography!?

lense or flash!? which do you suggest for a nikon d60!?Www@QuestionHome@Com

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:

Its always the lens!. A very fast lens!.

Buy either the Nikkor 50mm f1!.4 or the Nikkor 85mm f1!.4!. No, they aren't zoom lenses but more important they are fast lenses!. Very fast!. You can "zoom" like we did in the olden days - walk closer to your subject or back farther away!.

How fast is an f1!.4 lens versus an f2!.8 lens like the Nikkor 70-200mm f2!.8!? 2 stops!. That means that if you're using the 50mm or 85mm wide-open at f1!.4 and achieving a shutter speed of 1/250 sec!. and then stop down to f2!.8 your shutter speed will drop to 1/60 sec!. If the f1!.4 lens gave you a shutter speed of 1/125 sec!. then at f2!.8 you'd drop to 1/30 sec!.

There is a way to overcome this - increase the ISO!. If you're using ISO 800 to get a shutter speed of 1/250 sec!. with the f1!.4 lens then you'd have to use ISO 3200 to get the same shutter speed with the f2!.8 lens!. Since we know what an ISO increase does to picture quality we also know its not the ideal solution!. (Each doubling of ISO = 1 stop)

Although a good lens, the Nikkor 55-200mm f4-5!.6 is even less suited for low-light photography since its 3 stops slower than an f1!.4 at f4 and 4 stops slower at f5!.6!. Plus you lose a full stop just zooming from 55mm to 200mm!.

Believe it or not, Nikon once made an f1!.0 lens, as did Canon and Leica!. Now if you could find one of those old Nikkor f1!.0 lenses!.!.!. but it probably wouldn't mount on your D60!. One full stop faster than an f1!.4!.

"Best wide-angle lens!? Two steps backward!. Look for the 'ah-ha' "!. Ernst HaasWww@QuestionHome@Com

Stability then lenses!. Usually at a concert your to far for a flash to do any good!. Www@QuestionHome@Com

If you're more than 30 feet from the stage, flash will be useless!.Www@QuestionHome@Com