Concert photos...help! :(

Pariah · Dec 9, 2008

Alright...I'm at a loss here. I took some photos for a friend's band, and they came out horrible. I use a Nikon D80 and I was using the 50mm f/1.8 lens. Photo and details below, can anyone tell me where I went wrong?

Shutter: 1/50
Aperture: F1.8

Now, I will say that this venue was particularly bad. It isn't even an actual venue, just a community center that people can rent out. The next shows will be in actual concert venues, which will hopefully be better overall as the lighting in this place was horrible.

Also, I think I want to/need to purchase a different lens, but I need to do it ASAP. Despite these photos coming out terribly, the band is having me shoot two more shows, one at the end of this month. I'm not going to have a ton of room to move around, and that's the big thing I don't like about the 50mm 1.8...it just isn't going to work when I have very tight spaces to shoot in. I read on another thread here that the [ame="http://www.amazon.com/Sigma-70-200mm-Macro-Digital-Cameras/dp/B001044RIQ/ref=cm_cr_pr_pb_t"]Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8[/ame] is great for concert photos. Any thoughts on that, or can anyone suggest something else for me? I'm going to be doing this quite a bit in the very near future so I need something I can rely on.

Thank you!

eccs19 · Dec 9, 2008

I'm no expert, but I would have thought the DOF would have been shallower at f1.8. Are you sure that's what it was set to? What was your ISO? Maybe bumping it up would make a difference.

stsinner · Dec 9, 2008

eccs19 said:
I'm no expert, but I would have thought the DOF would have been shallower at f1.8. Are you sure that's what it was set to? What was your ISO? Maybe bumping it up would make a difference.

They said they were using the 50 f/1.8.. Isn't that the only aperture with that lens? I, personally, wouldn't think a fixed aperture, fixed focal length lens would be good for band pics, but that's just me, and I may just be stupid.

dxqcanada · Dec 9, 2008

What ISO was that shot at ?
Looks under exposed. Was that shot in manual ?

That lighting really was not good for pictures.
If they get to a concert venue with real stage lighting you get better exposure.

Nikon should have something wider that also has a wide aperture ... 35mm or 20mm / f1.8 or 2.8

Pariah · Dec 9, 2008

Sorry, forgot that part...ISO for that was at HI-1. I used that for most, and everything under 1600 was far too dark and pretty much worthless. And yes, shot in manual.

The next two shows are at actual venues, so I'm hoping the lighting will be better, but I'm really paranoid of it ending the same way and having shot two shows with nothing to show for either.

Harmony · Dec 9, 2008

I'm going to reiterate here:

Are you SURE you were using 1.8? Just because it's a 1.8 lens doesn't mean your aperture was set to such. Whatever it was that you were NOT focusing on should have been much more blurry.

Also, getting a 2.8 lens will actually bring in less light than the lens you have now.

So, going back: are you sure your aperture was set to 1.8?

dxqcanada · Dec 9, 2008

Harmony said:
Also, getting a 2.8 lens will actually bring in less light than the lens you have now.

I assumed that Nikon didn't have a wide angle with f1.8

Pariah · Dec 9, 2008

Harmony, that's why I was confused when someone recommended a 2.8 lens in another thread for concerts...

Yes, I'm sure it was set to 1.8. I got that from the stats while looking at the photo on my camera...if I scroll up or down, it gives me the aperture, shutter speed, metering, etc etc for the photo I'm on...know what I mean? Or am I not reading it correctly?

Harmony · Dec 9, 2008

Missed your post, dxqcanada. I must have been typing while you posted

.

The 1.8 aperture is not the only aperture on that lens. It goes all the way to f22. But really. I doubt the lens was set to 1.8 if his ISO was on HI-1, and the lack of blur supports this, too.

Harmony · Dec 9, 2008

AUGH. Missed your post too.

Can you open that file and check the EXIF on it?

Pariah · Dec 9, 2008

Okay, so that means there's hope for me with the lens I have, right? I'm really lost at this point, I think.

Harmony · Dec 9, 2008

I'm still unconvinced that your lens was set to 1.8, but the photo doesn't have any EXIF attached to it, so I can't check...

dxqcanada · Dec 9, 2008

If you were shooting at 1/50s @ f1.8 ... then the lighting was really crappy !!

Take a look around in your house with the camera and check for an area that reads 1/50s @ f1.8 ... this will give you an idea of the brightness.
Take some shots at that level ... then slow down the shutter until you start getting too much shake.

stsinner · Dec 9, 2008

Pariah said:
And yes, shot in manual.

You can always try shooting in P, or Programmed Auto, as that will set the correct shutter speed and Aperture without the flash being on, and you'll still have control over your white balance.