Righto ill try no lower then 2.8 for my next gig, Ill use manual focus and see how it goes. I just want to be able to be competent with a 50mm before a buy another lens. I'm enjoying the challenge but it get frustrating at times.
No lower?
I'm not really sure what you mean by that...

I'm not sure if you mean you won't stop up or stop down with your aperture
Either way, you shouldn't restrict yourself. You should do what the situation calls for.
I like living around f/2.8 because that's as small as I can get it and still get the background somewhat blurred (If the stage is long enough for that), but still have enough DOF that I'm not driving myself ABSOLUTELY crazy trying to nail focus.
That being said if I have the ability to stop down my aperture because the lighting is so good... I will. Because again it gives me a little more DOF. Then there have been times where I've shot entirely at f/1.4 because there was next to no light in a venue I was shooting at.
f/2.8 is just my starting point... I have a starting point for my shutter speed, aperture, *and* ISO, but I in no way restrict myself to those. Those are just reference points for me because the numbers I use seem to be an average for the places I shoot at.
Keep practicing. You'll get it! :sillysmi:
EDIT: fixed terminology stupidity.
