Time to get a DSLR

[pasteofanchovie]

My Canon Powershot G9 doesn't cut it for taking concert pictures and I want something more "immediate" than pictures from my Minolta SLR (I'm a little impatient ). I'm looking for one that has low noise at a high ISO, spot metering and very wide aperture lenses available. Anyone have any recommendations?

 

[Overread]

Well the lens range for both canon and nikon is very wide and has a good covering of wide aperture lenses - course how much are you thinking of? One company recently released an f0.95 50mm - £6000+ of course

Seriously though I think if high ISO control is your aim then you want to be looking midranage at the lowest level with regard to bodies and wide aperture lenses (50mm f1.2) are around teh £1000 mark
Give us an idea of your budget

 

[pasteofanchovie]

I'm think my budget is around $1000, maybe more if necessary. Also is auto focus or manual focus better for concerts?

 

[Overread]

Well I can't comment much on what you can get for $1000 *I am in the wrong country* but I would say that in lower light conditions autofocus can end up hunting so manual focus is a good thing to get practice in!

 

[Tolyk]

Well, with that budget, Canon XSI and 50 1.4 would pretty much fill it, and the XSI is by no means the best in low light performance. If anything I'd go for a Nikon D300, it's low-light is pretty good, but the body alone is more than your budget.

You may want to consider Pentax, the K20d is pretty good in low light as well, just slower auto-focusing. However, the 50 1.4 is by far cheaper than Nikon/Canon. The only problems with the K20d as far as I know are the JPEG compression sucks (so shoot in RAW) and the white balance blows in man-made light (so, again shoot RAW). This setup would run you around 1200 dollars (Canadian, not sure in America. No clue where you live though)

 

[pasteofanchovie]

I have no problem shooting in RAW that's what I do on my G9. I'll check out the Pentax, I think the local camera store I go to is having some kind of Pentax try out event soon. @Tolyk: Did you mean the K200D? The body alone for the K20D is $1200USD, or is that just exchange rates?

 

[epp_b]

I'm think my budget is around $1000, maybe more if necessary.

For that money, maybe look at a D90 body-only and buy the 50mm f/1.8 AF-D, which is only a bit more than $100.

The D90's superb high ISO performance coupled with a fast lens will get you lots of keepers.

Also is auto focus or manual focus better for concerts?

Definitely autofocus. The subjects (performers) are constantly moving around, which will make manual focus frustrating, especially with a fast lens.

 

[Tolyk]

I have no problem shooting in RAW that's what I do on my G9. I'll check out the Pentax, I think the local camera store I go to is having some kind of Pentax try out event soon. @Tolyk: Did you mean the K200D? The body alone for the K20D is $1200USD, or is that just exchange rates?

Wow, that store is over charging.. I've got the K20D for sale at the store I work at for 1048 canadian. The K200D is a CCD sensor and not as good in low light, the K20 is the one I'd recommend by Pentax.

The D90 recommended also would be worth looking into. Though it may not be as readily available, I know my store is already back-ordered on 'em and they're not even released in Canada yet

 

[ANDS!]

If you go Nikon, get a used D80, and use the remaining bucks to buy a good starter lens. I recommend the Sigma 24-60 f/2.8. You can get both from Cameta Camera on eBay.

If you go Canon, get a used 30D. Those can be had for about the same cost as the D80. Check out Photography-on-the.net and their "For Sale" forum. Usually you'll be able to find some good deals. The lens choice is the same.

Do NOT go for a "niche" brand. Yes folks will swear by them, but when it comes time to get some new glass, and you wan't to go the "used" route (as you should) - you will face the limitations of such a niche choice.

 

[potownrob]

I like the way my D40 and Tamron 17-50 f/2.8 work in low light but if I were shooting concerts a lot, especially from more than a few feet away, I'd try to find an f/2.8 lens with image stabilization (IS, VR, VC etc.) and lenses that autofocus on the D40 are limited, so I'd be wishing I got another camera. Either that or use a tripod. Echoing ANDS!' recommendation, I'd try to get something like the D80 if possible and then find a cheaper fast lens (be it fixed or zoom). Something like the Tamron 28-75 might be better for concerts than a 17-50, especially if you're not up close. Fixed lenses will let in more light though.