What lens to use for a theatre show?

[kindred_fp]

Hi Guys,

First time going to shoot my little 2 year old in a theatre performance. Just reading tips here and there on what to do.

I have a nikon 5200 DX

Which is the recommended go to lens?

35mm 1.8
50 mm 1.8
16-85mm 3.5 -5.6
70 - 300mm 4.5 - 5.6

From what I gather I need a fast lens, so currently leaning towards the 50 mm and with my crop factor that should help. I obviously lose out on the zoom but given they arent fast lens should I even bother?

I'm thinking it might be helpful to shoot in aperture or shutter priority to see how it looks and then eventually switch to manual to keep the settings.

Thinking bumping up the iso as high as possible to increase shutter speed to avoid motion bloor.

Thoughts?

 

[Derrel]

One of the biggest problems can be OVER-exposure of faces, due to spotlighting or even floodlighting, but the presence of dark curtains behind the performers, or dark, unlighted expanses. I've shot stage shows where shorter focal length lenses caused a need to set Exposure Compensation to Minus 5.0 EV. The shorter the lens length, the more this tends to be an issue.

Yes, a high ISO value of 1600 at f/2.8, and around 1/80 second is gonna be a common exposure, most likely. On some really bright, spot-lighted people, the exposure needed might allow you to drop to f/4 at 1/160-ish.

 

[bopyd]

With small subjects (kids in particular) any lens wider that 50mm will be tough unless you are sitting in the first row or two. I am not sure how big the venue is where the performance will be but I think you'll definately want to bring that long lens and consider pushing the ISO up on a few shots. Its worth the experiment as well, as I am sure you'll be attending a few more of these performances.

I would suggest you push the ISO as high as necessary to freeze action. Althought Derrel suggests 1600, I find that sometimes even high ISO's will give zou shutter speeds of 1/125 or faster. At these speeds you are of course freezing action like walking. If kids are moving around with large arm gestures the last thing you want is a blurry face. I usually err on the side of freezing the action as compared against the additional noise a higher ISO might bring to your photo.

Good luck!

 

[kindred_fp]

I was'nt sure if you were suggesting a specific lens to shoot, but I'm will for sure play with a high iso and around 1/80 shutter speed and around f/2.8.

Given those suggestions I'm guessing your leaning towards i use the prime lenses is 50 ok? I guess I can crop them later if any.

I'm not sure yet where I'm sitting, but I do know no flash.

One of the biggest problems can be OVER-exposure of faces, due to spotlighting or even floodlighting, but the presence of dark curtains behind the performers, or dark, unlighted expanses. I've shot stage shows where shorter focal length lenses caused a need to set Exposure Compensation to Minus 5.0 EV. The shorter the lens length, the more this tends to be an issue.

Yes, a high ISO value of 1600 at f/2.8, and around 1/80 second is gonna be a common exposure, most likely. On some really bright, spot-lighted people, the exposure needed might allow you to drop to f/4 at 1/160-ish.

 

[Dave442]

I would just take the 35 and 50. Probably the 50mm for most with the one kid and then the 35mm if there are some group shots like a final curtain call and to show your kid in the overall setting. A two year old is pretty small, hope you know when and how long she is to perform to be ready.

 

[Derrel]

Your camera's sensor can handle a 50% crop and still make a good family photo better than anything we could have gotten with consumer gear for literally decades, until about 2009, so....yeah, the 50mm short telephoto ought to be okay. And that's what a 50mm really is on an APS-C camera...a very light, short, fast-aperture, sharp tele lens. The idea being able to get both a semi-environmental shot of your child, as well as if you are close to the stage, a reasonably large image of your child, and an image that should be very crisp and sharp, due to the stage lighting, but one that can easily be cropped later, at the computer. Now---if you happen to be in a large, old auditorium with a balcony, like in my son's old elementary school, a 135mm focal length on FX covered 1/2 the width of the entire stage...

This is why I so often suggest an 85mm f/1.8 lens: it's a telephoto lens, light small, easy to handle, longish, but not so long as to be a major hand-shake candidate, and FAST, aperture-wise, with f/1.8 really a wide aperture with today's ISO levels.

Stage lighting can be much brighter than many people often mentally picture it as being; you MIGHT be able to snipe away at f/5.6 at 1/125 second at ISO 3,200 to 6,400 on the D5200 on your child's face...I have no idea how many people there will be, or how far away from the stage you'll be., so you might want to have the 70-300 available to you.

 

[kindred_fp]

Thanks guys for the suggestions.

Found out today no photography allowed

 

[Tailgunner]

Thanks guys for the suggestions.

Found out today no photography allowed

I was going to say, I would check first to see if photography was allowed. It just didn't seem like something you would expect at a theater.

 

[RyanLilly]

I might be late to the Party, but usually you can work out a time to shoot at a dress rehearsal. Depending on the theater, there is often an official photographer taking photos of the show for ads and documentation. you could maybe arrange some time with them.