Gear Guide

For anyone interested in pursuing live music photography, AKA “low-light action portraiture,” the issue of the most appropriate equipment is an inevitable question.

Considering the ubiquitous low light of indoor venues, song limits, energetic performances, and the generally frenetic pace of rock shows, the proper gear can ease some of the intimidating constraints of concert photography.

Just starting out? Please see my article Choosing Lenses for Concert Photography first.

Below is the list of gear that I regularly use for concert photography.

Camera Bodies

Nikon D3
Nikon D700

Lenses (zooms)

Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8
Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8
Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 VR

Lenses (primes)

Nikon 50mm f/1.4
Nikon 85mm f/1.4

Supplementary Gear

SanDisk Extreme 4gb CF Cards
Nexto CF OTG
Kinesis bags
Crumpler 7 Million Dollar Home

Retired Equipment

Nikon D2x
Tokina 12-24mm f/4
Nikon 17-55mm f/2.8
Sigma 30mm f/1.4

Below you’ll find more in-depth descriptions of why this kit works for me and my concert photography. For other thoughts on gear for photographing live music, please check the General Recommendations at the bottom of this page.

Camera Bodies

Nikon D3

I love this camera. The D3 is simply an exceptional camera and what I consider to be the closest thing to the perfect live music photography platform that is on the market today.

I acquired this camera to replace the venerable D2x and have been delighted by the quantum leap in performance over the old workhorse. These days, the only camera that trumps the D3 is its successor, the D3s.

The D3 offers incredibly clean files right up to ISO 6400, and even very usable images at ISO 12800, performance that opens up many creative possibilities for low light work.

Combined with fast f/2.8 zooms, the high sensitivities of the D3 have me reaching for fast f/1.4 primes much less often.

One great new feature for event coverage that I love about the D3 is the inclusion of two CF slots in the camera, which effectively doubles one’s shooting capacity before having to change cards. For demanding, fast-paced events with a high image-yield, this is a huge boon, especially considering the song limits for music photography.

Nikon D700

I use the Nikon D700 as a backup to my D3, and for this purpose the camera is simply excellent. Both cameras are equipped with what is essentially the same exceptional 12mp sensor, which makes the two interchangeable as far as image quality goes in my mind. The color, response, and just about everything else between the D700 and D3 with regard to image quality is so close that I never have to think about it.

In terms of ergonomics and body design, the D700 is a much smaller and lighter camera than the D3, as it doesn’t feature a built-in vertical grip. For my shooting, I do prefer a vertical grip, and so use the MB-D10 as a nearly permanent attachment for the D700. With the accessory grip, the D700 is nearly as fast as the D3 in terms of frame rate – 8 FPS vs 9 FPS, respectively.

For my live music work, I will D700 as a secondary camera and attach to it the lens which I think will provide the best support to my main lens. In most situations, this means shooting with the 70-200mm or 14-24mm on the D700 while using the 24-70mm on the D3.

Zoom Lenses

I use three zooms as my main lenses: the Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8, Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8, and Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8. These lenses cover 14-200mm in a highly effective manner, all in a fast f/2.8 aperture. While they are heavy and expensive, I consider these three lenses highly effective for concert photography, and they always deliver.

Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8

The Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8 is a lens that is wrong about 80% of the time for concert photography, but that doesn’t stop me from trying to use it every chance I get. Because when it’s right, it’s so right that you’ll forget about all the heartache it causes when it’s wrong.

The ultra-wide perspective of this lens can bring a hugely dynamic feel to a concert scene, stretching out limbs, exaggerating distance, and generally kicking it up a notch.

I love using this lens up close and personal at the front of the stage. In fact, the closer, the better. The 14-24mm excels with low stages and in any situation where there’s a good opportunity to get in tight.

When used on a full-frame sensor, the dramatic perspective of this ultra-wide angle zoom is highly addictive and has brought home a very large percentage of my favorite images since I started using it for gigs.

The biggest downside of this lens, aside from the price, is the enormous, bulbous front element, which does not allow for the use of filers on this lens. The lens does feature a built-in hood, but keeping the exposed lens element is a constant struggle, especially when it loves being shoved into the faces of sweaty, headbanging rockers.

Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8

The Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8 features a range that is highly useful for stage-front photography. I love the wide-to-short-tele zoom range of the 24-70mm, which provides a highly utilitarian spread of focal lengths on a full-frame sensor.

At 24mm, the lens renders a nicely wide field of view that’s great for stage and full-body shots, while 70mm is tight enough for more isolated captures of individual musicians.

In addition, the lens performs exceedingly well wide open, which makes it highly suitable for concert photography and PJ work in general.

If I don’t know what to expect in the pit, this lens is where I’ll start. And when I do know, this is still the lens I’ll utilize much of the time.

Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 VR:

The Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 telephoto lens is perfect for tight shots of individual performers and grabbing the drummer at the back of the stage. For larger venues and arenas, the isolation and reach of the 70-200mm make it indispensable for bringing home high-impact shots of individual musicians.

The addition of Vibration Reduction (VR) makes this telephoto a solid choice for indoor concert photography, especially with less active performers in middling light that might otherwise make such a telephoto an unreasonable choice. The Canon version that features IS is likewise an excellent choice.

I’m most likely to use this lens when there’s a more notable singer on stage or in larger venues where the performers are farther back and/or greatly elevated from the pit. Also, if there are shooting restrictions like shooting from the sound board or from the wings, this telephoto helps close the distance.

At outdoor festivals, where speaker stacks may be placed in the between between the stage and photographers, the range of this 70-200mm lens is also very welcome.

Prime Lenses

Nikon 50mm f/1.4:

As the once-standard lens for 35mm cameras, lenses in the 50mm focal length are abundant and relatively cheap in all mounts, especially the f/1.8 versions. Even the faster f/1.4 models are affordable compared to other primes with this fast aperture.

On a 1.5x crop sensor, the Nikon 50mm f/1.4 is a short telephoto lens that I find more manageable than my 85mm lens, and which works well for front-stage work. While I generally find the lens too narrow in its field of view as a single-lens solution, the fast aperture and acceptable quality at wide apertures make this a clutch lens situations when f/2.8 glass isn’t fast enough.

When used on a cropped sensor, the only hesitation I would have in recommending this lens is that its field of view can force awkward compositions. This factor isn’t so much a mark on the lens so much as it is a consideration when working with primes in general.

For the Nikon D3, 50mm is once again a nice focal length that is wide enough for general use.

Nikon 85mm f/1.4:

The fast aperture and excellent wide-aperture performance of the Nikon 85mm f/1.4 make this lens highly useful for portraits of individual performers. I often find myself reaching for this lens when photographing singer-songwriters, who are not often light with light of much intensity in smaller venues.

Though the fixed focal length demands more care to produce exacting compositions, the excellent low-light performance of this lens secures its place in my gig bag. This is especially true when the slower speed and/or weight of the 70-200mm is inappropriate for a gig.

I find the 85mm particularly well suited as a short telephoto pair to the Nikon 17-55mm or Nikon 24-70mm, as it nicely compliments the general range of the zoom with a nice tele option, all in a relatively small profile.

Supplementary Gear

Kinesis Bags:

I’m a big fan of the Kinesis camera bag system, which is a modular system that is truly as functional as it is a disaster for the fashion conscious. While the bags accept conventional shoulder straps, a modular belt system lies at the core of this product line’s functionality. The company’s myriad line of bags, pouches, and holders all connect interchangeably to the belts. I can carry my D2X, 70-200, 17-55, Nexto drive, and more. Comfortably, all day long. Not something I’d want to try with a shoulder bag.

For long events, I’m not above sacrificing my personal dignity to save myself from some backache, so I’m willing to rock this belt system. Not only is it much more comfortable than an over-the-shoulder camera bag, it’s also highly functional. Everything is close at hand. As my equipment is connected to my waist à la a Batman-esque utility belt, there little that can swing around, get snagged, or otherwise get in the way of shooting. Just my pride. For single concerts, I’m more likely to use the shoulder strap with my Kinesis bags.

Crumpler 7 Million Dollar Home

In addition to the above Kinesis system, I also use Crumpler bags when a single carrying unit is preferable. For me, the best thing about Crumpler products is that they are absolutely bomb-proof. While I might cringe at dropping the very lightly padded Kinesis bags from a height of even a foot, I wouldn’t blink if my Crumplers happened to fall off my shoulder. Not that they would, of course, thanks to big fat shoulder pads that distribute the weight quite well.

The Crumpler 7 Million Dollar Home probably holds more than you should ever bring to a single-headliner event and will house your entire kit of huge f/2.8 zooms with ease. Loading up the messenger-style bag, I can fit the D3 with 24-70mm mounted, along with the 14-24mm, 85mm, and 70-200mm, with enough room left over for the 50mm or an external flash.

For lighter shoots, I also use the Crumpler Bucket in one of the company’s messenger bag, which will fit the D3 with 24-70mm mounted with room for with the 85mm and 50mm. Just like the 7 Million Dollar Home, though I might cry on the inside, I wouldn’t shed any tears if this bag took a dead drop to a cement floor at a show.

SanDisk Extreme IV 4gb CF Cards:

Upgrading to the Nikon D3, which is UDMA-enabled for very fast write/read speeds with compatible CF cards, I decided to pick up four of the SanDisk Extreme IV 4gb cards to replace my Ridata cards. While the new SanDisk cards are the same capacity, the promise of faster transfer speeds was the main reason this upgrade.

I’m very happy to say that the performance of these new cards is excellent, and I have yet to bounce the buffer of the D3 while shooting performances. However, the best part about these new cards is that, when paired with a UDMA-enabled Firewire 800 cardreader, I can suck a full 4gb card to my computer in about two minutes. That’s nice.

It’s very important to note that the best selling point for this line from SanDisk is the high transfer speeds, exclusively made possible by UDMA. For cameras that do not support this feature, I would highly suggest saving your money unless you plan to upgrade to a camera that supports UDMA transfer in the near future. Check out Rob Galbraith’s CF/SD testing guide to find the best option for your camera.

Nexto CF OTG:

The Nexto CF OTG is a portable storage unit that accepts compact flash cards. The drive can copy or move the entire contents of a memory card, verifies transfers, and offers limited file-browsing for additional verification. Unlike many other similar devices, the Nexto’s tranfer speeds are relatively fast – the unit is capable of moving 1gb of data in a little less than two minutes.

The Nexto case features a small LCD that indicates progress and tasks only; images cannot be displayed or reviewed.The Nexto hardware itself is simply a casing with minimal hardware and firmware, and accepts standard 2.5″ laptop harddrives. I’ll be bringing a Nexto with a 100gb drive installed, which is more than enough for the two days I’ll be shooting the festival.

Retired Gear:

Nikon D2x:

I used this camera extensively for concert photography in the 2006 and 2007 seasons, though it has since been replaced by the Nikon D3.

While the high ISO performance is only fair compared to more recent offerings, lagging behind that of models like the D3 and D300, the D2x still offers very good image quality through ISO 1600. At ISO 800, the files are very clean.

For telephoto work, the 1.5x crop factor of the DX sensor adds some welcome reach, and the high pixel pitch and low-strength AA filter produce great detail overall. For daytime festivals, this camera is simply excellent.

Tokina 12-24mm f/4

On a cropped-sensor body, this lens lens offers a very dramatic field of view, at the expense of a fast aperture. While the slow f/4 aperture may be prohibitive for indoor concert photography, this lens excels at festivals, in brightly lit arenas, and when used with flash.

If you’re looking at this lens, you might also consider the new Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 lens, which offers a more narrow zoom range, slightly wider field of view, and a brighter constant aperture.

Aside from range, I like these Tokina lenses because the build is rock-solid. In addition, the full-time manual focus override is nice when using the lens for other applications besides concert photography.

Nikon 17-55mm f/2.8:

On the Nikon D2x, the Nikon 17-55mm f/2.8 DX lens was my bread and butter optic for indoor concert photography shooting from the pit.

Just like the Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8 that I replaced it with, this Nikkor offers a great wide-to-short-tele range that is perfect for front-stage action

“Standard” zoom lenses like this are my preferred lens for shooting from the pit, and pair very well with either an ultra-wide or telephoto zoom.

Sigma 30mm f/1.4:

Replacing the standard 50mm field of view for 1.5x crop sensors, the Sigma 30mm f/1.4 performs admirably well in low light in a focal length that’s very well suited for work in the pit at the front of the stage.

With a fast f/1.4 aperture and a performance curve biased toward wide-aperture shooting, the Sigma delivers great flexibility for those dark venues when f/2.8 zooms are stops too slow. As a bonus, this lens is surprisingly flare resistant compared to its 50mm counterparts.

I find the 30mm best for waist-up shots of performers and catching slightly more environmental shots, while I’ll switch to the below 50mm or 85mm primes for tighter framing.

While this lens was designed for the DX frame, I’ve found that the lens is surprisingly useful on the FX sensor of the Nikon D3. There is severe corner shading, as one might expect, but the actual area of the usable image circle is actually quite large, making this fast, “wide” lens a nice option in failing light.

General Recommendations:

My specific kit is a set of tools that works well for me and the venues in which I shoot. Aside from a few borrowed pieces of gear for specific shows, the above items were used for the entirety of my portfolio.

Cameras:

In both the consumer and professional lines, just about any current DSLR on the market is capable of producing very usable results at ISO 1600 and should make a reasonable fine base for exploring concert photography.

While various details of performance will vary from model to model, for the most part, lenses will often have a more dramatic affect on one’s ability to make images in low light. Even a relatively inexpensive DSLR can produce excellent quality images with good glass in front of it.

For Nikon shooters, it’s important to note that the Nikon D40x and D60 do not feature built-in focusing motors, and can only use newer lenses with their own AF motors.

Starter Lenses:

Throw away your 18-55 f/8-32 kit lens. The range is great. But, as they say, speed kills.

If you’re just starting off with concert photography or are looking to upgrade lenses, please see my article Choosing Lenses for Concert Photography for a list of recommended equipment.

In general, I would recommend buying lenses with wide apertures – as fast as you can afford. Though often a stop or two slower than prime lenses, zoom lenses offer unparalleled flexibility, which can be essential for the quick pace of concert photography.

More?

If you’d like other recommendations on gear beyond the gear I use, I’d be happy to give you suggestions and advice as I’m able. Just leave a comment here or on any of the relevant posts.