How to Pick a Camera for Concert Photography

Taking pictures at a concert is hard to do. There’s so much movement and the lighting isn’t helping you either. So what is the right camera for you to use?

Point-and-shoot. Using a point-and-shoot camera will work most of the time, but sometimes the quality of your photos will suffer. Although, with a point-and-shoot you are more likely allowed to bring it into the venue then a DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex).

Lead singer of The Bigger Lights taken with a point-and-shoot to show that sometimes a point-and-shoot sometimes works just fine.

Differences between a point-and-shoot and DSLR camera. Before I talk about what camera is best at concerts let me tell you the major differences between a point-and-shoot and a DSLR camera. Point-and-shoot cameras are smaller, lighter in weight and a lot cheaper. DSLR cameras are heavier and more expensive.

So it seems like the point-and-shoot would be the best choice, right? Turns out with a DSLR you have more control over what your pictures will look like. You are able to control the quality of the light and the shutter speed. With a point-and-shoot camera your camera picks the settings for you. Sometimes this can be good but for concert photography this might not work in your favor.

Another good thing about DSLR cameras is that the lenses detach. You can use all kinds of lens from zoom to fish eye. With a point-and-shoot camera your lens can’t detach. Also, if you want to use the zoom it’ll take your lens longer to zoom in or out. DSLR lenses are used manually which means you can zoom in and out a lot faster.

Alex from All Time Low picture taken with a point-and-shoot camera that shows a bad quality of light.

Best camera for you. Now that you know a DSLR camera is the best for concert photography, you need to pick what DSLR camera you want to buy. There are so many choices out there. Here is a website that helps you through the steps to picking out the best DSLR for you: Digital SLR Guide.

Requirements. What are the minimal requirements you need for concert photography? Most of what you need will require a decent lens. You want your aperture to be at the least f/2.8. The aperture is the opening in your lens that lets the light in. The wider the lens the more light that the camera captures. This is what you need with concert photography since the lighting is low. The best place to shop for the right camera and equipment is through Amazon.

Now with the camera body  you will need to make sure that the shutter speed is fast.  At concerts your subject is always moving, so it is best to use a fast shutter speed. Most DSLR’s are fast anyway, so this isn’t that big of a deal. To find out more on how to get better pictures at concerts, go to here: Todd Owyoung.

Good luck at your next gig!