![]() ![]() As a general rule, I almost never shoot concerts with anything slower than f/2.8. It almost goes without saying that shooting concerts means using speedy lenses. Cameras which fit this bill include the Olympus 35 RD and 35 SP, the Minolta Hi-Matic 7SII, and the Canonet GIII QL17. These leaf shutters enable reliable handheld photography down to a shutter speed of 1/8th of a second (for those of us with steady hands). But what makes them perfect for the job are their quiet, stable leaf shutters. These cameras come equipped with incredibly sharp, fast optics, are compact enough to fit inside a bag, and look archaic enough to get past security. That said, there is a very specific type of rangefinder perfectly suited for shooting live concerts – the fixed-lens rangefinder. The only thing we’d watch out for in this category is rangefinder brightness and contrast some vintage rangefinders lack the handy rangefinder illumination window found on newer models, making low-light shooting next to impossible. Interchangeable lens rangefinders such as the Voigtlander Bessa cameras, the Minolta CLE, or any Leica M-camera will do the trick, and with fantastic optics to boot. Rangefinders don’t have to deal with an annoying mirror flapping, and are therefore incredibly stable. I’ve been able to handhold these cameras successfully at 1/15th of a second, often to stunning effect.īut nothing beats a rangefinder for this kind of work. More security-friendly SLR’s with incredibly stable shutters and mirrors include the entire Olympus OM series, the Canon FTb, and my personal favorite, the Pentax SV. Heavyweight professional SLR’s such as the Nikon F-series, the Canon F-1, and the Minolta XK do a good job of mitigating mirror slap, but these are less likely to pass through security due to their bulk and professional aesthetic. SLR’s are naturally disadvantaged here, as the shooter has to contend with mirror slap. Shooting a concert often means shooting in low light, so the camera must be stable enough to shoot handheld at 1/60th of a second or slower (provided the shooter is using a 50mm lens – more on that later). Feel free to bring just about any plastic fantastic point-and-shoot into a music venue, but beware – these cameras aren’t ideal for shooting concerts for reasons we’ll soon explain. They’re often encased in plastic and look like useless toys compared to the monstrous, tech-laden DSLRs that professional concert photographers use. The Voigtlander Bessa series, Leica M series, and the many fast, Japanese, fixed-lens rangefinders are a few examples of cameras that seem to get past security without a hitch.īut it’s the smallest of 35mm cameras, the point-and-shoot, that’s best suited to sneaking through the gates. Their old-world aesthetic distances them even further from the professional, modern SLRs, even if they’re every bit as capable as those machines. Older mechanical SLRs from the ‘60s and ‘70s fare better due to their more archaic designs, and all the better if you’ve got a silver finish camera, since these tend to slip past security more easily than the more professional-looking all-black counterparts. SLRs from the ‘80s and ‘90s too closely resemble pro photogs’ DSLRs of today and are sure to be prohibited. While vintage cameras in general seem to find their way past security, some can do so more easily than others. So when choosing gear, try to find one that at least appears to be a non-pro camera. But these rules tend to be a bit less stringent for cameras that look like an amateur machine. Unfortunately, most venues discourage non-press photography at shows (check with your venue). ![]() If you want to take pictures, you have to have a camera. There’s aren’t hard-and-fast rules by any means – just a few things I’ve learned from being a performer who just so happens to love film. Here are five basic tips to help you make great images of your next show on film. Shooting film gives show-goers their own creative outlet, produces a free souvenir, and does it in vintage style.īut shooting concerts on film brings with it a number of challenges – unpredictable or nonexistent lighting, film that’s too slow to keep up with the action, security snagging our cameras before we’re even in the doors. These days it’s not rare to see kids armed with slick vintage cameras snapping away in the front row. And over the years I’ve noticed more and more people doing the same. ![]() As both a longtime gigging musician and film geek, I often end up slipping into the crowd during downtime to take some pictures. ![]()
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