The eternal dichotomies. Good vs Evil. Night vs Day. Nikon vs Canon. Primes vs Zooms.

When it comes to available light event photography, the photographer is often pulled between constraints – the two biggest of which are limited access and limited lighting. As a result, we’re also often split between the solutions to these problems as well – the flexible framing of zoom lenses and the raw, low-light speed of prime lenses.

Whether you’re shooting weddings, concerts or any other situation where shooting position and light are constrained, here’s a look at the benefits and limitations of primes and zooms for event photography.

Prime Lenses

Pros:

In the contemporary landscape of computer-designed optics, where even consumer zooms can deliver some amazing results, the chief advantage of prime lenses for is their speed. All but super telephoto primes are at least one if not two times faster than zoom lenses covering the same focal range. Even with the best DSLRs, the difference of two stops can mean the difference between shooting at a camera’s high ISO sweet spot and looking at a sea of digital noise.

Moreover, prime lenses give photographers the flexibility to use lower ISO sensitivities, high shutter speeds, or shoot in lower light than their variable focal length peers – sometimes all three at once. In the lowest light, a prime shooter can happily click away in conditions that has zooms users crying in the dark.

Moreover, a prime lens like the ubiquitous 50mm f/1.8 available for all systems is often one of the most inexpensive lenses one can buy, offering image quality and speed at a fraction of a f/2.8 zoom’s price.

On the other end of the price spectrum, it’s also worth noting that super telephoto primes also offer reach in addition to speed that zooms just can’t touch. For situations like sports where extreme distances necessitate teleconverters for maximum effect, the benefit of a fast prime lens is even more evident.

Cons:

The major downside of prime lenses for event photography is that their fixed focal length nature directly compounds the limited access and/or viable shooting positions for any given event and moment. This is particularly true for live music photography, with shooting often limited to the front of the stage for credentialed press in potentially crowded photo pits, but is essentially true for weddings and other event shooting as well.

At best, the inflexibility of prime lenses present limitations that foster creative solutions. At worst, the result is awkward and ineffective compositions.

In addition, for anyone shooting a single DSLR body, prime lenses may feel especially limiting for fast movement and situations where the positions of the performers changes rapidly. Using prime lenses may necessitate more frequent lens changes as well.

Zoom Lenses

Pros:

Zoom lenses are all about flexibility. With the already heavy constraints of live music photography, the ability to fluidly frame and execute compositions and different perspectives is a huge asset to the event shooter. This point is especially true when one is shooting in a crowded photo pit, when multiple photographers jockeying for position limits available angles even more, or at a crowded event with limited options for clean sight lines.

For event photography in general, zoom lenses can allow for the precise framing even in non-ideal shooting situations where the luxury to choose one’s precise position is not always an option.

Aside from exact composition, the sheer ability to dramatically change perspectives with a zoom lens – going from wide-angle to telephoto in the case of a midrange zoom – is a huge asset for quickly-moving action.

A perfect example for the flexibility of a zoom is shooting a performer who may be behind a mic stand or monitors who then quickly comes to front of the stage. A midrange zoom transitions effortlessly in this situation that would otherwise leave a prime lens floundering.

Cons:

For concert photography, the downside to zoom lenses comes in their relatively slow maximum apertures, which clock in at f/2.8 at the fastest for most manufacturers. This limitation puts them two-stops a good f/1.4 prime, which is capable of letting in four times as much light. Needless to say, when the light levels drop, zooms are at a huge disadvantage against faster primes even with the excellent high ISO performance of current DSLRs.

To a lesser degree, optical quality can be an issue with non-pro grade zooms as well.

The Solution

A Mixed Bag

The obvious solution to the speed of primes and the flexibility of zoom lenses? Use them both. My kit includes a core set of zoom lenses covering 14mm to 200mm at f/2.8, as well as 50mm f/1.4 and 85mm f/1.4 primes for the lowest light.

My Kit

Primes:

• Nikon 50mm f/1.4
• Nikon 85mm f/1.4

Between the 50mm f/1.4 and 85mm f/1.4, there’s a lot of super usable range. I always find the 50mm f/1.4 especially nice for waist-up shots of guitarists, where it’s often the perfect frame for including the entire guitar. Add a Nikon 24mm f/1.4 or Nikon 35mm f/1.4 to this kit and you’re set.

Zooms:

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

In terms of range, these three lenses cover just about anything and everything, from the ultra-wide at 14mm to drummer shots at 200mm. The Nikon 24-700mm f/2.8 and 70-200mm f/2.8 are especially utilitarian for live music and general event photography.

Summary

For me, the utility of zooms is undeniable, and with modern formulas and optics, the performance is never in question. In fact, I prefer my f/2.8 zooms for AF precision and speed. However, the ability of my f/1.4 primes to shoot in even the poorest light secures their place in my bag.

By mixing primes and zooms, the music photographer is covered for everything from blazing arena shows to small, dimly lit clubs. Unless you get a profound sense of satisfaction by shooting exclusively with one set of lenses or another, a mixed bag provides the best of both worlds.

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Metal-studded gauntlets, cut-off t-shirts and all, Conquest opened up for Anvil on the Anvil experience to rock the Pageant with a little oldschool heavy metal. Even with lighting that had me practically scrambling for primes, this performance was an unexpected surprise and a lot of fun to cover.

Photographer’s Notes:

This gig was just no frills old-school heavy metal. Which meant that, even with a pretty basic treatment by the lighting tech, Conquest were a fun shoot. Metal is one genre that’s consistently translates into good music photography. Who doesn’t love hair whips, right?

Lighting was borderline, but I stuck it out with my f/2.8 zooms, preferring to shoot at ISO 3200 and more marginal shutter speeds than give up the flexibility of framing. The 24-70mm f/2.8 and 70-200mm f/2.8 did the trick for this gig, with just a few snaps with the 14-24mm for a little stage-front shredding.

One from 36 Crazyfists, who opened up for In Flames. Because sometimes, all you need is one.

The Alaskan four-piece had some tremendous backlighting during their set (which should not be confused with strong backlighting) that made for some cool opportunities.

For the above shot, 14mm on the Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8 did the job. One of the many things I appreciate about this lens is that the ultra wide field of view can take relatively poor light and turn it into something much more impressive than it really is.

Given the shooting constraints of concert photography, from song limits to bad lighting, the last thing you want to do is show up for a gig lenses that aren’t cut out for the job.

If you’re just starting out with gig photography, here are a few suggestions for lenses that are up to the low-light challenge of concert photography.

Lens Upgrade Path:

Maybe you’ve shot a few shows with the kit lens or perhaps you’ve stuck it out for years and you’re looking for some new glass. Assuming your current lenses don’t cut it, here are a few standard lenses available in the most popular mounts, including Nikon and Canon, that are up to the task.

50mm f/1.4 – The Fast Prime:

The ubiquitous 50mm lens gets around for a few reasons, not the least of which is its fast aperture. At f/1.4, this lens is a full two-stops faster than the zooms in this list, an attribute that which can help open up even the darkest venues. The Nikon 50mm f/1.4 and Canon 50mm f/1.4 are staple lenses.

I recommend the f/1.4 lenses over the slower and less expensive f/1.8 lenses for a few reasons, including better wide open performance, more light gathering ability, and better build quality. Any way you slice it, this is still the cheapest f/1.4 glass you’ll buy.

If your shooting conditions require something a little wider, the Sigma 30mm f/1.4 is also a great low-light solution.

17-55 mm f/2.8 – The Midrange Zoom:

The 17-55mm range is my favorite zoom range for cropped-sensor cameras, as it gives you everything from wide-angle to short telephoto in a convenient package. If you’re photographing bands up close at the front of the stage, this lens may just have all the range you need.

Tamron makes a great little 17-50mm f/2.8 lens that gives the OEM lenses from Nikon 17-55mm and Canon 17-55mm a run for their money. Sigma makes a well-regarded 18-50mm f/2.8 lens, and Tokina produces a very solid 16-50mm f/2.8 lens as well, which offers the widest end of the bunch.

24-70mm f/2.8 – The Other Midrange Zoom:

For APS and “full-frame” sensors alike, the old standby range of the ~24-70mm f/2.8 is a solid bet. Like the newer APS-only 17-55mm range, this lens was designed as the go-to midrange zoom for film. On APS-sensors, this range provides a little more reach than the shorter 17-55mm range, at the expense of the wide-angle.

All the major players produce a lens in this speed and range, with the Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 and the Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 being popular third-party options. However, if you have the money, I always recommend going for the standard Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8 or Canon 24-70mm f/2.8 – you can’t go wrong.

70-200mm f/2.8 – The telephoto Zoom:

One of the more expensive options in this short list, the 70-200mm range is a staple for telephoto shooting. I find this range particularly useful for large or high stages, picking up the drummer, and for tight shots of individual performers.

The first choices in this range are the Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 and Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 lenses. Canon also offers a slower, more compact 70-200mm f/4 lens as well.

All the major OEM brands produce lenses in this range, and third-party manufacturers like Tamron, Tokina, and Sigma also produce more cost-effective versions of this popular range, with the Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8 being particularly popular as a third-party choice.

For those who want a little more reach without the size and weight of a telephoto zoom, an 85mm f/1.8 or f/1.4 can help fill out a kit to act as a short telephoto.

End Notes:

Whatever the focal length and application, I would highly recommend going with the fastest lenses you can afford for concert photography. With such demanding conditions as live music, f/2.8 zooms are often a necessity, if not f/1.8 or f/1.4 primes.

Also, overall, I highly advocate buying lenses from the original manufacturer of the system you use, be it Nikon, Canon, Pentax, or Sony. While these lenses are often more expensive than third-party options, you only have to buy it once. Also, these lenses often provide the most reliable performance cameras of the same manufacturer.

That said, there’s also great glass to be found from Sigma, Tamron, and Tokina. Often, it’s a case of diminishing returns with brand-name products, so you should weigh your needs and preferences against cost.

For more information on the above lenses and more, please visit the Gear Guide, where I discuss some more detailed applications for these events.

What do you say?

What was your upgrade path once you ditched the kit lens? What’s your most-used lens? Please feel to have your say in the comments section!

Buy Yourself Something Nice

Do you buy stuff? Do you buy camera stuff? If this article or any other content on www.ishootshows.com was helpful to you, please consider supporting this site and grabbing your next photo gear purchase through one of my affiliate links:

• B&H Photo
• Amazon.com
• BorrowLenses.com

Simply clicking through either B&H or Amazon.com here for your purchases helps me bring you free content like these 6-tips for the new concert photographer, and naturally it doesn’t cost you a cent more. If you do grab some gear, drop me a line! I’d love to hear about what you picked up.

Following a ferocious set by White Denim, for a moment the Duckroom seems to lapse into restlessness; it’s approaching 10pm on a Monday night, the venue is wrapped in a damp chill, and only the first of three bands has played. However, without fanfare, two drum kits are being assembled on stage, and the crowd at the front is beginning to perk up. A few minutes after the hour, White Rabbits are bring the double drums, the double singers, the double rock, and suddenly we’ve forgotten what time it is.

The six-piece band seemed a little cramped on the narrow stage, but they don’t really seem to mind, and besides, there was no time to bother. The White Rabbits set into a comfortable pace and, other than an awkward pause in the set due to some technical difficulties, the band generates a great vibe among the smokey, dim confines of the Duckroom.

Shooting Notes:

The Duckroom is a subterranean lair of a venue that just happens to book great bands. While I was a litte hesitant to bring the new D3 and accouterments to the smokey dive, I was also curious to see how the new camera would stack up against the dimmest of dim venues.

There’s no pit in the small club, so I staked out my spot at the front of the stage and shot as I pleased. With places like the Duckroom, there is never a restriction on cameras or limits to shooting.

Lighting:

Lighting for the show came from two arrays at the front and back of the stage. The front strip cast mostly warm white light that died down to a dim orange cast for White Rabbits’ set. From the back, the cans featured red and blue gels, along with a few unfiltered sources casting a little weak warm light.

There weren’t so much lighting scheme changes as there were “low” and “lower” settings on the dimmer switch.

Lenses:

I shot with the Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8 for most of this set, supplementing it with the 85mm f/1.4 when I wanted just a little more reach. Beyond that, I was pleased that I didn’t need to reach for the other primes.

Exposure:

I shot at ISO 6400 at f/2.8 and 1/160 with the zoom and at 1/200 and f/2 with the telephoto prime. Given the fairly constant lighting, locking the exposure down and just firing away a straight forward task.

Processing:

Even though the lighting wasn’t really that dim, the actual quality of the light was pretty mundane. For almost all shows at the Duckroom, I go in with the expectation that I’m going to convert the images to monotone, and White Rabbits was no exception.

I processed these shots with a conversion to b&w with a slightly warm toning and left the noise reduction moderate to bring up a little grain in the finished web images.

End Notes:

Previously with the Nikon D2x, even f/1.4 primes were necessary for even the best lit performances in the Duckroom. While the lighting didn’t last for the headlining set by the Walkmen, I was pleased to be able to shoot with the f/2.8 midrange zoom for this set.

While my favorite venues are a little larger and have better air circulation, the Duckroom books a great calendar, and it’s a fine place for a more relaxed set of shooting.

For anyone looking to start out with music photography, I heavily encourage you to find a smaller venue like this where you can shoot and build up a portfolio. While the lighting isn’t ideal, if you can shoot in dives like the Duckroom, you can shoot anywhere.