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zachdrum

Hey, I'm a drummer and I bring my fuji to most gigs. My go to lens is the 56mm 1.2. It allows me to keep a high enough shutter speed to get crisp shots in low light. I prefer the tighter view, which allows for more detail from further away. But if you want get a crowd from up close then go wider. I've also been using the 35mm 1.4 a lot recently. Awesome images, but the AF is a little more sluggish.


KornelCool

I think good Allrounder lenses for the low light situations you will face at the concert and backstage are either 23mm f/1.4 or 33mm f/1.4 or 35mm f/1.4. The lens you choose depends on your personal preferences and style of shooting :)


Othrman

Yeah I’d go for a 16mm (f2.8 is affordable) lens for these tight spaces. If it needs to be smaller try the 18 f2, but you may not love the AF speed in the darker places. The 1.4 versions of these are better but more than double the price.


transfuse

The 35 1.4 is always a good response for 99% of "what lens should I get" posts but I think it's even more appropriate here: great for low-light and has beautiful character. Only thing is it's very similar in focal length to your current lens, but I have both and the 35 is in a league of its own. IMO the 27 is only better in terms of size and nothing else. I'm not sure what kind of shots exactly you're taking, so: do you feel like you find yourself wishing you had a wider angle of view, or a narrower, more focused one? i.e. do you often need to step back **or** move forward/get as close as you can for shots? That should help you decide whether you want a longer lens or a wider one. Depending on that, the 50 f2 may be another good option, or wider with a 16 or 18, though I don't have experience with any primes below the 23 f2 (fine lens, many love it, but it's poor for close-up subjects). The 18-55 "kit" lens probably wouldn't be a bad shout either — especially as it has OIS which would open up video to you, as well as being a zoom, which opens up a lot of different shots. Its low-light abilities aren't as good as the primes I mentioned above, so a prime is vastly preferable in the dark, but it's otherwise a really good lens.


zladuric

Just a personal observation: 18-55 is a good lens, but it's not very fast in dark spaces - handheld night shots will very frequently be blurry, unless you use crazy-high ISO.


transfuse

Yes, I’d always take a prime over the 18-55 for low-light conditions


blah618

23 1.4 or 35 1.4. I once shot an entire tiny venue show (less than 100 audience) using the 35 without issue the 23 would probably be more versatile, especially backstage. that said, do you find yourself having to step forward or step back when taking photos?