Canon A80 Telephoto & Event Photography

Gwennie

Hi all! I had a Nikon Coolpix 775 for two years and have just purchased the Canon A80. And I'm a pure point & shoot photographer with good Photoshop skills.

I'm going to a concert of one of my favorite singers and am wondering about the capabilities of the telephoto lens available for the A80. Tricky situation for someone of my skill level but I'm gonna try dang it!

Any suggestions, hints, etc? I know this is all trial by error ... one lady with a Fuji camera put tape over her flash to trick the camera into the right settings at one concert. She got some great photos.

wxwax

Gwennie,

I think you can turn off the flash without resorting to tape! Not sure, but I have the G3 and it has the flash on/off switch.

I believe the hardest thing will be making the camera fast enough to stop motion. Unfortunately, adding an extender lens will slow it down.

My only suggestion is to set the ISO as high as it will go and open the lens as wide as it will go, and either use a tripod or set the camera on something to keep it steady (unless you have Andy's rock-steady hands!) Also, get as close to the stage as you can, because using the zoom will limit how wide you can get the aperature, which means the camera is slower.

I've found shooting concerts to be extremely challenging. I try to shoot local acts in small clubs without using a flash, and the low light typically found at the venues makes this extremely difficult. Many blurry performers.

If you're lucky, your act will have a nice white spotlight on her, which will make your life a lot easier!

Gwennie

Tricks
Thanks for the response Sid. As for the friend who put tape over the flash, she knew she could use the non-flash mode but it changed the way the camera's auto focus operated. It was strictly through trial and error with her Fuji that she found that this gave her the best photos.

The singer (male) is a major act so I can't take in a monopod. If I'm lucky enough to get better seats, I won't have a problem. But if I'm 17 rows back, then it's hard to get great shots.

First time I saw Clay I had 2nd row tickets but it was the first time I had shot in that environment. Got some great shots as long as I didn't use the zoom. Next time I was 13th row and I managed to squeeze out a few nice shots but none that I jumpred up and down over. So now I have a new camera and not sure how good my seats will be. But I just don't feel my concert experience is complete without some killer photos! I'll be doing a lot of reading over the next three weeks trying to make sure I do it right.

I'll be sure to update this post

wxwax

I'd love to see how your shots work out. I find no-flash concert shooting to be extremely challenging.