Concert Photography Secrets With Nikon

A Diehard Nikon Fan.

I chose Nikon cameras and lenses as my preferred tools for concert photography. The second most asked question I get asked during shows is ‘What’s your Instagram?’. The first is ‘What camera do you use?’. Usually my response is, ‘How much time do you have?’. This is a short article about the Nikon cameras and lenses I use. I firmly believe that it’s not the camera that makes the photo, but the photographer. There are physical limitations to every gig that always leave me thinking about the things I could create with gear I don’t have… yet. It’s taken a long time to develop the tooIs have now and I feel it’s quite capable of tackling almost any situation.

Using 2 cameras makes a difference.

For larger venues, or if I’m shooting video at the same time, I’ll bring 2 camera bodies – a Nikon d780 and a z6. I prefer the OVF most of the time, but the z6’s IBIS makes shooting stable video a breeze. Most importantly, they have the same 24 megapixel BSI sensor. This means any photos I take between the 2 cameras will look the same when editing. I also use a Blackrapid harness to keep both bodies at hand. I can use all my F mount lenses on the z6 using the FTZ adapter, which is a great feature considering how expensive (but excellent) Z lenses are.

Fast lenses, bright photos.

Speaking of lenses, most concerts I run my 24-70mm f2.8 zoom on my DSLR, and a 20mm f1.8 on the mirrorless. The wide spread of focus points on the z6 lets me be more creative when composing with the wide angle. If the venue is too dark for an f2.8 lens, I also have a 50mm f1.8 and an 85mm f1.8. Mixing and matching fast primes between has really elevated my work! They produce wonderfully sharp images in low light. Using primes also helps keep my shutter speed high and eliminates most motion blur from fast fingered guitarists. Lastly, primes can be quite affordable. This makes them a good option when getting started in concert photography.

This is one of my favourite concert photos that I’ve taken, of a punk band named Rong in Rochester, NY. It was with my first camera, a Nikon d5300 and a 35mm f1.8 prime (with the pop up flash). My first basement show, probably the 3rd or 4th concert I’d ever shot. I was figuring everything out on the fly, totally in over my head. Paying close attention to this chaotic band and being in the moment allowed me to get the shots I wanted. It’s not about the gear, it’s about being there in the moment.