exactly what i am looking for some advice, thanks, great picture. That picture has the same detail as the Warren shot. I am looking for great low light action performance. SO a good DSLR is the right path, Do you prefer CAnon or Nikon if you had the choice for the first DSLR, in the 1,000 dollar or so range?
I shoot Nikon but some of that is because of my lens collection and I also prefer Nikon's ergonomics but that is more subjective. If I were starting totally from scratch today I'd still probably go that way but mainly because I do some pro work and the D300 and particularly the D3 are beating anything Canon currently has out. This could and probably will change as Nikon & Canon continue to leapfrog each other.
On a more modest budget I'd probably lean to Canon. I'd look around for a good deal on a 30D or maybe a 40D if you can save some $$ by getting fewer lenses. They are both great cameras and have really solid low light performance, better than the D70/50 from Nikon, although at the D200/300 level it is closer image quality wise when you consider high ISO noise and retained detail. When I referred to the 50/1.8 you are correct that means a 50mm /f 1.8 lens. Both Canon & Nikon make one and they are both great values for the money. Jumping to the 50/1.4 gets you a slightly faster lens but the cost goes up significantly. One nice thing about lenses is they tend to hold their value fairly well. If you buy good lenses and take care of them you can sell them used for probably 75% or more of their price new. That is very rare for electronics these days and makes upgrading lenses down the road more affordable. For example buy the 50/1.8 now for around $90 then sell it in 2 years for $75 and take that plus a bit you save up and go to the 50/1.4 when you have some more experience and can really take advantage of the upgrade.
So with a grand to drop on a Canon concert rig, I'd do something like this...
http://www.adorama.com/ICA30DR.html?sid=1205451265935716 Canon 30D Refurb $650
http://www.adorama.com/CA5018AFU.html Canon 50/1.8 New $85
http://www.adorama.com/CA2485U.html Canon EF 24-85mm f/3.5-4.5 USM $309.
The 24-85 is a decent lens for everyday shooting but may not be that great for concert shooting. Anything else gets above your 1K budget, but like I said you can always sell glass and upgrade later.
If i wend Nikon I'd do something like this.....
http://www.adorama.com/INKD80R.html Nikon D80 Refurb $639
http://www.adorama.com/NK5018AFDU.html Nikon 50/1.8 $109
http://www.adorama.com/NK1870DXR.html Nikon 18mm - 70mm f/3.5-4.5G ED IF AF-S $239
Again the 18-70 is not a great concert lens but it is a solid all around lens and in my opinion is a better (Sharper) lens than the Canon 24-85 and the slightly wider view on the short end is a plus with a crop sensor. Same story on the upgrade down the road.
Hopefully this gives you some help making a decision. the bottom line is Canon and Nikon both make great camera and you won't go wrong either way. Try and find a store that has both you can play with a bit. Some people really prefer the layout and feel of one brand over the other. Also plan on saving $50-75 to pick up some good and most importantly fast CF cards. Fast cards write faster and allow you to take more photos in a short period of time. Often at shows even with a photo pass you can shoot the 1st three songs only. That time seems to go really quick when you are waiting on your camera's buffer to clear.
Topic: Mr. mccabe what camera did you use to get this shot of Warren Haynes from NYE? (Read 10731 times)