Advice on a lenses for theatre shots?

Mob

New member
Hello all, I'd appreciate any advice on the following:

New D3100 owner, only have the kit 18-55mm. While I shoot wildlife/object as a hobby, the principal use of my camera is to take shots of theatre productions for the companies putting on the shows. The conditions vary with each show, but the general issues I have are:

Lighting states varying from strong colour saturation to very low-lit, indoors.
A need to get full-stage shots as well as close-ups of actors in performance.
Quick movement (dancers).
Sometimes I can get walk about on the stage with the actors, other times I am forced to shoot from audience viewpoints.
And also what would be more useful for my hobby interests.

My main problem is that I am unsure whether it would be more beneficial to get a prime lens or a zoom next, and that I am complete newbie-level for Nikon products. Any comments or advice would be great, thankyou.
 

Joseph Bautsch

New member
Under those shooting conditions you probably need both zoom and prime to cover the lighting range and shooting distances. For a prime either the 35mm f/1.8 (or f/1.2) or the 50mm f/1.8 should do the job for on stage. For shooting off stage for the audience distance I would recommend the 70-200mm f/2.8 Nikkor. The 70-200mm is a bit pricey at around $2400 but you won't find a better low light zoom anywhere. Which to get first, zoom or prime will depend on which type of shooting you do the most. Close up or distance.

And welcome to the Nikonites Community. I'm sure you will get other responses to your question. Hope you find what you need. Enjoy the site.
 
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Mob

New member
Thanks very much, the 50mm prime was on my potential list, so it's good to get a tick next to it. Alas, I don't think I can stretch the budget to the 70-200mm right now, but I'll consider it. Cheers again!
 

manyamile

New member
Mob, both my wife and children perform in several productions each year at various theaters and I'm familiar with shooting in the conditions you mention. They're challenging at best even when you know the theater layout.

After rarely getting the shots I wanted with my 18-55 kit lens and high ISO on the D3100, I decided to purchase the 70-200mm f/2.8 Nikkor. The results were stunning.

It's an amazing piece of glass that would work for everything you mention except "Sometimes I can get walk about on the stage with the actors" where you would likely be too close to your subjects.

As Joseph stated though, it's an expensive lens, but those moments of my family on stage are priceless and this lens delivers.
 

Will V|Photography

Senior Member
I have a buddy who does some theatre shooting so I thought I'd throw in my thoughts on the subject. He generally uses the 70-200 but I'm sure you could get away with the 55-200. Invest in a tripod and just take as many pics as you can. No lens can take the place of much practice and trial-and-error.
 
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