How to photograph young musicians

How to get great shots with available light

Here are some ways you can save money.

Use prime lenses. An 85/1.8 or 105/1.8 are relatively inexpensive and normally of very high quality. They will also be much lighter and smaller.
Buy used. Go to www.keh.com and get something a bit older. If you are willing to shoot manual focus equipment you can get great older equipment. Older cameras like the Nikon FM are still a viable option. You can put a cheap used 135mm lens on it and be in business.
Buy a cheap Nikon or Canon camera and rent the expensive lens. If you only want to shoot a couple of recitals a year and you live in a major city you can rent exotic lenses. Rather that drop $800-$5000 on a lens you can spend $20 at a place like Calumet in Chicago and have the lens for the weekend. Most places only rent Nikon and Canon 35mm gear so this is something to consider if you are planning on buying that nice new Minolta.

One thing I would avoid is the cheap, slow zoom lens camera stores are always trying to package with the camera. If you are going to trouble of buying a good camera why take a step backward and put a slow zoom lens on it. You simply give up too much. They are slow (f/5.6) and sometimes of questionable quality. I will admit that they are tempting because of their price, and are probably good for some things but you will be frustrated with a slow lens in a dark room.

A couple of tips if you are buying a camera specifically to shoot recitals.

Buy a camera that will allow you to rewind the film manually. Automatic rewind is loud and frequently slow. If you can't find a camera with manual rewind, keep your eye on the frame counter and stop shooting until you have some applause to cover the sound. Hopefully the audience will love the performer and applaud long enough. The F5 rewinds in just a few seconds (it also rewinds manually is you need it) Even if the audience hates the performer you can normally have the film rewound and a new roll in before they stop clapping.
Remember you will be in the dark a lot. Make sure you can load your camera in dim light. Some cameras are much easier than others.
Good veiwfinder information is very helpful. While it is possible to get fine results using any camera body, if you can find one that shows the shutter speed and frame number in a lit veiwfinder you will be happier.

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