Three-day, outdoor music festival... options?

jay moussy

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Attending a three-day, outdoor music festival( noon to 9 pm) soon, so, film camera options?
Usual gear is backpack and small fanny pack, as needed.

Random ideas:
B&W only
I would opt for 35mm, convenience of 36 exposure, smaller body size, single lens TBD.
I could also have a small MF on alternate days, like my Perkeo, or a Brownie for fun, in a small fanny pack?
Stick with 400 speed?

Good access close to stage, so opportunities for good photos.
I usually take a digital machine there, as well, for videos bits.

Thoughts?
 

Ko.Fe.

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For three days, nine hours each, you could use as many cameras as you want. And all kinds of film.
I would go this route for first day to figure out which works the best.
 

Paul Howell

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I would use Tmax 400 which can shot at 800 and developed at the time used when shot at 400. And as it will likely be dark by 9:00 then you can push to 1600. If you have a camera with a integrated motor drive I would lean in that direction.
 

gone

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Get an AF Nikon camera and put a honking big AF 80 200 2.8 zoom on it. Those lenses are amazing for music events, people get out of your way because they figure you're a pro. Some of my best outdoor shots came from that combination.

Like Paul said, something w/ a motor drive will be best. An N8008s can be had for $30-$40. The AF is fast enough, great metering, and they seem to never break. I would shoot Tri-X because it's so forgiving w/ exposures (and also because it looks so good).

I grabbed this one w/ that 80 200 lens. Color film, so this is just a desaturated image, but it looks OK.
 
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Jim Jones

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My preferred B&W kit for theater and concerts was a Leica RF hanging around my neck and a compact bag with four more lenses, a Weston light meter, and plenty of film. Unfortunately, the longest lens was a 135. When Kodak T-Max P3200 became available around 1970, an SLR, and a 400mm lens from near a stage occasionally captured dramatic close-ups of performers. Otherwise, T-Max 400 with near normal exposure and processing provided much better quality prints.
 

madNbad

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If your goal is to get photos of the musicians on the stage, momus’ plan is hard to beat. If you’re going to listen to the music, hang out and enjoy the event, take the Voigtlander.
 
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jay moussy

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All good sentiments above ^^, including choice of film.
Festival has four stages, one is for dance (active, some Bomba, Zydeco, etc.), so the B&W work would be more for atmosphere or details. I am on foot all day, between stages, grabbing food, etc. so, the "big" AF setup would get in the way of enjoying it all.
 

GregY

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You haven't told us what you have for 35mm gear, although there are those here who would tell you to go out and buy more. It depends on your point of view ( you did say "Good access close to stage")
Jim Marshall for example didn't just bang away from a distance with a long lens. I'm a bluegrass aficionado and a selective shooter. Next week is the Blueberry Bluegrass Festival in Stoney Plain Alberta, hands down Canada's best bluegrass festival. Although I've shot with a Fuji 6x9, this year i'll be using a Leica with 35/50. There are only a couple of acts i really want photos of. If you're not covering events for a publication, you're free to be as discerning as you like.
 
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Ian Grant

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Tmax films weren't released until the mid to late 1980s, to the public 1988 from memory, but test coated batches had been given to photographers like John Sexton for evaluation from around 1985, as they tweaked the emulsions. Tmax P3200 was released a bit later on.

The OP needs to take a lot of film. Having been the official photographer at a 2 day festival I had to shoot thousands of images and I also had to shoot video, however I did have an assistant.

For 35mm a fast 50mm and a good fast zoom, I used to use a Vivitar 70-210mm f2.8/4 mostly around the 70-120mm end. In lower light I preferred push processing XP1 and later XP2 over conventional films push processed. Ilford published push process times for Xp1 which had a non standard C41 development time which labs hated, so they altered it so XP2 used the regular C41 process time and quietly dropped the push process ability, but it was still possible.

Ian
 

Paul Howell

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My preface would be SLR with long lens, a 200 F4, or a 300 3.5 prime. For light travel a 100 or 105 2.8 or faster is needed. For a zoom, as noted a 70 to 210 2.8, if not on hand I would go for speed over sharpness, meaning an older MF or eary AF zoom like a Nikon, Pentax, Minolta 4.5 which are a stop faster than a more modern AF zoom which tended to be 4.5 to 5.6, but are a bit sharper. The best early zoom I have is the Minolta beer can, 70 to 200 4.5.
 

MattKing

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Also take a bag with room for a water bottle and a sun hat.
I also would be sure to have a meter with me that takes incident light readings, because knowing the correct exposure for the parts of the scene that aren't in the spotlights is very handy.
 

Sirius Glass

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ISO 400 film will let you shoot into the early evening without additional lighting.
 

Christiaan Phleger

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Ha enjoyable! I was wondering how the responses would be, great fun, there are lots of good opinions.

I would suggest a couple of things;

At least one day take the longest lens you have access to, and deal with it. Bring along a shorter lens of course.

Consider taking a different set each day, MF one day (or along), a big lens as mentioned, and a low light set up.

Using my own advice, I'd pack a light Rolleicord or 'flex on at least one day, with something like a N8008 or N90 with a 35mm f/2 and a 180mm f/2.8, and maybe add in a 16mm fisheye depending on the type of music.
My 'long' lens day would be like a 300mm 2.8 with converters or a 600mm f/5.6 if the day-time stages had good light potential. The longer lenses allows a good distance from the stage(s) when that is optimum for musical enjoyment.
The low light set up for me would be a F4 or Z6 and a 35mm f/1.4 or a 50mm f/1.2.
 
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jay moussy

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Huss said:
Music festival? Definitely take brownies.
Click to expand...

No not that kind of music festival.
International folk, free festival in downtown Lowell, MA
Over three days, 120K attendance.
The large stage, three others, smaller:



In the crowd, I am the dude with hat and orange shirt, just to the left of middle guitar player.
(photo is not mine, credit lowellfolkfestival.org)

Regarding photo equipment, as much as a relatively big body/lens getup would be great, it may just get in my way of enjoyment. I guess I am not man enough!
 

mrosenlof

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Make sure the music festival will allow you to take an interchangeable lens camera in. Some don't.
 

Paul Howell

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At one it was quite common, with introduction of digital fixed lens superzooms not sure if it is still enforced.
 

GregY

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In 25+ years of folk & bluegrass festivals... I've never seen that happen.
 

Huss

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if you're that close, take an 85 1.8 and a 35 1.4. or just roll with a Leica and a 50.
 
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