Best Cameras for Concert Photography

Looking for the best cameras for concert photography? You are at the right place as we have reviewed the 10 best cameras to take amazing concert photographs.

Concert photography has become an art these days due to the exposure that concerts have gotten in recent years. It is essential for the commercial aspects as well as marketing that photography during the concert must be top-notch. Concert Photography usually includes capturing images of bands or musicians while they perform along with encompassing coverage of the entire concert.

That’s why selecting the best cameras for concert photography becomes a vital task as it directly affects the interfacing between spectators and musicians.

Concerts are a direct representation of products that artist has worked on so their glamour must be highlighted in a very efficacious way and selecting proper cameras for concert photography greatly enhances your chances of capturing the quality essence of the concert.

With the best cameras around, you can make sure that the recording of your videos goes smoothly. You must ensure that whatever images you capture make their mark and represent a certain story. Today we will take a look at 10 cameras that are most suitable for concert photography.

Best Cameras for Concert Photography

1. Sony a6000

If you’re ready to capture the best highlights of the concert then the Sony Alpha a6000 is waiting for you. It comes up with a very graceful and attractive design that signifies its exterior. Problems like light gathering and shadowing are extensively eliminated with the use of the Sony Alpha A6000.

It is very compact in size which increases its mobility. But this doesn’t affect image capturing quality at all because you can still have the images of the best class. Along with being compact, it is also very light in weight which again makes it portable.

The buttons of this camera can be customized as per your needs for achieving better results. It also employs a tiltable screen which helps in changing the angle as per your requirement.

Along with that, you can get the perks of having top-quality HD videos of your choice, ranging from 24p/25p to 60p/50p. Grabbing pictures of very high resolution becomes an easy task with Sony A6000’s OLED truth finder. It helps in providing maximum coverage and resolves every scene with optimum details.

Different effects can be explored via this highly optimized OLED feature of the Sony A6000.

It also carries 13 different types of modes for capturing pictures or filming videos. You can choose the most desirable mode that suits your requirement and start analyzing their different prospects.

There is also a feature of near-field communication that lets you share or transfer your photos or videos to tablets or smartphones. If not you can also share them with the use of WiFi. This makes sure that there is no complexion in transferring your photos that most of the devices face.

Various types of autofocus such as fast hybrid AF, Eye AF, and lock-on AF also make images clearer and less blurry. It detects different characteristics of faces and adds depth to them. It also helps in correcting texture, color, and shadows with the use of its advanced algorithm. Lock-on AF especially proves very useful when it comes to capturing dynamic images.

It also has a provision for 4D focus where time is added as another dimension. This feature helps with incorrect tracking of objects and identifying their movements.

It comes at a very affordable rate when we consider its features and aspects. This is a very good deal if you’re looking for a convenient camera for concert photography.

2. Canon EOS 6D

Do you want to dive into the world of concert photography? Well, this is the perfect time as Canon 6D is an exclusive deal that is mainly built for capturing moments of concerts. Although it comes off at a significantly higher rate features it offers are admirable.

One of the most centric features of the Canon 6D is its 26.2-megapixel full-frame sensor. It lets you captivate the images to their full scale. A CMOS sensor is also attached to the setup which helps in adding dynamic effects and synchronizing images with the background.

It makes sure that the detailing of light, color, and gradients are well surfaced and the aperture is big enough to gather all the lighting to certain points. Production of sharper images is also possible with this distinct feature which adjusts the light according to your needs and balances the different textures of the surrounding.

It also encompasses this high-tech feature called a vari-angle touch panel LCD monitor. This touchscreen monitor minimizes the errors faced in autofocusing and provides the most accurate and precise images. This feature ensures that regardless of the dynamic nature of objects, still photos are obtained without any difficulties.

With its dual-pixel AF, it increases the focusing rate to a great extent and reduces the frame gaps while capturing continuous images.

A big 3-inch screen lets you view the images to their full length and help you deduce the adjustments required to capture the photos your need. It also supports HD video recording at 50p/60p rates which serve as an elemental prospect.

It also includes accessories like a battery pack, battery charger, lens cap, and eyecup which provide additional support to your setup. A wide-angle lens is also provisioned to take wider images and mounting the lens also becomes easy with its EF mount compatibility.

For the transfer of photos and videos to smartphones or tablets, it accompanies features of WiFi, Bluetooth, and NFC. No additional setup is required for Canon 6D if you want to share your files with your friends, or family, or want to upload them on your social media. With connectivity features, you can do it with the help of the camera itself.

Its compactness makes this device very workable and enhances its portability. With its low weight, carrying it around isn’t a hectic task. Its dimensions are well enough to accompany all buttons and also enough to be grabbed in the hand.

This is a great piece if you’re hunting for a concert photography camera.

3. Nikon D5300

Nikon D5300 is an exemplary deal if you’re looking to purchase a camera for concert photography. It comes up with all elements necessary to capture images at a concert of high quality. Nikon D5300 also comes up with different accessories that are helpful in advancing the quality of images.

Its 24.2 megapixels DX-format CMOS propel the quality of images through its EXPEED 4 image processor. One of the biggest perks of the Nikon D5300 is that it has 39 point autofocus system which helps in defining the details of the captured images. You can select from different focus modes as per your need. It maintains the clarity of the image by autofocusing on the particular section where attention is needed.

It also has the ability to work in an environment where light is minimal. It can capture images in dark regions without any inconvenience. Due to the absence of an optical low pass filter, it enables the recording of the tiniest detail with its CMOS sensor. Susceptibility to noise and vibration is also greatly reduced with its extremely wide range of sensitivity.

It also has in-built 9 different special effects that let you add a different touch to the captured images. HDR painting and toy cameras are some of them. Variation of lighting is also possible in this because of its D-lighting feature that selects the right posture of your objects while also not disturbing the background in the scene.

A 3.2-inch vari-angle LCD monitor ensures that you have a vast selection of positions to shoot from. You can set the camera at any angle at your convenience to get the desired shot or shoot a video.

It also offers high HD resolution of up to 1080p and about 60 frames per second which is sufficient for recording at any indoor or outdoor concert. By employing different lenses you can also widen the range of possible effects and orientation that you can give to images.

There is also a built-in GPS system that determines the nature of the terrain and provides you with information while traveling. For connectivity, it supports WiFi that enables the transferring of images and video files between devices.

Overall it serves as a great product that enhances the quality of images you want to capture at concerts and relieves the best moments of the event.

4. Canon EOS 1500D

Canon EOS 1500D is another top-class camera that is used by experts in concert photography. It comprises elements that are helpful in capturing detailed and depth images and videos. The most essential aspects that are to be covered while filming concerts can be rendered by Canon EOS 1500D.

For starters, Canon EOS 1500D is compatible with every kind of user. Its simple interfacing lets users utilize different functions to their fullest extent. Be it a beginner or a professional, this camera is suitable for anyone to use. It comes up with a 24.1-megapixel high-resolution camera that captures captivating and still images conveniently.

With DIGIC 4+ processor which is very fast in operation, focusing becomes very precise, and different shades, colors, and shadows of images can be easily corrected. This proves helpful especially when you’re in a concert since there’s a lot of engagement going around and capturing images becomes a somehow gruesome task but this feature overcomes that difficulty with its amazing ISO speed.

It also helps in shallowing the images by sharpening background blur which ultimately enhances the quality of images. Apart from that, there’s a lot of room for creativity as its optical viewfinder gives provision for setting the best composition and framing for capturing images.

In accordance with your style of shooting, you can make use of 5 different creative filters that assure the best synchronization of images with your ideas.

This device is very compact in size compared to other cameras which makes it an ideal choice; also it’s very light in weight which increases its portability. Features like WiFi/NFC are also encompassed in this camera which lets you transfer your photographs or videos to mobile phones, laptops, or printers.

It also has a 16GB SD card where you can store your captured images and videos. You can carry it in your bag and head to the concerts to capture gratifying images with an ultimate enhancement that Canon EOS 1500D offers with its in-built features and make a sweet memory by capturing the best moments of the concert.

5. Pentax K-1 Mark II

Among the Pentax K series, Pentax K-1 Mark II has made strides throughout the world as it is described as one of the best cameras when it comes to concert photography. Its fluid features enhance the capability to which you can extend the quality of your images.

Its ability to improve images with its staggering functions is well appreciated. It stands tall with other concert photography cameras out there and gives them tough competition.

Its primary feature includes a 36MP AA filter-less shake reduction sensor that summarises the images and reduces the susceptibility of your camera to undesirable shakes and vibrations. It also helps in minimizing the noise in the environment that might cause inconvenience while shooting a video.

This helps a lot in concerts a lot of unwanted noise is going around and it becomes difficult to shoot a video with minimal disturbances.

It also carries a fast engine accelerometer which greatly sharpens the images in an instant of time and also helps in focusing it to greater depths. With the help of this function, you can obtain greater lengths of images without much complexity.

Its full HD 1080p resolution provides you with the best quality images and videos that can be viewed on larger screens without losing an ounce of the frame. Capturing dynamic images also becomes easy since the image stabilization ability of this device is top-notch.

There are a lot of people constantly shaking, moving, and dancing from one way to another so this feature ensures that captures images of them are fully static.

Its body weighs hardly 1 kg which is very less compared to other commercial cameras which makes it easier to carry around. Furthermore, its body which is made of magnesium alloy offers resistance to every kind of environment. Let it be monsoon or summer.

You can also compile 4 images into one with its prominent feature of pixel shift resolution that lets you increase different aspects of images while combining multiple images. Charging this device becomes effortless as the inclusion of lithium-ion batteries makes sure your experience doesn’t get hampered by low battery.

All of these features make it a remarkable camera for professionals as well as beginners who want to capture moments of concerts with their cameras.

6. Canon Eos Rebel T6

Another camera from Canon making an entry into this list is Canon EOS Rebel T6. Its relatively distinct features separate it from Canon 6D and Canon EOS 1500D.

With a rebellious look, it surpasses many latest models of concert photography cameras by a huge margin. With the abundance of quality that this camera offers, you can take the fun of concerts to a whole new level by capturing images with the help of this device.

It offers great accuracy for color and gradient fixation with the help of its 18MP CMOS sensor which is also capable of reducing noise while taking multiple shots. With the ability to capture images at 5p for a longer period of time, Rebel T6 offers precise lighting irrespective of the surrounding.

Even on the darker surface, it has the capability to expand images and adjust the lighting to a desirable extent.

It offers a 14-bit analog/digital converter which changes the pulses into digital format and provides sharper images. Along with that large ISO range of 100-12800 can be obtained which is also expandable up to 25600. This increases the opportunities of widening your range of capturing images and helps you take photos at relatively larger scales.

With 18-55mm ii lenses, it boosts your zooming range to a great extent. With a large focal length, your projections get a huge enhancement and no degradation in the quality of images captured. Even if you’re far away, it doesn’t let your photography experience get hampered.

A good quality flashlight is also embedded in the system which provides extra light for required instances and doesn’t cause any change in effects. The 3pc filter kit can be used to filter out the images and correct the geometry digitally. Charging can be done either by using AC or DC supply.

So even if you are traveling you can charge your camera without any issues. For sharing images and videos you can use its USB to send files to a flash drive and store them wherever you desire. Although the device is a bit heavier in weight its exceptional feature makes up for it.

So if you are looking to take some good shots at concerts then Canon EOS Rebel T6 is an ideal choice for you.

7. Sony a7R III

In the abundance of the best cameras for concert photography, Sony has come up with a juicy prospect a7R III. This device holds the capability to take your concert photography experience to a whole new level with its dominant features.

This device employs a 43.6-megapixel sensor which offers much clearer images and increases the resolution to an admirable range. The 35mm full-frame CMOS sensor, captures every essence of the photo and represents it in the most precise way. An anti-dust system is also provisioned along with it which filters out unnecessary foreign particles that might deteriorate the quality of images.

This is essential because there is a lot of rush in concerts and dust is just one of the prominent parts of it but with the help of the anti-dust system, you can capture images as you want without any nuisance of dust.

For capturing images it offers staggering sizes of 4.5-42M at an aspect ratio of 3:2 and 3.8-36M for an aspect ratio of 16:9. This gives you the freedom to change the sizes of images as per your requirement and when you are capturing images at concerts it becomes necessary to various sizes for different shots.

This camera also offers a broad range of effects and creative styles to choose from. For different kinds of backgrounds, you can select desired styles like deep, light, night scenes, and a few more.

A dynamic range optimizer also helps in stabilizing the images by maintaining the frames of moving subjects. For the recording of videos, it offers 8 different types of picture effects to choose from which help in adapting to the different types of environments.

This device is also very reliable to use as its tough metal body offers resistance to various circumstances. Good sealing is also provided over the setup to prevent from debris and dust particles entering the setup or damaging lenses.

You can opt for this device for the longer shooting as well as its NP-FZ100 battery is capable of powering the device for a long period of time. You can even use external mobile batteries for that matter. This is a convenient device when it comes to concert photography and if you are a professional in this field then you shouldn’t miss this piece.

8. Nikon 1 AW1

If you are looking for a compact camera that has higher mobility then Nikon 1 AW1 is an ideal choice for you. It has some mind-blowing features that you would never have encountered. Especially for concert photography, this camera is pretty useful since most of its functions are oriented toward concerts and festivals.

The thing that separates this device from the rest is its build quality. A very strong body is capable of withstanding any kind of situation.

Along with that it is also waterproof, shockproof, and freezes proof which makes this device totally invincible. It offers a staggering shooting range of 15fps along with AF which helps you record the coverage of concerts over a longer period of time.

Featuring a 1-inch 14.2-megapixel CMOS image sensor, you can take enhance the quality of your images to a whole new level. You can capture the slightest moments of concerts with the use of its slow view mode and capture perfectly timed photos. Effects like background softening and motion blur just act as a cherry on top since they provide the extra touch to your already enhanced images.

This device is compatible with all NIKKOR lenses which increases its range of capturing images and shooting videos. You can even pair it with LED light to obtain greater lighting. With different modes like single and continuous frames, it makes capturing images much easier.

Although this device is primarily used for underwater photography its use in concerts is also much significant due to its ability to resist shock, humidity, and lighter weight. If you are big on a budget then you should definitely go for this camera.

9. Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS50

Get ready to take stunning images of your favorite singers and bands at the concert because Panasonic’s Lumix DMC-ZS50 has entered the market at a viable price and with astonishing features.

In regards to concert photography, it offers some glamorous functions that can highlight the best moments of the night for you and make an unforgettable memory for you in the form of images or videos.

A prominent feature of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS50 is its 30x zoom LEICA lens which is capable of bringing objects as close as you desire. With its wide range, you can capture images that are far away from you without any compromises in quality.

This proves very helpful in concerts because due to the presence of a lot of people, taking images at closer distances becomes difficult but this feature ensures that distance doesn’t become a concern for you.

It also has the provision of a highly sensitive MOS sensor which helps in reducing 3^rd party noise to an appreciable extent and enhances the details inside the images captured. In situations where light is close to none, this feature helps in revitalizing images by adjusting the light just near the desired rate and illuminating your images.

For stable framing, while using this camera, there is a feature of the live viewfinder. It helps you get the most precise and accurate shots even in the most dynamic conditions. Automatic detection of viewing preferences adds a bonus to photography. The visibility of images becomes top-notch with the help of this tool even in darker spots.

Manuel control of various elements is also possible in Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS50 with the help of a control ring that is provided. It lets to control the zooming and focusing according to your requirement and helps in smoothening images to your content.

For the recording of videos, a full HD feature is available that lets you record videos in high resolution and frame rates ranging from 100fps to 200fps. Sharing and connectivity can be handled by using WiFi or NFC and you can interface your files with smartphones, laptops, or any other desired device.

At a minimum price, this device offers a variety of features. It is a no-miss deal if you are a concert photography enthusiast.

10. GoPro Hero 5

One of the parts of concert photography is its coverage. Now for image capturing, there are a lot of cameras that serve the deal but when it comes to video recording there are very few who stand tall. GoPro Hero 5 is among those which can be extensively used for recording top-notch videos at concerts.

Among the things that make this device a lucrative deal is its 4k video quality which is the talk of the town these days. 4k is an extremely comprehensive quality of video that only a few cameras are capable of producing and the GoPro Hero 5 is on the top floor of that list. This camera is not only limited to shooting videos but it is also capable of capturing still images at 12MP.

It has a special feature called QuickStories which automatically transfers your recorded footage to your mobile phone and automatically converts it into the o well-edited video.

Not only that but you can automatically upload your files to the cloud by use of a GoPro Plus subscription. Although there are some requirements in order to use this feature it’s worth your money.

There aren’t any complications while recording videos. All you have to do is press a single button and you are good to go. You can record the best performances by your favorite artists with the help of this device without any fluctuations.

Moreover, you can control this device just by using your voice as well because of its ultimate voice control feature that records your voice and performs the required task.

One of the biggest perks of this device is its stability in recording videos. It is not susceptible to vibrations and shakes that you may experience while being in the concert. Whether you are holding it in your hand or it is mounted, nothing makes any difference as it is going to maintain the stability of the video and prevent it from any disturbances.

A touchscreen display makes controls easier and gives you the freedom to edit your footage at hand. As earlier mentioned GoPro Plus features help you transfer your files to online storage services like a cloud. This deal blows away other cameras out of the water when it comes to recording videos at concerts.

It has everything that you would expect from an ideal shooting camera. With its mesmerizing functions, you can take a look at your experiences from a whole different perspective.

Buyer’s guide for best cameras for concert photography

Now that we’ve seen some ideal cameras for capturing photos and recording videos at concerts, it is time we know how we can further enhance the quality of images with the use of appropriate settings, selection of proper location, and other various factors.

This guide will show you how you can obtain the best pieces of photography with the use of your concert-oriented cameras.

When it comes to a concert you don’t really have much of a choice. The most you can do is the select location from where you can take the best shots. But that too sometimes becomes impossible due to the unavailability of tickets.

So what to do now?

Well, you don’t have to worry because there is lots of stuff that you can do in order to achieve the best quality of images. Some of them are:

Selection of proper lenses

The most prominent factor in concert photography is the correct selection of lenses. One thing you need to keep in mind is that concerts are not static unlike still images, which is why you have to select lenses that are faster in operation and wider in range.

You can lower your aperture number like f/1.8 which takes the responsibility of gathering the maximum amount of light and focusing it onto your lens to capture the best essence of photography.

Use of correct sensitivity

We generally use ISO or film speed as a term for sensitivity. In the above list, Sony ILCE-7RM3 and Canon EOS 6D offer a good range of ISO. Higher ISO compensates for the lighting, so even if there is a dark environment you don’t have to worry about light.

But at the same time, it reduces the ability of the camera to minimize noise. You have to consider your requirements and then decide which are the best settings for you.

Autofocus

Autofocusing becomes important when you are shooting in concerts. You have to choose the correct points to autofocus to obtain sharper and clearer images. When you are attending concerts, you would most likely want to take pictures of your favorite artists. Now that artist would be surrounded by his crew or some other background but you don’t want that.

That’s why the most efficient choice would be to use central Autofocus which will only highlight that artist and you can eliminate things enveloping him.

Use of burst mode

Burst mode refers to a mode where you can capture multiple images of the same frame back to back. When in concert you are likely to get meddled by people which would cause disturbances to your photography.

Burst mode takes multiple photos as a backup because if in any event one of the photos is not appropriately taken or has some degradation in quality, you won’t lose it since there will be multiple copies of the same frame. In the rush of the concert using this can prove very helpful to you.

Don’t use flash

It might sound weird but using flash greatly reduces the quality of your images in the concerts. In many concerts using flash is not allowed as using flash can lead to distraction of performers. Furthermore using flash disrupts the lighting of images that’s why you should prefer not to use them at any cost.

Post-production editing

You can vary various parameters like color, temperature, contrast, sharpness, and blur after capturing the images. But it is only possible if you use Raw format. While in concert you might not get much of a chance to adjust different aspects that’s why taking Raw images is the best option as you can alter them later on.

Compositions play an important role

The aim of photography is to tell a story via photos and concert photography is not any different. But getting real-time perfect shots is difficult in concerts as your motion is very limited. You’ll have just one spot to take images from and you can’t move any further from that due to an abundance of people.

These situations are really frustrating but there isn’t any solution to that problem. Most you can do is envision what story you can tell from the place you are capturing images. You don’t always have to take full images of artists and bands.

Even the smallest instrument can tell an entire story, all you have to do is decide the compositions in accordance with your story, take some good shots, do post-production changes and you are good to step foot into the world of concert photography.

Conclusion

We hope this guide will help you a lot in concert photography and it will enhance your photography skills to a new level. So if now you’ve decided to dive into the universe of concert photography you must select cameras that ease your handling and fit in your budget.

If you are looking for a good deal on a low budget then Canon EOS 6D is a great choice.

If you need a camera that you can carry around in any condition then you can buy Pentax K-1 Mark II as it offers resistance to various environments.

And lastly, if you’re en route to shooting some quality videos at a concert then go for GoPro Hero 5.

So, these were the 10 best cameras for concert photography, if you have any questions, comment down below and we will be happy to help you.