Festival gear?

Sleepy

I was surprised with an early birthday present of a ticket to Electric Picnic over the weekend

Quickly decided that, while I want a decent camera there, I don't want to be risking my 450D so I'm going to bring a Canon 300V I got cheap on ebay along with an old Mark I Metal Mount 28-80 USM that I also got cheaply.

Currently scouring ebay for a cheap zoom 70-200/300 to bring with me as well.

Any recommendations as to other gear to bring? Worth picking up a cheap camera bag for this type of weekend or should I just bring my Lowepro Slingshot 100? Am I likely to have any trouble with security? Anything else worth bringing aside from the listed gear, plenty of film and a lens pen?

magicbastarder

there's another thread somewhere about bringing a camera to the festivals - i think the general consensus was not to bother bringing anything big or valuable.

Fajitas!

Instead of scouring eBay for a cheap 70-300, scour it for a cheap fixed lens rangefinder like a Canonet 17 or Olympus XA or Olympus 35RC... There's loads more out there, mind.

Some rolls of the free 200 speed film, and you're set. If it all goes horribly wrong, you've only lost a 60 quid-ish camera, if it goes right, you've a small, neat rangefinder with a 1.7 - 2.8 lens that'll grab you some great snaps

Sleepy

I have a Fed 3 with a 50 2.8 that I did consider bringing but perversely, I'd be more upset at that getting damaged than I would the 300.

I'd also miss my auto-focus, aperture priority and zoom to the point where I'd be missing shots I'd be disappointed about missing.

The 300v was only a fiver, I got the 28-80 f3.5-5.6 for about €30 and I reckon I can grab an old 80-200 f/4.5-5.6 for similar money so despite possibly looking more attractive to a thief, I'd still only be risking less than a hundred euros worth of gear... unless the crowd at EP has changed dramatically since I last went (2007) I'm not expecting the risk of it getting nicked to be too high either tbh.

Fajitas!

It's not so much getting nicked, it's if the security decide not to leave you into the venue with it as it's a 'professional camera' - And if you got a cheapo fixed lens RF, you wouldn't have to worry about the Fed - Oh, and most of them come with TV modes as well as manual. You may miss more shots with the 70-300 than the RF if you're not allowed in with it...

Sleepy

Funny thing is, the acts are probably the last thing I'm interested in shooting...

Fajitas!

I know the feeling. I think in all the festivals I've been to, I've not taken a single photo of the performances...

sheesh

if you wanted to get the acts might I suggest a regular p+s with high speed film.

thefly

Sleepy wrote: »

Funny thing is, the acts are probably the last thing I'm interested in shooting...

Lucky for you you'll be fine then. You can bring anything you want into the campsite but you will be searched going into the music area. You will NOT be allowed into the music part of the festival with a dslr or a decent lens. You get searched every time for cans so when they open your camera bag and see your camera you will be told to turn around

They have to protect the artists image rights and the rights of other photographers who are employed to work at the festival

Sleepy

thefly wrote: »

Lucky for you you'll be fine then. You can bring anything you want into the campsite but you will be searched going into the music area. You will NOT be allowed into the music part of the festival with a dslr or a decent lens. You get searched every time for cans so when they open your camera bag and see your camera you will be told to turn around

How about an SLR and a cheap lens?:p

They have to protect the artists image rights and the rights of other photographers who are employed to work at the festival

TBH, why? If a pro can't beat my results with inferior gear why should they be paid for their shots?

thefly

Sleepy wrote: »

How about an SLR and a cheap lens?:p


TBH, why? If a pro can't beat my results with inferior gear why should they be paid for their shots?

In the words of an EP steward " I don't make the rules"

Chochese

Sleepy wrote: »

How about an SLR and a cheap lens?

Probably not... Promoters say anything with a detatchable lens are forbidden.

Sleepy wrote: »

TBH, why? If a pro can't beat my results with inferior gear why should they be paid for their shots?

The pros (or thier companys) would be after paying the concert promoters for this access. It's a business deal. We can't have Johnny Cheap-Lens going around making a show of the pros with his inferior gear... :pac:

Roomic Cube

Been in touch with EP about this already, anything with a detachable lens as the post above me said is forbidden, unless you have a press pass, and the only way to have a press pass is to be in the press......

I reckon if we formed a boards magazine we'd get in :P

homerun_homer

Last year I brought my 400d with 50mm and I was happy with that. Got told nicely at one point by female security staff at the front of Klaxons midway through the set to put it away and I obliged.

Sleepy

Roomic Cube wrote: »

Been in touch with EP about this already, anything with a detachable lens as the post above me said is forbidden, unless you have a press pass, and the only way to have a press pass is to be in the press......

I reckon if we formed a boards magazine we'd get in :P

Did they specify if there's a difference between gig pics and just general festival shots?

Roomic Cube

this is part of what I said :

"I'm trying to build my photography portfolio with more live acts and candid portraits. "

and they said

"Personal cameras are allowed at the Picnic, But if you have a camera with any kind of extra lens you will need a photopass, These are only issued to press photographers"

Sleepy

That's a pain.

The options then become:

1. Use a ****ty compact.
2. Get a G10 or similar, or a bridge camera and risk losing a few hundred euros if something goes wrong.
3. Use a decent old rangefinder and get stuck with a single focal length for a weekend of (hopefully) hugely varied photo ops.
4. Take an SLR and a single lens and argue semantics (unlikey to succeed).

magicbastarder

Sleepy wrote: »

3. Use a decent old rangefinder and get stuck with a single focal length for a weekend of (hopefully) hugely varied photo ops.

i think you're doing the venerable old prime a disservice there. nothing wrong with having a single focal length.

Sleepy

Oh, I love primes, just prefer to have a few of them in the bag!

It's probably the option I'm going to go for though tbh. The Canonet Fajitas! mentioned above is a lovely looking little camera. Need to learn more about it though... is it a fixed shutter speed? Can't see a means of changing it on the ones I'm finding on ebay?

Sleepy

Fajitas! wrote: »

Instead of scouring eBay for a cheap 70-300, scour it for a cheap fixed lens rangefinder like a Canonet 17 or Olympus XA or Olympus 35RC... There's loads more out there, mind.

Some rolls of the free 200 speed film, and you're set. If it all goes horribly wrong, you've only lost a 60 quid-ish camera, if it goes right, you've a small, neat rangefinder with a 1.7 - 2.8 lens that'll grab you some great snaps

Fajitas, just to confirm, you're talking about the Canon Canonet QL17 here, right?

http://cgi.ebay.ie/Canon-Canonet-QL17-35mm-Film-Camera-/110559427818?cmd=ViewItem&pt=Film_Cameras&hash=item19bddafcea

magicbastarder

according to this, the canonet has 1/4 to 1/500th available:

http://www.camerapedia.org/wiki/Canon_Canonet_QL_17_GIII

lovely looking piece of kit.

magicbastarder

the shutter speed selection is on the lens, btw.

Sleepy

Thanks for that Fajitas & magicbastarder...

Now to try and find one in decent nick on ebay. Looks like finding a battery could be fun too!

magicbastarder

the battery might not be a big issue; my OM1 was designed to take a 1.2v mercury battery, but i've to put a 1.5v modern one in (i may have the voltages arseways there); it doesn't cause me too many problems.

Sleepy

Not too easy to pick up cheap... fully serviced ones are quite pricey!

Will keep hunting though!

Fajitas!

Sleepy wrote: »

Oh, I love primes, just prefer to have a few of them in the bag!

It's probably the option I'm going to go for though tbh. The Canonet Fajitas! mentioned above is a lovely looking little camera. Need to learn more about it though... is it a fixed shutter speed? Can't see a means of changing it on the ones I'm finding on ebay?

You can always use your feet for zoom

As MB said, your shutter speed is on your lens, along with your ISO selection.

Sleepy wrote: »

Fajitas, just to confirm, you're talking about the Canon Canonet QL17 here, right?

http://cgi.ebay.ie/Canon-Canonet-QL17-35mm-Film-Camera-/110559427818?cmd=ViewItem&pt=Film_Cameras&hash=item19bddafcea

Bingo!

They're a great camera, I really do love mine - And I'm on my second at the moment. The battery isn't too much of an issue, you can get a converter, which fits a modern battery into the camera, and you can work away grand.

They're built like a tank too. I used one almost exclusively for my personal photos for about 6 months. They're fairly capable in low light too, with a 1.7 lens.

If you want to see samples, just shout.

Fajitas!

Sleepy wrote: »

Not too easy to pick up cheap... fully serviced ones are quite pricey!

Will keep hunting though!

€60 - 80 quid *should* get you one, unless they've become incredibly popular again!

Sleepy

Fajitas! wrote: »

I used one almost exclusively for my personal photos for about 6 months.

If they're good enough for your standards, I'll need longer than 6 months to get to grips with one fully!

Fajitas!

Far from it tbh, I liked being able to just pick it up and shoot. It's a nice simple camera, it has a quirk or two, but it's very easy get to grips with it.

Sleepy

Just ordered one for €79 on fleabay. Fingers crossed it lives up to the photos and description.

Mycroft H

Fajitas! wrote: »

€60 - 80 quid *should* get you one, unless they've become incredibly popular again!

They have become horridly expensive again. When I was buying my rangefinder, i originally aimed for a canonet ql 17 but they were ranging in the price of 90-120 quid, which was too much for me


Try the Konica S3, Minolta 7sII or the Hi-matics, Vivitar 35ES, Olympus SP35 ect ect ect.....


http://cameraquest.com/com35s.htm <

---

Great resource for 70s rangefinders

Fajitas!

Sleepy wrote: »

Just ordered one for €79 on fleabay. Fingers crossed it lives up to the photos and description.

Excellent!!

magicbastarder

by gum, the Olympus 35SP is not a cheap camera to buy these days.

Sleepy

Ok, this is probably the expected next question but what should I use to replace the PX625 Mercury Battery the Cannonet should have?

Seems to be wildly varying opinions on-line and all of the proposed options seems to have drawbacks.

Quality of meter accuracy is far more important to me than the life of the battery, I'd rather replace a €10 battery every six months than not be able to trust the meter at all...

Fajitas!

buy one of these bad boys, pop into a jewelers and get a matching watch battery, and you're flying! I use one in my Canonet and my Oly35RC, and my girlfriend uses one in her Canonet, never a problem so far

Sleepy

Ouch, bloody expensive... $30 shipping brings it to $62.99...

€50 for a frickin' battery! *cries*

Fajitas!

You can get cheaper ones - that was the first link I could find to show them - get Googling!

Also, I think to get fully functioning batteries in the original shape online is about 25 dollars ex P&P, so it'd be a saving in the long run! It's worth it though, I swear!!

DotOrg

Sleepy wrote: »

If a pro can't beat my results with inferior gear why should they be paid for their shots?

an awful lot of the time, the people at festivals shooting with official photo passes aren't being paid. we're there through years of shooting other bands and gigs because of a love of music & photography. And because of the pass, we agree to work by set rules about only shooting bands at specified times for limited time periods. sometimes it's three songs, sometimes it's 1 song from one position, sometimes it's not at all and we agree to this.

So it is a bit frustrating that a fan can stand in the front row with an SLR and shoot the whole set of an artist who doesn't want any pictures of them published.

Sleepy

It's the latter part of it I have a problem with tbh. I think €240 for a ticket should entitle you to take photos of the artists... I'm also a bit dubious of the whole concept of 'Image Rights' tbh.

Looks like I'm going to have to just bite the bullet on it Fajitas!, no ebay listings for the adapters... will see what else google turns up first though.

DotOrg

Sleepy wrote: »

It's the latter part of it I have a problem with tbh. I think €240 for a ticket should entitle you to take photos of the artists... I'm also a bit dubious of the whole concept of 'Image Rights' tbh.

they don't mind their photos being taken, it's photos of them being published they are really objecting to. they are performing at a private event, surely they have the right to pictures of them not being made public performing at that event if they don't want

Sleepy

Found one for £30:

http://www.smallbattery.company.org.uk/sbc_mr9_adapter.htm

Sleepy

DotOrg wrote: »

they don't mind their photos being taken, it's photos of them being published they are really objecting to. they are performing at a private event, surely they have the right to pictures of them not being made public performing at that event if they don't want

So make it a requirement that media can only publish pictures submitted by accredited photogs. Lets us amateurs have the fun and protects the artists bank balances... simples.

DotOrg

in modern times the 'citizen journalist' means that the media will publish pictures wherever they can get them and as the public will normally give their pictures freely this won't happen.

I personally have no problem with anybody shooting at a festival but if the promotors put restrictions on what i can do with my official pass then it only seems logical that they have to then enforce rules for the rest of the people there. however unfair that may be

for example, a recent tori amos gig in dublin, the photographers were only allowed shoot one song, and from the mixing desk, nowhere near the stage

Sleepy

The promoters have the power with the media though: how much is MCD's / POD's / Aitken Promotion's etc. ad spend with the media over the year? One of the promoters managed to silence media criticism of events at one of their festivals very effectively in the past. A simple letter stating that photographs from events can only be purchased from the following pass holders wouldn't be difficult to arrange...

DougL

DotOrg wrote: »

for example, a recent tori amos gig in dublin, the photographers were only allowed shoot one song, and from the mixing desk, nowhere near the stage

Thankfully they were only allowed one song! I happened to be standing in front of them and they ruined the one song they were allowed to shoot because they wouldn't stop yelling back and forth to each other discussing various aspects of their shots. The shutter clicks were annoying but unavoidable, the chatter was not. Maybe I'm just getting grumpy in my old age.

It seemed to me all bar one photographer were completely unprepared for the distance they were shooting from. I suppose gig photogs aren't used to needing long lenses!

AnimalRights

Sagastipean wrote: »

The shutter clicks were annoying but unavoidable, the chatter was not.

If you can hear shutter clicks above an artist this artist obviously needs a sound check.

DougL

AnimalRights wrote: »

If you can hear shutter clicks above an artist this artist obviously needs a sound check.

Well, I was right up against the barrier, and they were on steps behind it. So their cameras were literally inches above my head. You'd be surprised how loud the shutter clicks from 5 or 6 cameras are. Like I said though, that wasn't what bugged me, it was all the yelling back and forth.

Sleepy

So, taking things back on topic after the diversion which lead to a significant hit on my credit card!

Any suggestions of must have gear at a festival?

My pack at present is planned to be:

• Canon G-III Canonet QL17
• Lens Pen
• Selection of film: A few rolls of Free Fugi 200, a roll or two of Fuji Neopan 400CN, a roll or two of 'good colour film' tbd.

God, that's a short list compared to what I usually have in the slingshot!

Fajitas!

Get a few rolls of Kodak Portra 800 - 4 or 5 rolls, and a good stock of Freebie 200 in case you run out. You can always pop a flash on top and use the 200 at night too. The joys of the Canonet mean travelling light. If it doesn't have a strap already, get yourself one. You can get a lens hood too, but you're only making it bigger than it needs to be.

Sleepy

Is the lens prone to flare? Enough to warrant the acquisition of a hood?

sheesh

What is the highest iso film a canonet can take?

sorry found it up to 800