Concert Photography with a crop Sensor Body
Would like everyone's opinion on shooting concerts with a crop sensor body?
More Posts in: Concert Photography
2
Last: Jul 15, 2026
Marian Murdoch
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Evening just after sunset at Taliesin West. Scottsdale, Arizona. View of the dining room & bell tower.
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Paige's booth portrait
Recently, I taught an Off Camera Flash class. Paige was my model for the class. We were outdoors but it started to rain. Luckily, a nearby restaurant let us conduct the class in their dining room.
2
Last: Jul 14, 2026
3 Comments
This is how I started and see no problem with it. If you have a good lens - crop vs. ff discussion is not the most important one.
I used to do it ( alot) with an 80d.
hopless with the kit lens, possible with fast primes like 55mm 1.8 or 85mm 1.8
also possible with the 17 50 by sigma (2.8)
now I have a A7iii. the thing is: at same aperture and speed, you get 4 times the same light. what used to be a hard fight is now just a matter of not forcing the shot.
and it's not about the A7iii: ANY full frame gets that advantage.
long story short: you can do it with a crop sensor, but... damn...
I've shot concerts with a crop sensor before I could afford full frame. If it's a very low light event you will need at least a 1.8 lens to prevent blur and keep your ISO at a decent level. 50mm 1.4 is what I believe I was using at the time. I've compared my current concert pics with full frame to the crop body and they really do not compare. Much less grain, better depth of field, etc.