I'm trying to work out which DSLR to buy. One of my main use cases is photographing live bands in dimly lit bars. This often involves fast movement (particularly drummers) as well as low light. Which features should I prioritise in a camera for shooting in this environment?
Answer
The most important body features are:
The max ISO levels (and the noise levels at high ISO)
Low light shooting is much easier at high ISO settings, but many lower end cameras have trouble with noise as you increase the iso. A good indication of the high ISO performance can be found at www.dxomark.com by looking at their "Sports (ISO)" rating for the camera.
The camera's low light AF performance.
Some cameras simply do not handle autofocus in low light as well as others.
The camera's continuous shooting fps.
To get the right shot, many use continuous shooting to take a series of shots with the idea that at least one in the series will be sharp.
Moving away from the body, also keep in mind that a fast lens (nifty fifty or similar) will help both the exposure and the camera's ability to auto focus. Also, In some situations you may want to use a flash. An off-camera flashgun is a good candidate to avoid the direct glare on the cymbals/guitars, but this is often not possible since it distracts from the show.
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