Shooting video with dlsr?
I have a nikon dlsr d3100. I'm filming a concert that some one hired me for… What would be the best settings for shooting a concert?
No settings. It's not a video camera. Just put to Video mode and that's it.
I suggest you do some tests before you shoot the event (concert)
You are ill equipped to shoot video under the lighting conditions you will find on the stage. The camera will shut down after about 20 minutes due to the sensor getting hot and you will have to let it cool down. This may happen just at the wrong moments.
What you need is a video camera and the skills needed to use it to shoot a concert.
I hope you have good liability insurance so when the client sues you because you could not shoot video that lives up to their expectations, you are covered.
Taking a job to shoot video with no clue of what camera you really need and what settings you need to use is just asking for trouble.
I suggest you have them hire someone who has a video camera with three sensors, a fast zoom lens, XLR inputs and some good condenser shot gun microphones or better connect the camera to the sound board used by the performers sound man/woman so that everything is in sync and the sound is pristine
NO digital SLR can do that.
Here is a camera that would be the minimum I would use if I had been hired to shoot video of the concert.
I would also make sure that I had an All ACCESS Media pass and could shoot some of the rehearsals as well as more than just one performance.
Do some tests in similar conditions.
If you want the music to sound good then be fairly close to the musicians.
Use the camera on a tripod mostly.
I assume that you or your customer already has permission in writing to film the concert. If not, get your customer to get that permission in writing before you start filming. No permission - no filming.
What sort of "video" are you hoping to present to your customer? Warn him/her that you are inexperienced and thus that the product will not be a "professional-looking" video.
My recommendation for movie work is always to use a camcorder.
Your question indicates that you are extremely ill-equipped to have accepted this assignment. You are in over your head.
Watch out for lasers during the concert which will fry your sensor. http://www.diyphotography.net/20000k-red-epic-sensor-burnt-lasers/
You will most likely need to put your lens at around f/2.8 to get fast enough shutter speeds. Your D3100 doesn't do high ISO very well, so you'll likely need a fast lens of f/1.8 to f/2.8 to do the job with acceptable results. For $500, Tamron's 28-75 is a great option to Nikon's $1,600 equivalent. But none of that really matters since the camera will shut down after a few minutes, and don't forget about the camera stopping every 10-12 minutes due to the max file size per video. You will quickly see that your DSLR is the worst video camera ever.
You'd be better off renting a real camcorder with the right lens, tripod, and audio equipment. You should be able to rent what you need for about $2,500 - $3,000 for a week - http://www.lensrentals.com/rent/video/cameras/canon/canon-eos-c300-ef-camcorder
I suggest you tell them to hire someone who actually knows what they are doing.
Playing at being a professional before you have the knowledge or experience to do so is just asking for trouble.
You do realise that if they are paying you for your services and things go wrong, they can sue you?