What kind of digital camera do I need for live events?

What kind of digital camera do I need for live events?

Mark Comon (Vice President, Paul's Photo, Torrance, CA) gives expert video advice on: What kind of digital camera do I need if I'm a novice shooter?; What kind of digital camera do I need for shooting sports?; What kind of digital camera do I need for shooting portraits? and more...

Regarding your digital camera needs, to shoot low-light digital pictures like for stage plays, concerts, ballet, volleyball, ice skating and other live events, the number one feature you need is a fast or bright lens. That generally means an SLR camera with a lens with an f-stop of 2.8. It's going to be big, it's going to be expensive, but it's going to give you the pictures you want for those live events. You are not going to find the ability to do that with a compact digital camera, because these lenses aren't bright enough to shoot under that low-light condition of a live event.