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We're off to the Jamiroquai concert here in Sydney on Dec 3 at Centennial Park. It'd be a bit of a gamble taking the 70-200VR, especially with this line in their admission criteria:

Audio or Video taping equipment and professional cameras (determined at our discretion)

What's a 'professional'camera? Be interested what people think here. Take it and risk it or just go and enjoy the concert without the cam? I'd love to get some great shots of JK I must say

Cocaine dust is extremely fine and can easily enter a 70-200.

I would email the organisers a picture of your gear and print out their response if it is ok

I'd phone them up Geoff and ask what they determine as "professional"
A contact name or letter for the day would also be handy as security will no doubt be none the wiser of any special arrangements you've struck with the events manager.
Enjoy the concert!

Glen wrote:Cocaine dust is extremely fine and can easily enter a 70-200.

I would email the organisers a picture of your gear and print out their response if it is ok

lol Glen!!
I doubt we'll be that close to the front . Have you ever seen this guy perform? Great artist. Excellent idea re the picture of the gear.

A Pin hole camera is clasified as a Proffesional camera

lol Birdy.
I'd hate to get there and them go 'nope, we'll look after it for you'...i'd be stressing about my lens for the entire concert, not worth the hassle, however if I could take it in...oooh yeah

Geoff wrote:lol Birdy.
I'd hate to get there and them go 'nope, we'll look after it for you'...i'd be stressing about my lens for the entire concert, not worth the hassle, however if I could take it in...oooh yeah

Easy,
1/ Dis-assemble it, sneak it thru and re-assemble

Or,
2/ wear a lanyard and ID tag from your work, pretending you're working onsite as a photogs or a nurse, don't forget to wear a safety vest with red orange stripes.

Birddog114 wrote:

Geoff wrote:lol Birdy.
I'd hate to get there and them go 'nope, we'll look after it for you'...i'd be stressing about my lens for the entire concert, not worth the hassle, however if I could take it in...oooh yeah

Easy,
1/ Dis-assemble it, sneak it thru and re-assemble

Or,
2/ wear a lanyard and ID tag from your work, pretending you're working onsite as a photogs or a nurse, don't forget to wear a safety vest with red orange stripes.

Hehehe....nurse/photographer for the event...I'd rather just keep photographer as title, I imagine there will be a few sick (wasted) people at this concert, I'd rather not have to deal with them. Good suggestion to dis-assemble though Birdy...will try and email them with photo of my gear to get a yes or no..if yes I will print it...excellent suggestion by Glen.

Geoff,

You might recall my Not Permitted: Professional Cameras thread from a few months back. I've updated it with the event promoter's repsonse.

I don't know if you will have similar luck.

D.

Last event I went to (Moto-X) they were making everyone leave their camera gear behind. Luckily I only took the Powershot G2, because the way they were storing and "looking after" gear (on the floor in a tent with coats, belts, etc) would have made me have kittens if I had the 20D + 70-200 and had to leave that there.

My opinion - leave it behind and just have a good time.

Although at least this place will let in some cameras ... so maybe time to acquire a P&S that can drive a good flashgun. I have in the past taken my G2 with flashgun - flash in my backpack, G2 in my hand (so it looks like the sum total of my kit) and then once inside, strap on the flashgun and away we go. After all, the limiting factor of most P&S in these kind of areas is poor flash .. you don't need a huge zoom or the like.

I've had trouble taking SLR's into concerts in the UK, I've had a Minolta MZ-10 with 80-200mm lens confiscated at the gate and then "lost" when I went to collect it afterwards. Fortunately insurance coughed up.

I have neen refused entry to a number of events, and the minolta really is a baby camera compared to the size of the D70s. I did find however that a pocket sized Sony cybershot could be carefully concealed on the body to get past most searches.

This is from a Van Morrison concert taken with the Sony on max zoom (2x opt, 3X digital)

DionM wrote:Last event I went to (Moto-X) they were making everyone leave their camera gear behind. Luckily I only took the Powershot G2, because the way they were storing and "looking after" gear (on the floor in a tent with coats, belts, etc) would have made me have kittens if I had the 20D + 70-200 and had to leave that there.

My opinion - leave it behind and just have a good time.

Although at least this place will let in some cameras ... so maybe time to acquire a P&S that can drive a good flashgun. I have in the past taken my G2 with flashgun - flash in my backpack, G2 in my hand (so it looks like the sum total of my kit) and then once inside, strap on the flashgun and away we go. After all, the limiting factor of most P&S in these kind of areas is poor flash .. you don't need a huge zoom or the like.

I think leaving it behind is a good idea Dion. I just rang the promoter (Michael Coppel) and asked them what they deemed a professional camera. I also asked if I could take a photo of it and email it to them.They said no one there was able to tell/qualify my camera?!?!

They were most un helpful and actually quite rude saying 'well, if it's a professional camera that professionals use then no you can't bring it'. I said that it was a freely available camera for anyone in the public to buy and I'd like to bring it in'. She nearly hung up on me, after I said 'well I just want to be sure that I can bring it in and not have it confiscated at the gates'. She said 'if you don't know whether or not your camera is a professional camera or not, go and do some research'. I felt like screaming down the phone 'reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeow'.

Birddog114 wrote:

Geoff wrote:lol Birdy.
I'd hate to get there and them go 'nope, we'll look after it for you'...i'd be stressing about my lens for the entire concert, not worth the hassle, however if I could take it in...oooh yeah

2/ wear a lanyard and ID tag from your work, pretending you're working onsite as a photogs or a nurse, don't forget to wear a safety vest with red orange stripes.

although i don't condone trespassing as a major security breach which could put you in jail or even banned from such event or even shoot dead as a terrorist suspect.
the guy is probaby staying at a hotel why not wait him there or even at the airport when he flys out?

redline wrote:

Birddog114 wrote:

Geoff wrote:lol Birdy.
I'd hate to get there and them go 'nope, we'll look after it for you'...i'd be stressing about my lens for the entire concert, not worth the hassle, however if I could take it in...oooh yeah

2/ wear a lanyard and ID tag from your work, pretending you're working onsite as a photogs or a nurse, don't forget to wear a safety vest with red orange stripes.

although i don't condone trespassing as a major security breach which could put you in jail or even banned from such event or even shoot dead as a terrorist suspect.
the guy is probaby staying at a hotel why not wait him there or even at the airport when he flys out?

Just would have been awesome to get some shots of him/them performing...oh well. That's the way it is.

Geoff,
That explained, why I never ever go closed to those events with such of restrictions and unfriendly, wasting my time and resources.

Pack a picnic basket with a nice red, take Bel to one of the nice spots at Nothern Beach and enjoy your freedom!

Birddog114 wrote:Geoff,
That explained, why I never ever go closed to those events with such of restrictions and unfriendly, wasting my time and resources.

Pack a picnic basket with a nice red, take Bel to one of the nice spots at Nothern Beach and enjoy your freedom!

Yeah...that's a good idea Birdy but we both want to see the performer, so we'll just go without the camera, sad but the way it has to be

Geoff, you can borrow the 45P if it helps, but might not be enough reach for what you need unless you are in the front row

Glen wrote:Geoff, you can borrow the 45P if it helps, but might not be enough reach for what you need unless you are in the front row

Very generous offer Glen, depends what time we get there will depend on where we are in the crowd..might be worth it!?

Geoff wrote:She said 'if you don't know whether or not your camera is a professional camera or not, go and do some research'.

My goodness! 1) How rude do you want to be, and 2) it's a subjective judgement, that's why the good man wants your opinion you nincompoop!

Geoff, maybe disguise the VR as a thermos flask and give it to Bell
Or strap it to her finger and tell it's a wedding band
On a serious note, the responce you recieved is quite disgusting, I would be writing a letter of complaint to the person's manager or even try the PR of Jay Kay.

Paul,
Waste your time, I think just forget it! and boycott!
Pity, people pay their hard earned cash not for their entertaimnet but for accepting the abuse and rudness

Yes Birdy you right, it's just bloody annoying that people in Australia have to wait years for big bands to play here and when they do they charge an outrageous amount for us to watch them due to the "Distance & Air fare" and then they ban camera's as well.
Yet it's okay to take your 5MP 10x optical zoom P&S into the arena no problem!!!
I know the optics & sensor are far superior on a SLR but I would rather take some average shots than no shots at all.

Rant over... I feel better now!
Time to go home and enjoy a cold Cooper's pale ale in a chilled glass.