Last night I went to see David Usher and his band, outdoors at Centennial
Square, beside City Hall in downtown Victoria, BC, Canada. As I approached
the gate, I was asked to open my knapsack, which revealed a small zoom bag
and a larger lens case.
The security guard wanted to see inside the zoom bag, and, on seeing the
MZ-S with 28-70 f4, went, "Hmm, looks like pro gear, what's in the big
case?" I replied, "A lens.", to which she replied, "You can't use that; no
zooms, four-inch limit on lenses. Four inches, got that?" "Fine.", I
replied, thinking it would be dark soon, and the black camera and black
Sigma 70-200 f2.8 would be less noticeable then.
However, about a third of the way into the show, David Usher, appearing to
respond to a fan standing in front of the stage, said "Photos? Sure, it's
okay with me, it's okay with the band. Flash? Well, okay, but if we make
any mistakes because of a flash, it's your fault.", he said, pointing at the
fan in a friendly way. Then he said, apparently for the benefit of the
security, "It's alright, let 'em take pictures, we don't mind."
I happily shot a number of photos (no costume changes and not many lighting
changes) and enjoyed the music. The weather was great, around 20C with
clear skies, and the band hung around for autographs after the show.
Has anyone else heard of a 4-inch limit on length of lenses at a concert?
It was a first for me.
Pat White
- Concert lens length restriction Pat White
-
