It depends on the shoot, and they are mostly - personal/classical concerts/motor racing.
#1 Right gear for the shoot (Bodies/lenses/filters/tripod/monopod/remote release).
#2 If shooting for a "client" back up bodies and lenses.
#3 Spare memory cards and batteries.
#4 Memory cards in bodies are formatted and batteries fully charged.
#5 for dawn/dusk shoots a torch.
#6 For extended shoots water bottles/food etc and depending on the weather, protection for my camera and myself.
#7 Suitable method of carrying it all.
#8 Any media acreditation is organised.
I always shoot raw so, mostly, white balance isn't a problem
I am not a Nikon shooter, howver I was just wondering are you using the same metering mode for both methods of shooting.
+1 on Mystic
If you like trains - Conway in NH - also spectacualer scenery nearby in the White Mountains area
Deerfield, MA for a lot of history
Norman Rockwell museum near Stockbridge, MA
Hancock Shaker Village, MA.
Happy birthday, and very nice car.
One other thing, try to get to a rehearsal, preferably a dress rehearsal, so you will know what is comming during the performance and lighting wise.
Nope the the 12-50.
I cant't really justify the 12-40 f2.8 at the moment as I have that range covered by fast Canon primes. Probably will get it down the track.
Purchased my first mirroless interchangeable lens camera about 3 weeks ago. It is a Olympus OMD-E E-M5Mark II along with a kit lens and a 40-150 f2.8. First impressions are very positive although it gets its first real test (shooting for a "client") in about 2 weeks time. It will not replace my Canon gear for all shooting situations however it does make for a nice addition and gives a little more flexibility.
I shoot classical music concerts, and have shot an opera production (so no flash or anything else that will distract the audience).
Shoot RAW as it will give you more control when post processing.
I use fast primes (f2 or faster) on multiple bodies, and shoot aperture priority (usually wide open or near wide open) with some exposure compensation, if need be, and take what ever shutter speed I can get.
Be prepared to shoot at high ISO (1600+), especially with only f2.8 lenses. Remove any filters from your lens and use a lens hood, it may help to control flare.
Topaz DeNoise, Adjust and Impression (just for the "arty" stuff.