How do I avoid the delay in digital cameras?

Question

With my digital camera, purchased in 2002 for a high price from Sony, I have about a four second delay when attempting to capture images of my children. I push the button for a great shot, but wind up with a picture of the backs of their heads as they run away. When shopping for a new digital camera that I can "point and shoot", do I need "SLR", or can other more moderately priced cameras give me the results I need? I just want to aim and shoot, dammit, but not spend $600? Anyone? Thanks for reading either way...

Answer 1

Yes certainly an SLR is the ultimate, but here are some tips for other cameras.

Avoid use of flash

Select manual focus if you can (focus automatically at the right distance and then switch to manual so that it doesn't re-focus)

Use manual settings if you can. If the camera allows you to set manual aperture and shutter speed, use those settings. You still get a guide to show you the right light, but this will avoid the camera doing a fresh measurement when it actually goes to take the shot.

Here is what your camera does when you press the shutter. It decides what is close to the camera and what is furthest away. It then picks the most likely subject of your photo. It then auto focuses on that subject (usually closest object). It then checks to see whether flash is operational and if so if it's needed. Then it decides how much flash it will use. Then it measures the light a final time. It then sets the aperture and shutter speed. Then it takes the photo.

Making as many of these decisions as you can for the camera minimizes the time it spends setting itself up before shooting.

Older (2-3 years) camera were slower at doing these calculations and adjustments than newer (< 1 year) cameras are. So a newer camera will definitely be better for your application. But if you are purchasing a new one, be sure to see what manual features it has, and then learn how to use them.

4 seconds is a very long delay, modern cameras typically have this down to 0.8 of a second, but even then it is very hard to take a photo of a child bouncing on a trampoline for example. The more money you spend (in general) the faster the camera will be.

The new Fuji S6000 (see link below) Is an advanced non slr camera that allows for a high degree of manual control. This is a somewhat bulky camera, but will take excellent shots for most people. Most major brands have models in this class of camera.

I live in Australia so unfortunately I cannot assist you with price.

Answer 2

Shutter lag has greatly improved since 2002. Try www.dpreview.com or www.stevesdigicams.com to see features and read reviews on many different cameras. The do a lot of testing and give the results. The measurements you want are shutter lag from full or half press.
Digital slr's have almost no lag and more flexibility, but a mid to upper level digicam would be good, too. The Canon Powershot line is well thought of, I have a G6 that I like a lot. I have also had Nikon and Olympus digicams that performed well. I prefer cameras made by camera manufacturers rather than electronics firms. So I'd look at the various Canon, Nikon, Olympus, Kodak, or Fuji.
Good luck at finding your camera!

Answer 3

No, you do not need the expense of a DSLR, as shutter lag on many current point & shoot cameras is around 1/10 sec when pre-focused...to 4/10 sec including auto focus.
Canon have some of the fastest little cameras available, due to their fantastic Digic II & III processors.
Also, using a fast SD card such as Sandisk Ultra II or Extreme III helps.
I would recommend...
Canon SD700 IS (6MP, 4x optical, image stabiliser) very compact with an almost all metal body.
SD600 (6MP, 3x optical) ultra compact, metal body.
A630 (8Mp, 4x optical) with aperture & shutter priority modes.

All of the above shoot very good 'movies' too.

Answer 4

It truly enables to have a specialist digital camera for those products. this is troublesome to capture with the finest of cameras. Sorry although the cameras i ought to signify are interior different thousands of bucks. except you opt for to have truly good timing.

Answer 5

I just got my wife the fuji E900 for this same reason.
lag time is low, 9 meg pix, zoom, and very small.
around 350 usd - seen them lower online but limited
supply as it is new a lot of places are out of stock.

Answer 6

Try reformating your memory card. It can make a large difference if you haven't done it in a while.