Digital Camera - What's a decent Shutter Speed?

Question

I just purchased a Pentax Optio E10 digital camera (http://tinyurl.com/smn8j) and I find that when I go to click the Shutter Release button to take the snapshot, there is an awful 2-3 second delay. If i dont stay rock steady for that full time period the image becomes blurry. Very irritating.

From my quick readings the problem seems to be with the Shutter speed. According to sites the camera is 1/1000 to 2 secs. I'm guessing Im hitting the worst case scenario. How exactly does one get the 1/1000 speed? I've already tried holding down the shutter release button half way to set focus then pressing fully when ready but i still experience a 2 sec or so delay.

My images are being shot in standard mode, in doors with lots of light, no flash, and 640x480 image (JPG).

Can someone recommend a way around this delay?

Answer 1

You have been doing exactly the right thing in trying to minimise shutter lag.
But, unfortunately, there is not too much you can do about this delay, because the problem is with the slow mechanics of the camera. It's only an entry level camera, so it suffers from very slow performance.
Using a faster shutter speed will not really help with the lag(besides, you cannot adjust the shutter speed because the camera is fully Auto).
BUT using the SPORT scene mode will apply a faster shutter speed...which is good for kids or moving objects etc.

Here is an excerpt from a review site regarding shutter lag times...
"Shutter Lag and Recycling Times
As is typical of many digital cameras at the lower end in terms of price the Optio E10 suffers quite badly from shutter lag. I was able to take a single picture in 1.83 seconds. This is a very slow time. To take five photos took 15.25 seconds"

I, myself know that better cameras will have a lag of only about 1/10-3/10th of a second per shot...so the Optio E10 must be extremely frustrating to use.

Check out the link below that shows you the lag times of various cameras...and you will see that Pentax, Olympus and Nikon are slow compared to others.
For excellent photo quality and quick performance, I would highly recommend Canon or Sony as much better cameras (they will cost a bit more...but with digital cameras you do get what you pay for).

If you are very unhappy with your new camera, then I would suggest that you return it and try to buy a better model because the problem will not go away.
If you wish to adjust shutter speeds and aperture, then you need to look at a camera with 'aperture & shutter priority' modes.
Anyway look at the link below...to see the lag times and you will see how your camera compares to others.
And also have a good read of the review.

P.S. you should always shoot in the best quality/resolution available. and make sure you have a decent sized memory card (at least 512MB minimum).
Good luck.

Answer 2

When you're on a very tight budget (and $75 is ridiculously low), you're limited to a basic little Point & Shoot camera, and many of those are very similar so it really doesn't matter too much which one you pick (although I would stick with Canon or Nikon and certainly stay away from Kodak and Vivitar). In perfect lighting situations, they will take pretty decent photos. However, they do all have limitations (especially shutter lag and low light issues), and a huge problem is often the lack of manual controls, which of course limits you so drastically in what you can do. Quite a lot of the limitations can be overcome - or at least improved - by learning a bit about photography. Read the manual several times, attend a class, borrow some books and look online for tutorials. I can guarantee you that some knowledge will help you make the most of your camera, whichever one you end up buying. Getting a camera with "fast shutter speed" means having a big lens that can let it a lot of light in a short amount of time. A $75 toy can't do that unless you are out in the blazing sun. Do keep in mind that for that sort of money your camera will have a TINY sensor and you can not expect miracles from it.

Answer 3

Flash or more light by some other means is the only answer to your problem. If you are in automatic mode, then the camera will already have the lens wide open to let in as much light as possible, so there is little else you can do on the camera. You may be able to adjust the ISO speed manually in which case bump it up to about 400 or max 800, this will help a little. Also get yourself a tripod. I took a photo this morning with the shutter open for 1 minute and 20 secs.

Answer 4

Different situations require different shudder speeds. I still use 35mm, but I've been told that only the higher priced digitals will shoot as soon as the release is depressed.

Answer 5

1 second

Answer 6

tricky issue. check out over google or bing. that can assist!