A TechLore "Ask the Experts" Question...
Question:
My wife likes to take a lot of pictures of our small children - both posed and action - with her digital camera she bought last year. The problem with it is there is always a 1 to 2 second lag time from depressing the button to the actual photo being taken. With little kids, this can be a problem as they tend to pose for only a few seconds at a time anyway. So, my question is do you have a recommendation for a good quality digital camera for $600 or less that does not have this problem with lag times? We are not avid photographers and do not require a lot of bells and whistles. Just a good quality camera that can take pictures as soon as you press the button. Thanks.
-submitted by Bob
Answer:
What you describe is not uncommon for automatic digital cameras. Before we dive into any recommendations, it would be best for you and others to know why this lag time occurs.
Why the Lag?
Automatic cameras do a lot of things when you press the button. It automatically focuses, caluclates ISO speed, determines light level for the flash, engages red-eye reduction, and more. If the camera did not perform these functions prior to taking the shot, your pictures would not turn out as well as you'd like.
To illustrate this point, I did a small experiment with a Canon PowerShot S230 automatic digital camera. In automatic mode, it took 1.7 seconds to take the picture from the moment I pressed the button. This delay, though irritating at times, is about normal for most automatic digital cameras. The S230 also has a manual mode, which allows the user to manually adjust all of the settings. In this mode, it took about 0.7 seconds from the press of the button to when the image was snapped. As you can see, it was a huge difference in delay.
The problem you face is common for "non-avid photographers". You do not want to manually adjust all of these parameters before taking your shots, but you don't want to deal with a delay either. Is there anything you can do? Not really. Buying another automatic digital camera will not make this problem go away entirely.
SLR vs. Automatics
SLR (single lens reflex) digital cameras usually have a faster response time than automatic digitals cameras. However, SLRs are not made to be easy for the average picture-taker to use. They are much larger and usually have interchangeable lenses.
The cameras automatic focus is usually what adds the most lag time in a camera. On an SLR you can adjust the focus manually by rotating the lens (as you have seen professionals do) and then snap pictures at a much faster rate. It's more work for you, but the lag will be less.
When it comes to automatics, not all are built the same, and some are speedier than others. The major up to all automatic cameras is that they are easier to use on a day to day basis.
In another Ask The Experts posting I talked about the Olympus C-8080 automatic digital camera, which I consider to be one of the greatest values in a digital camera. Unfortunatley, it has a tremendous amount of options and can be a bit overwhelming to the novice user. What you'll like about it is that it does do all of the automatic adjustments pretty quickly, and has one of the fastest startup times in the industry.
Priming The Shot
Of course, there may be a way you can overcome the lag time with your existing digital camera. Many digitals will allow you to prime the shot before taking it. This means that you hold the shutter button down half way, which will let the camera adjust the focus and get the shot ready. Pressing it the rest of the way down will take the picture, almost instantly in some cases. My trusty S230 has only a 0.5 second lag from this point, but some newer models would probably snap the shot in less than half that time.
Conclusion
If you decide to replace your existing camera, let your experience with different models tell you what to buy. Go to a store and try many different models, and find one that feels speedy to you. Make sure your tests have the lens in both wide and telephoto modes to guage how it truly performs.
Matt Whitlock - Editor, TechLore.com
Did You Know...
Did you know that you can include yourself in the shot too - without having to ask a stranger to take the picture. Read up on how to "Use a Camera's Delay Timer to Include Yourself in the Picture Too".
While You're At It...
Going to get a new digital camera? While you're setting up your new one, get some use out of that older digital camera. Read "No Use for Your Old Digital Camera? Give it to the Kids!" for a great suggestion.
Want an Olympus C-8080?
Pick up your very own Olympus digital camera from Buy.com
