Delay with digital cameras
Discussion
rich-uk said:
What camera is it? My Canon S60 is pretty much instant once you've focused.
Okay, I heard you the 1st time.
Best description I can give on it is:
jaytee368 said:
The camera in question, which has seen later models of the same theme since I bought mine, was the Sony Cybershot with big phuck off Carl Zweiss (sp?) lens on the left side of the case, not exactly a compact in that sense.
At the time of purchase, 2 or 3 years ago it was the top end of the Sony Cybershot range. I used for it about a year and half and then put it away in disillusionment.
I understand you can reduce the delay by semi depressing the button but it messes up the focus when you're trying to take shots of race cars at speed.
jaytee368 said:
Questions: Do all digital cameras have this spectacular delay between the instance of pressing the button to take the shot and the actual time when the image is recorded. If not, what are the quicker or quickest models please?
POS cameras are famed for this delay (shutter lag). You can pre-focus on the desired spot by half-depressing the shutter release button and waiting for the car to turn up. That way the camera has already worked out what it needs to. But for quick-reaction shots you need a DSLR.
jaytee368 said:
I understand you can reduce the delay by semi depressing the button but it messes up the focus when you're trying to take shots of race cars at speed.
Pretty much. Though my experiments with my Pentax S5i can, if given decent light, produce some vaguely acceptable results for a shirt pocket camera. The S5i responds quite quickly and has a pan focus mode. However I reckon that is designed for slower pans (athletes for example) than one normally wants to use for cars at speed! It also produces some interesting arty side effects I think - but I need another session to confirm that!
I also have a Sony DSC U30 which has a reasonably fast shutter but, while it will take car shots, is not what you are likely to want at all.
I think you need to look to a full DSLR - Nokin or Nacon - which is something I will need to do as well. Unless I can find some really excellent, big old FD lenses for my elderly Canon A1/AE1 bodies ...
Don't even start the D70/300D/20D/D100 debate here again please...
If you have no existing SLR lenses, then go to a camera store, try both Canon and Nike (or whatever) and buy the one you like best (which will of course be a Canon
)
Seriously, there really isn't that much in it between the D70 and 300D - they both take good pictures and respond quickly and have a good choice of lenses - have a look at the sites in my previous answer for some reviews. The differences are mainly geeky bit-head stuff that if you are moving from a PaS you won't care about, you will however be stunned at the speed they focus and take pictures though !!!
>> Edited by Bee_Jay on Saturday 22 January 00:08
If you have no existing SLR lenses, then go to a camera store, try both Canon and Nike (or whatever) and buy the one you like best (which will of course be a Canon
) Seriously, there really isn't that much in it between the D70 and 300D - they both take good pictures and respond quickly and have a good choice of lenses - have a look at the sites in my previous answer for some reviews. The differences are mainly geeky bit-head stuff that if you are moving from a PaS you won't care about, you will however be stunned at the speed they focus and take pictures though !!!
>> Edited by Bee_Jay on Saturday 22 January 00:08
As mentioned above, this is the problem with focussing ahead. Trying to get a pic of the dolphin through the hoop I knew I had to pre focus as shutter lag would most probably mean me losing the shot. The camera focused on the buildings in the background, yet when the dolphin and hoop appeared I pressed the shutter and the result, out of focus dolphin. 
jaytee368 said:
At the time of purchase, 2 or 3 years ago it was the top end of the Sony Cybershot range.
A DSC-F505 (3MP?) or 707 (def. 5MP) probably. I got one of the 707s just after they came out, and the lag is quite noticable. But it really doesn't take much effort to eliminate 80% of that. A lot of it is down to the not-so-rapid auto focus. If you aim at the spot where you intend to take the shot and half press the shutter so that it can get all the metering and focussing out of the way in advance, then track and pan with the subject as appropriate, the results are greatly improved (unless the subject itself is going to influence the metering). Having played with a 20D, I can confirm that they are blisteringly fast.
I have a Canon S1-IS. It is a real ar5e trying to get photo's of aircraft, o.k virtually impossible, because of the shutter delay.
You can get it to take more quickly if you hold the shutter button half down (as said before). The camera can then focus and you can push the button full down and it will take pretty much straight away. The problem is the focusing and metering.
You have to take the pic quickly or as in the case of aircraft & motorsport, the subject has moved and is out of focus again.
I am thinking of getting a 300D and a 100-400mm IS lens.
Haven't quite built myself up to the outlay as yet, especially after £1500 worth of work done on the TVR in the last month
>> Edited by anonymous-user on Saturday 22 January 21:05
You can get it to take more quickly if you hold the shutter button half down (as said before). The camera can then focus and you can push the button full down and it will take pretty much straight away. The problem is the focusing and metering.
You have to take the pic quickly or as in the case of aircraft & motorsport, the subject has moved and is out of focus again.
I am thinking of getting a 300D and a 100-400mm IS lens.
Haven't quite built myself up to the outlay as yet, especially after £1500 worth of work done on the TVR in the last month
>> Edited by anonymous-user on Saturday 22 January 21:05
Do bear in mind that to take good motorsport pic's you'll not only need a decent SLR, but also a good lens and the cost is not inconsiderable 
. I'm going down the same road as you because of motorsport picture frustrations. I've just purchased a secondhand 10D body and borrowed a lens (thanks GeorgeC and david010167) and the difference in focus times between it and my compact camera is huge. Cameras at this level will buffer writes to the CF card so you don't generally need to worry so much about write speeds. When I checked only the 20D really took advantage of faster CF cards, the 10D didn't, so bear this in mind when you purchase extra memory for your eventual purchase.
Cheers,
Steve
>> Edited by Steve_T on Monday 24th January 14:05
. I'm going down the same road as you because of motorsport picture frustrations. I've just purchased a secondhand 10D body and borrowed a lens (thanks GeorgeC and david010167) and the difference in focus times between it and my compact camera is huge. Cameras at this level will buffer writes to the CF card so you don't generally need to worry so much about write speeds. When I checked only the 20D really took advantage of faster CF cards, the 10D didn't, so bear this in mind when you purchase extra memory for your eventual purchase. Cheers,
Steve
>> Edited by Steve_T on Monday 24th January 14:05
I have an old Fuji MX-2700 and its delay is abysmal, both for taking photos and the recycle time between shots.
I also have a much newer Sony Cybershot PSC-9 which is marginally less abysmal at taking photos and streets ahead in recycle time.
Neither are any good for action shots though. The best I can manage is to turn off all the automatics and then do a pan shot, pressing the shutter early in order to second-guess the lag and just hope for the best. Sometimes works but generally doesn't.
I also have a much newer Sony Cybershot PSC-9 which is marginally less abysmal at taking photos and streets ahead in recycle time.
Neither are any good for action shots though. The best I can manage is to turn off all the automatics and then do a pan shot, pressing the shutter early in order to second-guess the lag and just hope for the best. Sometimes works but generally doesn't.
FourWheelDrift said:
Couldn't you have moved the camera to the right holding down the shutter half way to focus on the woman, then still holding the shutter half way move back left. Result - Dolphin in focus. ?
That's the best option, though on a POS it will lock exposure as well, which may or may not be a problem. You can use the same technique on an SLR (I do), but you also have the option to switch off AF and pre-focus. It's one less thing to worry about, and handy for airshows too if you don't want the aeroplane in the middle of the frame.
I bought a lightly used Olympus E10 from a fellow P'header after he upgraded. It's not a king of the resolution any more at 4mp, but the quality of the RAW and JPG images is terrific. Have blown up crops to A4 print & no worries about quality whatsoever. Lots of manual settings to diddle with. And... bugger all lag (none as far as I'm concerne.d.. must be hundredths of a second top)
For a cheapish piece of kit totally recommend this approach. there's an E20 with 5mp too. No warrantee obvioulsy going this route, but all being well I reckon by the time it goes bang I'll have my eye something else
Ed
For a cheapish piece of kit totally recommend this approach. there's an E20 with 5mp too. No warrantee obvioulsy going this route, but all being well I reckon by the time it goes bang I'll have my eye something else
Ed
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