A Photography forum. PhotoBanter.com

If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Go Back   Home » PhotoBanter.com forum » Digital Photography » Digital Photography
Site Map Home Register Authors List Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read Web Partners

Need a low shutter lag point and shoot digital



 
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old November 14th 04, 08:24 PM
Roger N. Clark (change username to rnclark)
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Need a low shutter lag point and shoot digital

Hi. I need some help. I want to get a small
point and shoot digital camera, but I am concerned
about the shutter lag. Please do not recommend a
DSLR, as I have a Canon 1D Mark II and 10D cameras
and plenty of lenses to go with them. I'm looking
for something small, some specs that are important
to me:

5 megapixels or larger,
auto, manual, aperture priority modes,
3x optical zoom minimum, with autofocus,
built in flash,
compact flash I (and type II would be nice) cards,
under about $500,
reasonably low shutter lag for this type of camera.

Nice but not necessary: raw mode output.

The question is, what is a reasonably low shutter
lag on such cameras these days? I can't seem to find
many specs. Lag only seems to be mentioned rarely
in reviews, and the manufacturers do not seem to
give it. Does someone know of a site (especially a
table that compares the lag times, measured in a uniform
way) with lag times? I want lag time from shutter press,
autofocus, exposure calculation to release of the shutter,
and I do not consider lag time with manual focus to be
relevant for my purposes.

I have a Canon G1 and shutter lag is awful. It often seems
to take 0.5 to 1 second or longer to acquire focus and shoot.
(Of course this is quite maddening after using the 1D Mark II
with its 40 millisecond lag ;-).

One camera that I am looking at is the Canon A95, but I
can not find shutter lag info. It also only uses
compact flash type I.

Any help would be appreciated,
Thanks in advance,

Roger
photography, digital info at: http://www.clarkvision.com

  #2  
Old November 14th 04, 11:49 PM
Steven Gray
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

"Roger N. Clark (change username to rnclark)" wrote
in :

Hi. I need some help. I want to get a small
point and shoot digital camera, but I am concerned
about the shutter lag. Please do not recommend a
DSLR, as I have a Canon 1D Mark II and 10D cameras
and plenty of lenses to go with them. I'm looking
for something small, some specs that are important
to me:


I'm no expert on any of this, but one thing to make sure of is that you
can turn off the flash. If you need to make multiple sequential shots,
charging a flash can be a limiting factor rather than shutter lag.
Likewise, if you _need_ the flash, make sure that you check the specs for
flash charge time.

--
Steve Gray

  #3  
Old November 14th 04, 11:52 PM
Alain
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

In article , says...
Hi. I need some help. I want to get a small
point and shoot digital camera, but I am concerned
about the shutter lag. Please do not recommend a
DSLR, as I have a Canon 1D Mark II and 10D cameras
and plenty of lenses to go with them. I'm looking
for something small, some specs that are important
to me:

5 megapixels or larger,
auto, manual, aperture priority modes,
3x optical zoom minimum, with autofocus,
built in flash,
compact flash I (and type II would be nice) cards,
under about $500,
reasonably low shutter lag for this type of camera.

Nice but not necessary: raw mode output.

The question is, what is a reasonably low shutter
lag on such cameras these days? I can't seem to find
many specs. Lag only seems to be mentioned rarely
in reviews, and the manufacturers do not seem to
give it. Does someone know of a site (especially a
table that compares the lag times, measured in a uniform
way) with lag times? I want lag time from shutter press,
autofocus, exposure calculation to release of the shutter,
and I do not consider lag time with manual focus to be
relevant for my purposes.

I have a Canon G1 and shutter lag is awful. It often seems
to take 0.5 to 1 second or longer to acquire focus and shoot.
(Of course this is quite maddening after using the 1D Mark II
with its 40 millisecond lag ;-).

One camera that I am looking at is the Canon A95, but I
can not find shutter lag info. It also only uses
compact flash type I.

Any help would be appreciated,
Thanks in advance,

Roger
photography, digital info at:
http://www.clarkvision.com


Not really what you're specs are but you could also look at the
KonicaMinolta G530 or (G500 or G600). The shutter lag is almost
unnoticable after focus. No CF card, but SD...
Also quite a nr of manual setting possible, no RAW output.

Alain
  #4  
Old November 15th 04, 12:58 AM
David J. Littleboy
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default


"Roger N. Clark wrote:

I have a Canon G1 and shutter lag is awful. It often seems
to take 0.5 to 1 second or longer to acquire focus and shoot.
(Of course this is quite maddening after using the 1D Mark II
with its 40 millisecond lag ;-).


Even if you can find the specs, the formal definition of shutter lag
excludes the AF time.

The P&S cameras use the CCD for AF and have to read out several frames to
focus. So the fastest P&S is going to be a lot slower than the slowest dSLR.

Even worse, the CCD-based AF systems often focus on something contrasty in
the background instead of your subject. This makes the EVF cameras
attractive, since you can see when the AF is messing up.

David J. Littleboy
Tokyo, Japan



  #5  
Old November 15th 04, 01:11 AM
Roy Smith
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

In article ,
"David J. Littleboy" wrote:


Even worse, the CCD-based AF systems often focus on something contrasty in
the background instead of your subject.


I've seen my Canon PS-400 do exactly the opposite; focus on something in
the foreground when my subject was further away.
  #6  
Old November 15th 04, 01:44 AM
David J. Littleboy
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default


"Roy Smith" wrote:
"David J. Littleboy" wrote:

Even worse, the CCD-based AF systems often focus on something contrasty

in
the background instead of your subject.


I've seen my Canon PS-400 do exactly the opposite; focus on something in
the foreground when my subject was further away.


Well, yes. I should have said "focus on something other than the subject
when the subject has relatively low contrast". It's _really_ irritating.

As I understand it, the dSLRs can do that also, but the AF sensors are quite
a bit smaller so it's much less of a problem (if you select the AF sensor
manuallyg).

David J. Littleboy
Tokyo, Japan



  #7  
Old November 15th 04, 01:47 AM
YAG-ART
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

On Sun, 14 Nov 2004 19:11:46 -0500, Roy Smith wrote:

In article ,
"David J. Littleboy" wrote:


Even worse, the CCD-based AF systems often focus on something contrasty in
the background instead of your subject.


I've seen my Canon PS-400 do exactly the opposite; focus on something in
the foreground when my subject was further away.



Remember the camrera doent know what the subject is, only the
photogrpaher does.
  #8  
Old November 15th 04, 02:28 AM
David J. Littleboy
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default


"YAG-ART" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 14 Nov 2004 19:11:46 -0500, Roy Smith wrote:

In article ,
"David J. Littleboy" wrote:


Even worse, the CCD-based AF systems often focus on something contrasty

in
the background instead of your subject.


I've seen my Canon PS-400 do exactly the opposite; focus on something in
the foreground when my subject was further away.


Come to think of it, My S85 used to do that for landscape shots. It would
focus on the pavement at my feet even though the center 1/3 of the image was
all a long way away.

Remember the camrera doent know what the subject is, only the
photogrpaher does.


Yes, but that's not the only/major problem. You careful place the (single)
AF point over the subject but the camera finds something in the background
or foreground to focus on. The focus area in a lot of P&S cameras is just
too large.

David J. Littleboy
Tokyo, Japan




  #9  
Old November 15th 04, 03:00 AM
YAG-ART
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

On Mon, 15 Nov 2004 10:28:33 +0900, "David J. Littleboy"
wrote:


"YAG-ART" wrote in message
.. .
On Sun, 14 Nov 2004 19:11:46 -0500, Roy Smith wrote:

In article ,
"David J. Littleboy" wrote:


Even worse, the CCD-based AF systems often focus on something contrasty

in
the background instead of your subject.

I've seen my Canon PS-400 do exactly the opposite; focus on something in
the foreground when my subject was further away.


Come to think of it, My S85 used to do that for landscape shots. It would
focus on the pavement at my feet even though the center 1/3 of the image was
all a long way away.

Remember the camrera doent know what the subject is, only the
photogrpaher does.


Yes, but that's not the only/major problem. You careful place the (single)
AF point over the subject but the camera finds something in the background
or foreground to focus on. The focus area in a lot of P&S cameras is just
too large.


I didn't know that. Shooting a DSLR I guess the p&s just don't come
close.
  #10  
Old November 15th 04, 01:47 AM
YAG-ART
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

On Sun, 14 Nov 2004 19:11:46 -0500, Roy Smith wrote:

In article ,
"David J. Littleboy" wrote:


Even worse, the CCD-based AF systems often focus on something contrasty in
the background instead of your subject.


I've seen my Canon PS-400 do exactly the opposite; focus on something in
the foreground when my subject was further away.



Remember the camrera doent know what the subject is, only the
photogrpaher does.
 




Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is Off
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
3rd RFD: rec.photo.digital.slr Thad 35mm Photo Equipment 31 December 14th 04 05:45 AM
Digital Point and Shoot Question Art Salmons Digital Photography 19 October 27th 04 02:42 PM
Recommendations for Nikon Point and Shoot? Andrew McCall 35mm Photo Equipment 7 July 1st 04 09:05 PM
For Sell --- SLR camera and a Point & Shoot APS Camera: Toronto slrcamera Medium Format Photography Equipment 4 April 1st 04 09:59 PM
For Sell --- SLR camera and a Point & Shoot APS Camera: Toronto slrcamera Other Photographic Equipment 0 March 31st 04 08:10 PM


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 08:58 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.6.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004-2024 PhotoBanter.com.
The comments are property of their posters.