Thank you for being a valued part of the CNET community. As of December 1, 2020, the forums are in read-only format. In early 2021, CNET Forums will no longer be available. We are grateful for the participation and advice you have provided to one another over the years.

Thanks,

CNET Support

General discussion

lag in pic from pushing the shoot button

by dwight77 Jan 2, 2011 10:53AM PST

I am not sure how to ask this properly. But with the camera I have now, there is always a lag between when I press the shoot button and the picture is actually taken. I guess this is a factor with digital cameras which I did not see as much with an old SLR.
Do some digitals have less of a lag time?...and where do you find it in the specs.
Thanks
dwight77

Discussion is locked

1 Posts

- Collapse + Expand Details

- Collapse -

Shutter Lag

by snapshot2 Forum moderator Jan 2, 2011 11:46PM PST

Shutter Lag was very long on the older digital cameras.
Sometimes over two seconds.

The average now is about .5 second.
It can be from 1 second to 0.1 second now, depending upon the camera.

If you use your camera differently, it will not be a problem.
Point the camera at the subject and press the shutter button half-way down.
Spend a second, making sure your shot is properly framed and the horizon level.
Then press the shutter the rest of the way down.

Then the shutter lag will be under 0.1 second.

Shutter lag is caused by the delay the camera needs to focus the lens.
By re-framing the shot, you give the camera time to focus.

Unfortunately the camera makers do not normally publish Shutter Lag information.
You have to dig it out of reviews of the camera by independent reviewers.