Looking for a "fast" camera that minimizes blur

by docdrew Dec 14, 2004 12:54PM PST

I currently own an Olympus 2.1 MP camera that seems to have a long lag time between pressing the exposure button and the actual exposure. When I take photos of my daughter (7 yo) they are frequently blurry because she doesn't like to hold still. I'm thinking of getting a new 4 or 5 MP camera. Are there any cameras that are especially good at taking fast exposures and minimizing blur due to subject motion? Thanks.

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IS camera and higher shutter speed will help.

by jump1127 Dec 14, 2004 2:14PM PST

Well , you probalby need a camera with IS ( image stabilizer ) Minolta and Canon seem to produce that . For example, Diamage 3 and Canon IS powershot. If possible, switch your camera to manual mode and adjust the camera to higher shutter speed. But, keep in mind that you 'll need enough light. Good luck.

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Fast Camera

by snapshot2 Forum moderator Dec 15, 2004 12:27AM PST

What you are experiencing is shutter lag.
Mostly caused by slow autofocus.

On the older digital cameras, it is usually quite long.

Take a look at the Kodak DX7440.
It has a very short shutter lag.

You can read a review at:

http://www.steves-digicams.com/2004_reviews/dx7440.html

And you can find out, what owners think at:

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/read_opinions.asp?prodkey=kodak_dx7440

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Are cameras rated for shutter lag?

by docdrew Dec 15, 2004 1:08PM PST

Now that I know that shutter lag is the problem how can I choose a camera with minimum lag? When looking at the specs is there a term or rating/value that I should be looking for? Thanks.

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Shutter Lag

by snapshot2 Forum moderator Dec 16, 2004 1:35AM PST

Shutter Lag information is not available in one convienient place, that I know of.

You have to go to the manufacturers site and dig through specifications. And you may not find it at all, for some cameras.

Often you can find that information on Steve-Digicams reviews. He usually puts it on the "Conclusion" page.

Here is a link to an index of the digital cameras he has reviewed:

http://www.steves-digicams.com/hardware_reviews.html

Shutter lag is defined in two ways:
pre-focus and just press the button down.

Pre-focus is when you press the shutter button half way down and wait for the action to occur, then press the button the remaining way down. This is the fastest and usually is around 0.1 or 0.2 second.

If you just press the shutter button all the way down, the camera has to focus before it takes the picture. This takes the most time and will run from one second to 0.2 second. Most newer cameras are about 0.5 to 0.6 second.

Another good feature for action shots is "burst mode".
Each camera maker seems to have a special name for it.
You set an option on the menu and then when you hold the shutter button down the camera will take a series of shots as fast as it can, and will save a predetermined number of them.

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Is this a low light situation? If it is, there is a

by Kiddpeat Dec 15, 2004 2:34AM PST

different answer. Otherwise;

The cameras I've seen allow you to depress the shutter release button about half way so that the camera can focus itself. The button is then held down until the right moment for the shot. If there is good light, the photo will be captured very quickly with little or no blur. An exception may occur is you are saving a high resolution version of the image such as Tif or Raw. In these cases, the transfer to memory takes much longer, and the camera may take longer to finalize the shot. In my experience, a jpeg image is MUCH faster.

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The answer is SLR!

by docdrew Dec 17, 2004 12:44PM PST

Thanks for the responses but after doing some research it seems that a SLR camera is what I've been looking for. These have many features of "point and shoot" cameras but also function like film cameras with virtually no lag. They are much better at capturing moving subjects. I'm currently checking out the Nikon D70. Yes, they are pricier but it may be worth it to banish the lag!

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SLR

by snapshot2 Forum moderator Dec 18, 2004 12:40AM PST

That is indeed the best solution.
You will find that the picture quality and detail will be better too.
Let us know what you buy.

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Re: Looking for a "fast" camera that minimizes blur

by gerrybo 653 Dec 18, 2004 12:58PM PST

My guess is that the blur is not caused by shutter lag time--your shutter speed is too low. Use a faster shutter speed.

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Looking for a "fast" camera that minimizes blur

by gerrybo 653 Dec 26, 2004 11:30AM PST

It seems to me that the photos of your daughter are blurry because too low of a shutter speed is being used. I seriously doubt that it is caused from shutter lag. Use at least a 125/th of a second SS, and SQUEEZE the shutter button gently, rather than mashing down on it. This takes a bit of practice..

Looking for a "fast" camera that minimizes blur

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