The delay from the time you press down the shutter button until the photo is captured is called shutter lag. Most of this delay is caused by the autofocus.
The S30 was introduced in Feb 2001.
In 2001, the typical shutter lag was from 1 to 2 seconds. I could not find a review of the S30 that showed the exact shutter lag. The reviewers did not test for that in 2001. And the manufacturers did not put it in the specifications (most still don't).
There are many reports of people taking pictures of their shoes due to shutter lag. They pressed the shutter button and lowered the camera, thinking the photo was taken. Two seconds later the photo is taken.
The Canon G6 has a shutter lag of 0.4 seconds. And autofocus will perform well in low light situations.
The Canon Digital Rebel 300D has a shutter lag of 0.25 second with the kit lens. And autofocus will perform well in low light situations.
The newer cameras are better at throttling down the flash for close-ups.
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I am in the market for a new camera and debating whether or not I "need" a dSLR. 90% of my shots are of my children, the rest being of landscapes. Here is what I don't like about my current point and shoot (Cannon S30):
1. Slow auto focus (especially in low light). Since my kids are little and NEVER stay still, I am forced to prefocus. This prevents me from getting any decent "action" photos (them running, etc.) without planning it out beforehand. Can some auto-focus cameras "follow" moving objects?
2. Over exposure on many "up close" flash pictures (indoors). I know that I can manually change the intensity of the flash, but, again, with two little ones the shot is gone by the time I get that corrected.
I am debating between a Cannon G6 and Digital Rebel (older model), simply because that is about my price range, but I am open to any other suggestions regarding camer/lens choice and even photography technique to fix some of my problems. Thanks!
Mike

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