Why the delay?

[Actor]

My wife has a DSLR. My daughter has a non-SLR digital camera.

When you press the shutter on the DSLR it behaves pretty much as a film SLR, that is, there's a click and the picture is taken immediately.

When you press the shutter on the non-SLR there is a noticeable delay before you get any feedback that the picture has been taken. I've noticed this same behavior with other digital cameras. What's happening?

 

[ANDS!]

Non-SLR as in a compact camera? The compact camera will try and lock/look for focus before firing; oftentimes this can take a minute, especially if you are not half-pressing (meaning locking focus before taking the shot). If you fully depress the camera is first finding focus, locking focus and then taking the shot - all in one button press.

 

[Overread]

Its shutter lag - sadly its a major drawback to using any nonSLR type digital cameras. The highend bridge cameras can get down to very little lag time, but the majority of the market ones are quite laggy at times.

I think there is a technical reason for it, as well as a marketing ploy

 

[choudhrysaab]

i've noticed that with phones that have cameras attached but never on P&S cameras.
you might wanna take a look at the settings of the camera. delay could be due to some settings.

 

[bigtwinky]

I think thats what they call shutter lag. The time between when the button is pressed to when the image is captured.
The reason I think is simply that it takes more time for a P&S to fire up its processors and get the information onto the sensor.

I havent shot with a P&S in a long time, but I would think that seeing as I am doing my metering and such before hand with my SLR (half way holding), that should cut some of the time off how long it takes for the picture to be taken

Just some guesses, nothing confirmed or 100% known

 

[choudhrysaab]

how long is the "shutter lag"?

 

[tirediron]

how long is the "shutter lag"?

I've seen cameras (addmitedly older P&S) where it was in excess of two seconds. Most of the better P&S now seem to have it down to less than a second. A lot of it is due to the camera trying to find focus lock.

 

[KmH]

And the reason focus lock takes so long is because of low contrast from the itty bitty, small aperture lenses most p&s cameras have.

 

[SrBiscuit]

shutter lag is what pushed me over the fence to DSLR.

 

[Boutte]

shutter lag is what pushed me over the fence to DSLR.

Same here. Missed a lot of shots because of it. Especially in low light.

 

[katy625]

shutter lag is what pushed me over the fence to DSLR.

I agree. I just about threw my old camera out the window because of shutter lag. Well, instead it was dropped on the floor

 

[UUilliam]

Its Mechanics Versus Electronics tbh...

It is just as important to research into what Compact your buying
Just as it is important to research what DSLR your buying,
My Pentax E-30 optio was a great little P&S
Sadly it wasn't water resistant... (some one put GREASY hands on it so i washed it under the tap... then it went to Camera heaven...)
There was hardly any shutter lag on it, I took perfect pictures without flash (in daylight) with no blur.
and a decent dynamic range...
wish i Kept it now...

 

[Samanax]

shutter lag is what pushed me over the fence to DSLR.

Me too...and the difference is like night and day.

 

[Eyetattoo]

Sadly it wasn't water resistant... (some one put GREASY hands on it so i washed it under the tap... then it went to Camera heaven...)

wish i Kept it now...

I would never put a camera under the tap!!!:banghead: