Camera with a quick shutter?????

[LivinInTheCastle]

Hi everyone,
This may be a stupid question, but I am looking for a decent digital camera that you do not have to hold still for very long after taking a picture. I have very shaky hands, and I am unable to get anything resembling a decent shot with our current digital camera. Anyone have any suggestions for me?
TIA!

 

[ukcatfan]

If you are talking about low light shots, then you would likely need to go to a DSLR to see much improvement. You could also use manual controls if your camera allows it. Set the aperture to as wide as possible (usu ~f/2.8) and the ISO as high as you are willing to go. That will maximize your shutter speed.

Kevin

 

[MarkBarbieri]

I'm not exactly sure what you are talking about. There are two "delays" that occur after pressing the button on a camera. The first is the time between when you press the button and when the camera starts to take the picture. That is called "shutter lag". The second is the time during which the camera is actually recording the image. That is called the "shutter speed."

Some cameras have very long shutter lags and others have very short shutter lags. DSLRs have no noticeable shutter lag. Regular digital cameras have shutter lags that vary from long (sometimes a full second) to relatively short (1/10 second). The shutter lag for most regular digital cameras is a lot less than it was even a few years ago.

The shutter speed depends more on the amount of light available than on the camera. If you are taking a picture in low light, it takes the camera a while to gather enough light for the picture. There are settings that you can adjust that make that faster (higher ISO, lower f-stop number), but that only helps so much. Using a tripod can help, but that can be a nuisance for simple snapshots. Some cameras have image stabilizers that help as well.

 

[My2Girls66]

Our 1st digital- Nikon Coolpix 4500- was super sloooow- we then got a 4600- it seemed fast until we got a Coolpix L11 and a Canon A540 last year there is very little shutter lag on the new ones. Not as fast as my D50 but pretty good. My Dh uses the 4600 all the time and when he tried the A540 he couldn't believe how fast it was.

 

[ukcatfan]

I have very shaky hands, and I am unable to get anything resembling a decent shot with our current digital camera.

This does not sound like shutter lag if shaky hands are causing bad shots. That sounds like camera movement where a faster shutter speed or IS would help.

Kevin

 

[LivinInTheCastle]

Thanks everyone for your help. I am currently trying to find something that snaps the picture really quickly after the shutter is pressed. I notice that I move the camera after I press the shutter and before the picture really snaps.

 

[GrillMouster]

Regardless of how shaky your hands are, shutter lag does not cause blurry images.

The following techniques will minimize the blur that is caused by your own movement.
When taking a picture, steady the camera by doing the following:
Stand with your feet shoulder length apart and one foot slightly in front of the other, or lean against a wall (or something sturdy).
Put the camera up to your eye, look through the viewfinder.
Cradle the bottom of the camera/lens with one hand.
Tuck your elbows in close to your body.
In one smooth motion press and hold the shutter button until the camera is completely done taking the picture.

Do use the LCD screen on the back of the camera to compose your shot (only use it to review your shots after you take them), do not hold the camera straight out in front of you, do not jab at the button when taking the picture.

If your subject is moving, you'll might need to increase the shutter speed . You'll have to look at your camera's manual to see how to do that, but most cameras have a shutter-priority mode that is simple to use. Point-and-shoot cameras are notorious for setting shutter speed too slow in full automatic mode. They often set the shutter speed at the inverse of the focal length, thinkig that should be enough to offset the effects of hand-held camera shake. For instance, at 50mm-equivalent zoom the camera may set the shutter speed to 1/60 sec. For the average snapshooter, 1/60 may be too slow; 1/125 may be more appropriate, and with moving subjects (or if the photographer is on a moving platform, like a ride at WDW) 1/250 or faster would be even better. Of course, using a faster shutter speed means decreasing the length of time that light falls on the sensor or film, so you'd have to also admit more light by using a larger aperture or increase sensitivity by using a higer ISO.

Some cameras also have a "burst mode" or "continuous mode", where the camera will take several pictures in succession as long as you hold down the shutter button. Don't bother using this mode with flash, because your flash will need time to recycle between each shot, defeating the purpose of this mode.