Help me buy a new camera!

[TinkerBrie]

Please can you help me? I want to buy a new digital camera that does not have the "delay" after you push the button! I am certainly no professional, but I LOVE to take pics and would love to actually catch some good shots, not the side of my childrens faces after they have waited to long, after the push of the button, before the flash goes off! Can you tell me what I need to look for? I would love a new camera before our next trip.....

 

[DesertBell]

The delay you're talking about is exactly the reason I bought a dslr. I don't think you're going to find a point & shoot that doesn't have a significant delay. I love my Canon Rebel XSI, for what it's worth, although I am planning on upgrading to a 50d within the year.

 

[jfinke]

I concur. You are most likely going to have to get a DSLR to get instant results.

 

[TiffanyK]

I just got a DSLR for Christmas and I love it for that reason. I also like having more control over the pictures. I'm learning the different settings and having a blast and the pictures I take are so much better now.

 

[Chikabowa]

Of the point and shoot variety... the Canon G10 has a pretty quick shutter. However, for the price, you can get into a SLR, that has more significant capabilities, for about $100 more.

 

[ukcatfan]

I don't think you're going to find a point & shoot that doesn't have a significant delay.

That is not necessarily true anymore. There are p&s cameras that can respond quickly. There are many other important things to consider when deciding to go with a p&s or a DSLR. The OP should give us more information on things like their budget, other desires, size requirements, etc. before we can give informative advice.

 

[TinkerBrie]

That is not necessarily true anymore. There are p&s cameras that can respond quickly. There are many other important things to consider when deciding to go with a p&s or a DSLR. The OP should give us more information on things like their budget, other desires, size requirements, etc. before we can give informative advice.

Thanks for all of your help so far. I don't think I would be comfortable spending more then $300.00-$400.00. Size wouldn't be much of an issue. I do take tons of photos of my kids and like to keep the camera handy and ready to go for all of their cute unexpected "situations". I do not know much about photography, but I am a learner so I wouldn't mind getting a camera that I can "grow into". The delay, now I know is shutter speed, is so frustrating to me and just not working for me. I currently have a Cannon powershot a540 and I hate it.

 

[ukcatfan]

Thanks for all of your help so far. I don't think I would be comfortable spending more then $300.00-$400.00. Size wouldn't be much of an issue. I do take tons of photos of my kids and like to keep the camera handy and ready to go for all of their cute unexpected "situations". I do not know much about photography, but I am a learner so I wouldn't mind getting a camera that I can "grow into". The delay, now I know is shutter speed, is so frustrating to me and just not working for me. I currently have a Cannon powershot a540 and I hate it.

I do not think a DSLR is right for you based on this. They are not easy to keep "handy". They pretty much need their own dedicated case/backpack. I believe you should check into the "bridge" cameras. They are the ones that have at least a 10x zoom. Be sure to try them out in person before buying to make sure it reacts as quickly as you would like. It is actually not "shutter speed" you are talking about. It is "shutter delay". Shutter speed is how long the shutter stays open during a shot and is almost never a deciding factor on a purchasing decision. Most cameras have very similar ranges.

 

[jfinke]

I guess it depends on how you define quickly..

 

[ukcatfan]

I guess it depends on how you define quickly..

While I am not about to trade in my DSLR for a p&s, that aspect has come a very long way in the past 2-3 years. It would not be so close in tough lighting, but in good light, some of the new p&s cameras seem just as instant as a DSLR.

 

[jfinke]

While I am not about to trade in my DSLR for a p&s, that aspect has come a very long way in the past 2-3 years. It would not be so close in tough lighting, but in good light, some of the new p&s cameras seem just as instant as a DSLR.

Hmmm... Which P&S are that quick? Assuming you have your P&S in hand and I have my DSLR in hand, I would be willing to bet that I could get 12 frames off by the time you get one off from power off to shooting. Not trying to be argumentative. I am just curious as to what is out there.

My new panny fx150 will hopefully get here by this weekend and I can run some tests. Of course, now that I do some searching, it looks like the poweron time is 4 seconds, which is pretty poor. Especially since it is a new model with panny's newest processor. Oh well, I got it more for its compactness and HD video vs. speed.

EDIT: Just saw that the OP specifically was talking about shutter lag, not total time to shoot.

On the lx3 we have:

Shutter Lag,
Full Autofocus 0.770 - 0.760 sec
Shutter Lag,
Prefocused 0.012 sec
Shot to Shot time 1.17 sec
Continuous Speed 1.88 fps
(4 shots)

G10:

Shutter Lag,
Full Autofocus 0.569 - 0.671 sec
Shutter Lag,
Prefocused 0.068 sec
Shot to Shot time 2.15 sec
Continuous Speed 1.37 fps
(No limit)

Looks like the panny lx3, which is considered one of the best "enthusiast" P&S, has a poweron time of 2.3 seconds. The G10, the other power P&S, has a poweron time of 2 seconds.

 

[ukcatfan]

The OP is talking about shutter delay, not power on delay. If that is important, then no, no p&s will come close. When talking just shutter delay in good lighting, most new p&s cameras are getting pretty fast.

 

[jfinke]

Which is why i edited my post with that information. And if you are not prefocused you are talking .5+ second.

OP, you can find that information for a variety of cameras here. That is where I found my numbers I listed above.

 

[LittleDickensDesigns]

I am in the exact same situation as the OP, so I'd love to hear some p&s suggestions if anyone has some!

 

[bob100]

I am in the exact same situation as the OP, so I'd love to hear some p&s suggestions if anyone has some!

as mentioned above this is a good link http://www.imaging-resource.com/MFR1.HTM
and the reviews on www.dpreview.com are informative

my recommendation:
If you don't mind the larger size, superzoom cameras such as Canon SX10 and Panasonic FZ28 offer the best bang for the buck at around $300

 

[jfinke]

If I get some time this weekend I will post a review of my new FX150. Like I mentioned on dpreview, it is a not a DSLR. But, it is certainly better than other PnS I have. It is also better than my little camcorder I purchased a couple of years ago.

 

[grandall]

Can I just throw something out there? I am a novice and found that I can get the shot I intend by pressing the shutter button halfway to prefocus. While still pressing the button halfway, I compose the shot (e.g., call my kid's name), and then finish pressing. The delay is much much shorter then if I pressed the button fully from the get go. Try that and see if you get better results. FYI, I have a Canon S5 IS -- it's not a DSLR but is considered a bridge, or a superzoom.

 

[BrerRabbit_fan]

The Canon sd series are pretty quick. Not as fast as a dslr but nice. Go to Best Buy and play around.

 

[LittleDickensDesigns]

Thanks for the advice!

 

[daisylove]

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