Shutter speed on compact camera

[fa66ster]

Hi all,

I have a compact Sony Dsc T-9 which is fine for everyday snaps but the shutter speed is so slow that I miss the magic shot, will an SLR resolve this or should I get one of these motion capture pocket cameras that take multiple images and take the best shot?

[Malcolm_Stewart]

...I have a compact Sony Dsc T-9 which is fine for everyday snaps but the shutter speed is so slow that I miss the magic shot, will an SLR resolve this or should I get one of these motion capture pocket cameras that take multiple images and take the best shot?

I assume that you're referring to the delay time between you pressing the shutter and the shutter actually firing.

(SLRs and) DSLRs have very little delay in this area, and many of them can shoot at quite high frames per second (up to 10fps for some heavy pro bodies), depending on the actual exposure time. You might do better with a motion capture pocket camera for some things as I expect you're more likely to have it with you, but few movie captures will use shutter speeds higher than 1/250s so if you do select frames from a movie sequence you could still get motion blur.

[fa66ster]

Yes I am referring to time between button and shutter firing.

Are you saying I wouldn't be able to achieve the same shutter speed on a compact camera as that of a DSLR? It's all about capturing the moment in an instant.

[Roger_Provins]

The delay is caused by the time the camera takes to get autofocus. If you pre-focus (hold shutter button half pressed) then wait and take shot you'll find almost no delay. Some of the very latest compacts are noticeable faster than those only a couple of years old. Good web review sites give the shutter delay times of most cameras.

[Chris Cool]

Nothing wrong with the Sony Dsc T-9 - great little camera - shutter lag is reported as excellent on this camera and you have Monitor AF, which lets the camera focus constantly, even without the shutter release pressed. This helps reduce the time required to take a picture. - nope, we just need to educate the operator

Starting with these little tutorials, Using Compact Cameras to take DSLR quality images - Action shooting all should be revealed - although it talks of shutter speeds as used in a manual/DSLR camera, there are plenty of mode scenes on your camera that can be used.

The magic words are pre-focus and panning, which have been used by photo journalists and sports togs since photography first began - enjoy