Long time listener first time caller

[Torus]

Hi everyone,
Ive been lurking for a while and am now about to make a purchase...
I currently have an old EOS 1000f and a Nikon 885 Coolpix. Im looking to get a 300D but have a question if you can help.
One of the biggest issues i have with digital cameras in particuar my 885 is the time they take to turn on... then respond to the shutter and save images.... to thouse who have a 300D... will i have the same frustrations with the 300D?
Thanks

[ohenry]

Not an issue regarding shutter lag, very similar to film SLRs. There is time required to write the image (time dependent on quality of image chosen) but there is a buffer system built in which will allow you to take additional shots. Unless you're shooting in a burst mode, this shouldn't be a problem.

[MrKickalot]

"Wow, never made the connection.... Thanks Mr Obvious, your a life saver"

If your a Bob and Tom fan you'll get it, if not sorry!!! LOL

[Scottes]

Turning the camera on takes a couple seconds before it's ready.

Shutter-button press to shutter realease depends on AF, unless you're in AI Servo or have turned the lens to manual focus. Then shutter release will be very very quick - but useless because the pic will not be in focus.

But generally the camera won't release the shutter until it achieves focus. So a lens that is slow to focus means shutter release takes longer. Or if you are way out of focus it takes time for any lens to focus, so shutter release takes longer.

A lens with a fast autofocus - a nice "fast" lens (ie; large base aperture) with a USM motor - will focus very quickly and thus shutter release will have little lag. But even that lens will take time to focus on something close to you when you were just focusing on something very far away. And conversely a slow-focusing lens will focus quickly if the focus point doesn't change much.

So it also helps to pre-focus. If you're waiting for something to come into view and you expect it to be about 50 feet away, then it helps if you focus on something 55 feet away and then wait for your subject. Then the lens will change focus only a little bit, so it will do it quickly, and so shutter lag will be very short.

So when done right, a DSLR's shutter lag will be very short indeed. And this goes for any SLR, really.

[arumdevil]

When I first got my 300D (Digital rebel) a couple of months ago I was shopoiting ion the highest Jpg setting or the next down and I never had to wait for the buffer to empty so I could take another shot (I haven't done any sports or anything like that yet though).
Recently I have started shooting in RAW which takes longer to write and empty the buffer, so It can be a bit of a pain sometimes, but generally it should be fine unless you want to take lots of photos in quick succession.

As for shutter release lag - scottes is absolutely right about the autofocus issues, but once the camera is actually ready the delay is barely noticeable, if at all. So compared to your coolpix, if it was anything like the Fuji Finepix I used to use it will be instant. Very nice.

[HKdom]

"Wow, never made the connection.... Thanks Mr Obvious, your a life saver"

If your a Bob and Tom fan you'll get it, if not sorry!!! LOL

Helloooooo Tom! :lol:

Man I miss that show!

[dwc]

Torus - What about the Nikon D70. Instant on. Low power consumption. Faster write times than the Drebel or the 10D!(with a high speed card)
I'm glad I got it over the Drebel. I shoot everything Raw NEF and get more shots on a card because of lossless compression! I had the Coolpix 5700 and hated it, but the D70 is a world apart. Try it side by side with the Drebel, I think you'll see and feel the difference.

Scott W.

[daaaveman]

As has been stated many times before tho.......canon makes better lenses that are easier to understand. I looked at the N**** but man, I couldn't figure out the lenses......D, G, S, Q, too many to mention. Canon, EOS, just EOS.

Buy a camera based on the lenses, not the body. Bodies will change but lenses are a long-term investment.

[cube1]

based on lenses, if your going for the kit version with the lens then the Nikons 18-70 seems to be a much better lens than the Canon one

[Belmondo]

Buy a camera based on the lenses, not the body. Bodies will change but lenses are a long-term investment.

This is a fundamental truth.........
You'll notice that the camera manufacturers are playing a game of leapfrog. Every new model that comes along eclipses the other manufacturer's latest and greatest. This seems to happen about once a year, so timing becomes a major factor. If you're inclined towards Nikon, jump in now and buy the D70. If you favor Canon, wait a couple months and there will be a D70 Killer available from them.

With a situation this fluid, it might seem impossible to make a decision,either right or wrong. It really isn't---Canon remains the clear winner in the optics area. As daaaveman points out, Canon has done a much better job of preserving lens compatibility over the years. A Canon EOS lens, no matter how old, will work in any EOS body**. This is very different than the alphabet roulette you play in the Nikon lens lineup. I also believe Canon quality and innovation (as well as cost effectiveness) makes them the clear choice.

I currently own a Mk II---a $4,500 camera. Even so, it only represents a small portion of what I have invested in lenses. It is Canon's latest and greatest, and is a camera that has no peers in its intended market. Nonetheless, I have no doubts that Nikon (and perhaps others) already have something better in development. Regardless of who builds it, you can bet your boots that neither I nor any other Canon user will be jumping ship anytime soon just to get a modest improvement in resolution, write times, or any other feature that might be incorporated into a competitor’s newest model.

It’s only a matter of waiting a few more months.

(**One significant exception---the two lenses developed for the Rebel will not work in other EOS bodies unless modified.)