Shutter Lag Problem

[dwgnome]

This is my first foray into digital photography. For years I've used traditional SLRs.

I can't seem to get the shots I intend to take - especially when subject is in motion. When using the display, I compose my shot and just when I snap the shutter, the image I want is "frozen" on the display, but the actual shutter doesn't click until a quarter second to full second later. Therefore, the image taken is always different than what is displayed for a few seconds. This is very frustrating. Is there some kind of setting that would force the camera to actually take the shot when I press the shutter or at least minimize any such delay? It would be great if I can capture the "frozen" image and forego the delayed snapshot.

Do the more expensive "professional" models such as the D60, D90 have this delay or do they act like normal SLRs?

Thanks.

[G2Jim]

I have never experienced the shutter delay you mention with my G2. The image I see frozen on the LCD is the same as I see in the actaul photo. It doesn't seem logical that the image the camera shows in the LCD would be any different that the image it saves on the CF card: they should be one in the same.

Anyone else out there experienced the delay referred to?

Maybe see if there's a technical help line phone number listed in the owners manual and see what Canon has to say about it.

[datawatch99]

The way the G2 works is, the image you see on the LCD display freezes for a second while the camera adjusts its automatic features, i.e. aperature, focus, shutter speed, then when it comletes these settings the display becomes 'live' again. This whole process takes only a split second, maybe 1/3rd a second. You will see this when you hold the shutter button down halfway when in auto mode.

What is happening, i think, is the photographer is not holding the shutter button down halfway in anticipation of the shot, but is pressing the button all the way when he wants to shoot the shot. This results in the display freezing while it adjusts everything, then the display goes blank during the actual shutter opening, then the display comes back on again, with the actual image, which of course is different from the initial freezing.

Try it this way, set up the shot in the LCD, hold the button down half way, watch the display, when the freeze up is over and the camera has done all the auto adjustments, and the image is live again, when you see the shot you want, press all the way down, and the shot you want should show up. This will take some practice, to anticipate the shot, but it is the way digital cameras have always worked, as the shutter button is not actually the shutter release.

When you get more comfortable with the camera and how the ISO, shutter speed, aperature, focus, etc work, put the camera into manual mode, and the shots happen a lot faster. In fact, somewhere on this forum is a question about action shots, and how to set the camera up for taking shots quickly. Just look thru the listing and you should find it within the past two weeks.

[Carl31]

I can confirm this datawatch and I couldn't have worded it any better. This is what I believe our colleague is doing.

Your advice is bang on.

Carl
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UK G2'er