Shutter button delay

I have the Rebel XT and last weekend at my son's soccer game I noticed there was a delay between me pressing the shutter button and the camera taking the picture. I had been taking a lot of pictures and thought I might be going too fast for the camera since I was using rapid fire for the first time ever (although I've owned the camera for several years).

I tried some practice shots today and it still is happening. Some shutter button presses worked immediately as they should, others had the delay. If I keep my finger on the button, the picture will take but only after a little delay.

I'm sure there are many people here who can make a good educated guess as to what's going on. I'd like to know.

Thanks,
Karen

what mode do you have it on?

Possible that it's on auto or another mode where the camera needs to meter, focus, adjust settings (ISO, WB, etc.) which takes a little time, and if you are tracking someone or shooting in different lighting conditions, like going from shade to sunlight to shade, etc. the camera will need just a little time to adjust.

Low contrast will make the AF work a little harder also, the AF on those cameras are nothing to brag home about, it may have a hard time picking up the subject.

What AF mode do you have it on, shooting burst you probably want Al Servo.
Did you here the AF motors when you experienced the delay?

Heres some of my thoughts
1) had you just taken a long burst? the camera buffer might have been unloading still.
2)had the camera been idle for a while? it might have been coming out of sleep mode.
3) were you using AI servo? it might be waiting to get focus before shooting.

Shooting my son's soccer game I had it on Av mode. Yes, I was shooting long bursts (6 or so at a time). The camera had not been idle. I had been using it for 45 minutes by the time I started having issues. Sadly, I have not learned about AI servo, so I was not using it. It was on One Shot. I don't recal if I heard the motors.

Shooting inside just now I had it on Manual. The camera had been idle, but still has the issue even after shooting several minutes. It seems to focus and the delay comes after that. Focus - wait - click. Or focus - wait - click - click since I have my finger pressed on the button waiting. It was not a low contrast situation.

Thanks for helping me figure it all out.

Karen

I think what is happening is that you have it on "one shot" and for the first shot of the burst it focus' and then can not focus after that. but then again the way you describe it is that it delays right after it focus'....hmmmmmm

sounds like focus delay to me. Try pressing and holding the shutter button half-down, wait until it beeps to say it has focused then press the button full way down (without letting it come back up beforehand). It should take the photo as soon as you press it fully down without a delay.

Keydogg wrote in post #3921711
sounds like focus delay to me. Try pressing and holding the shutter button half-down, wait until it beeps to say it has focused then press the button full way down (without letting it come back up beforehand). It should take the photo as soon as you press it fully down without a delay.

It should take the photo right after it focuses, but it's not. I depress the button half way, it beeps (focuses), I push it all the way down (without releasing from the half press focus), I wait, it takes the photo.

Thanks,
Karen

do you have any custom functions set? if so maybe take them off and restore to default on your entire camera, maybe that will work....

BaumannPhotography wrote in post #3921974
do you have any custom functions set? if so maybe take them off and restore to default on your entire camera, maybe that will work....

No, no custom functions set.

maybe your XT thinks it's a P&S ?

time to get the 40d !

ed rader

Maybe try it on single frame mode instead of continous. If the buffer gets full, it can slow way down. Also, just as an experiment, go to shutter priority and snap a few. If fine, that will illiminate any shutter button problems. Then switch your lens to manual focus and snap a few. If fine, that may indicate that your lens is taking up the time trying to focus.

ed rader wrote in post #3922054
maybe your XT thinks it's a P&S ?

time to get the 40d !

ed rader

Hey, I'm all over that. But dh, just now watching over my shoulder, just scowled.

Bootlegger, the thing is, I haven't changed any settings and all of a sudden this just started happening. It is focusing as it always has, it's after the focusing that the delay happens.

Thanks,
Karen

almost sounds like you accidentally put the camera in the remote mode. i've done that before.

I would suspect that either the buffer is not emptying quick enough, or that being in one shot is confusing it. You need AI SERVO for anything that is moving.

Hmmmm....tell me what you think of this:

I'm not that strong (5'3" female) and after 45 minutes holding up the 70-200mm f/2.8, I start to get tired. I start to rely on my right hand to help support the camera. This makes my finger unable to hit the center of the shutter button.

When I was practicing with my camera today (the 24-70mm f/2.8 is also not light) I found that my finger was half on the button and half to the side. In other words, I wasn't pressing the button straight on, but more at an angle. Experimenting with that a bit, I *think* when my finger is not straight on I get: half press - focus - full press - wait - take picture. The picture takes when I push harder which then treats the depression as straight on.

I've had my camera for years and I've had the lenses a year or more and never had a problem until the last 2 weeks. I wonder why this is starting now. I hope I haven't always done this and weakened the button...

I'll work with it a bit more to see if this is really the issue.

As for the soccer games, I guess I'll need to learn what AI Servo does and use that for soccer from now on.

Thanks for the help,
Karen