Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2002/08/01

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Subject: RE: [Leica] Millimeters and milliseconds
From: "Mitch Zeissler" <zeissler@directvinternet.com>
Date: Thu, 1 Aug 2002 05:31:28 -0400

Ted...

Sorry; I have to disagree with you on this one.

I tried looking for examples that I have seen on the shutter lag with some
of the cheaper digicams and can no longer locate them.  The examples that
were posted were of people and critters that were fleeting images, but by
the time the digicam had made up it's mind about the focus distance,
exposure, phase of the moon, why ducks quack, etc., the subject was mostly
or completely gone from the frame.  My wife has a Canon G1 pro-sumer digicam
that I consider worthless for candids because of the shutter lag, even with
presetting the exposure by pressing the shutter button half-way.

My point is, the shutter lag with a lot of the newer cameras, cheap digicams
in particular, can be infuriatingly slow, with delays measured up to 1.5
seconds from the point of intended exposure.  The problem with some of these
is the fact they are not consistent from one shot to the next; in ideal
conditions, the lag may only be 200 to 300 milliseconds, but in less than
ideal conditions [and you may not ever know what the "ideal" conditions are
for some of them] the shutter lag is much longer and unpredictable.  Not
something you can anticipate and work with in your day-to-day shooting
style.

Regards,

/Mitch
_________________________________________
Mitch Zeissler
  E-mail: zeissler@directvinternet.com

> -----Original Message-----
> Sent: Wednesday, July 31, 2002 10:52 PM
> Subject: Re: [Leica] Millimeters and milliseconds
>
> And if photographers were concerned about the lag time why
> is it that over the years we've seen such incredible action photographs?
Is
> it wildly possible Eddy Adams as he photographed the VC getting his brains
> blown out in Saigon had any thought about the lag time?  Like do you or
> anyone else in their wildest thoughts ever consider Eddy said to himself,
> "Damn! I missed the key moment  because of the shutter lag!"
> ted


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Replies: Reply from Ted Grant <tedgrant@shaw.ca> (Re: [Leica] Millimeters and milliseconds)