Question on shutter speeds and delays

[harmsal]

Hi,
I am considering buying either a Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT or a Fuji FinePix F11. The reason for purchasing the Canon is that the lenses from my old SLR will work on that body but my wife has trouble using an SLR type camera. If I purchase the Fuji, she is more comfortable using a point and shoot type camera.
My question is, our current digital camera, an older Kodak point and shoot, has a tremendous delay after pushing the shutter button. Several good action shots were missed waiting for the picture to be taken. Would either of the two cameras mentioned above have a better shutter speed after the button is pushed? Can action shots be taken with these cameras?
Thanks for your time.
Al Harms

[John_Reed]

Hi,
I am considering buying either a Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT or a Fuji FinePix F11. The reason for purchasing the Canon is that the lenses from my old SLR will work on that body but my wife has trouble using an SLR type camera. If I purchase the Fuji, she is more comfortable using a point and shoot type camera.
My question is, our current digital camera, an older Kodak point and shoot, has a tremendous delay after pushing the shutter button. Several good action shots were missed waiting for the picture to be taken. Would either of the two cameras mentioned above have a better shutter speed after the button is pushed? Can action shots be taken with these cameras?
Thanks for your time.
Al HarmsMost digital cameras use a "two-step" shutter release process. First, you half-depress the shutter button to acquire focus and exposure for the desired scene, which takes some time, usually in the low fractions of a second. Next, you fully depress the shutter button to execute the shot itself, and the delay to releasing the shutter is generally very short nowadays, less than 0.1 second. If one simply "mashes" the shutter button without taking these two steps into account, delays can be long for any camera. I'd say that the Canon you mentioned would be the quickest to respond, and the Fuji a bit slower. But, given that your old Kodak uses a similar method probably, even IT might seem faster if you let the normal shutter release process take place.

[Vich]

The Canon DSLR, most definately. The lens needs to be appropriate for the task, but many semi-pros use that very camera.

The Fuju - sorry, no experience, but doubtful. I'm a little curious about that myself. I have several hundred photos of the back of my kid's head to show my frustration with P&S, but the P&S cameras have come a long way.

The DSLRs are all, for all intensive purposes (except under extreem low-light conditions), instant. Even then, you can use manual focus and it'll be instant.

Pre-Focusing (holding the button half way) will usually circumvent most of the delay - true on most cameras.

[AlexMonro]

I can't find figures for the shutter lag for the F11, but DCviews says "Shutter lag is absent and all controls are very responsive with a nice positive action and a durable feel to them." Imaging-Resource gives the shutter lag for the Rebel XT as 0.24s with full autofocus, or 0.095s with pre-focus (half-press).

One thing to remember about using lenses from your old SLR is that they might not have all the modern coatings that lenses designed for digital cameras have, so they might be more susceptible to flare, due to digital sensors being more reflective than film.

[Vich]

I can't find figures for the shutter lag for the F11, but DCviews says "Shutter lag is absent and all controls are very responsive with a nice positive action and a durable feel to them." Imaging-Resource gives the shutter lag for the Rebel XT as 0.24s with full autofocus, or 0.095s with pre-focus (half-press).

One thing to remember about using lenses from your old SLR is that they might not have all the modern coatings that lenses designed for digital cameras have, so they might be more susceptible to flare, due to digital sensors being more reflective than film.
Many of the "great lenses" being widely used on DSLRs also lack that coating, without much issue.

The coating improves matters, but by no means discounts the use of older lenses. An old cheap lens will have issues no matter, just like the new ones that have coating.

However; if the old lenses are not EF mount - that's another story.

[harmsal]

Thanks for the great replies...but one question. What is the "flare" you mentioned up above? Is this like an over exposure? A big white spot in the picture? The lenses I have are all Canon EF lenses, but they are several years old. What should I look for in the picture quality in regards to the "flare".

Thanks!!