Need advice on camera purchase!!

[beatbox]

Hi,
So i'm pretty much a scrub w/ digital camera's. I've used a couple Canon's (sd400 and a410) and a Sony Cybershot and was basically pleased w/ both. I'm now looking to upgrade a bit to 5 mp, but I have some questions.

What is the term for the amount of time it takes for the actual capture of the image after the capture button is pressed? (the delay between the push of the button and the flash I guess) The easiest way for me to describe it, is the instant capture of say, disposable cameras.

Also, what is the term for the amount of time it takes for the camera to be ready for another shot after it takes one? I guess it would be flash charging and image storing time. "Shot to shot time"

Based on those two questions, what camera do you think I might want to consider for purchase? I like the quality of Canon's, but would consider others for their "speed". I'd still like to have pretty decent image quality and a decent amount of picture options/settings.

Basically a good quality 5 mp camera that's "quick on the draw".

Thank you for any advice you may have,
adam

[Peter_AUS]

Flash Sync Speed.

Read the forum as others have asked and asked and asked and asked and .......................................

Then you might need to ask a few more specific questions after that which would be relevant to your decision then.

[Chunk]

The delay between pressing the button and capturing is usually called 'shutter response time' or something like that. It is often not mentioned in manufacturer's specs but often shows up in professional reviews. It will vary depending on camera settings.

"Shot to shot time" is used by some reviewers too. For continuous shooting you will see 'fps' (frames per second).

Check the reviews on this site and places like dpreview or Steve's Digicam for specifics on the various models.

[ken1953]

Hello BB and welcome to PR. If you have followed Peter's advise, some of the things you have found out is that many of us have asked these same and similar questions many times over. I recently purchased a new camera and being new to photography, I had lots of questions. Here's a few things that I discovered.
1. Read lots of reviews on every camera you may be interested in.
2. Understand the "type" of photography you want to use your camera for...Landscapes, Macro, Portrait, etc......
3. Determine if you want a point and shoot, prosumer, or DSLR.
4. Megapixels are not necessarily as important as sensor size. Do your research!!!
5. After you have narrowed it down to a couple of cameras, go to an outlet that has the various models you are interested in and "handle" them. Because if you buy something that doesn't feel comfortable, your going to be dissatisfied no matter how good the camera is.
6. If you still have questions, come back here and "ask more questions and opinions". If you are choosing between the same camera type, then ask questions here or in one of the manufacturer specific forums.

We are all glad to offer any assistance and advise. Please remember that we all have our preferences and so sometimes you may have to read in between the lines.

Good luck and let us know what you decide on!!!
Ken

[Chunk]

Good advice Ken. When you are handling them in #5, another thing to check out is the menu system - some seem to make better sense to some people than others.

[ken1953]

Good advice Ken. When you are handling them in #5, another thing to check out is the menu system - some seem to make better sense to some people than others.

hehe Chunk...Good one!! I'll have to remember that one for my next list!!! hehe...My suggestions are getting better!!! And more concise!!! hehe...
Ken