Upgrade - but to which camera/or I've got dodgy eyesight?

[NYArtboy]

P.S do not listen to fjpeterson, it is a spam forum post

[mn shutterbug]

P.S do not listen to fjpeterson, it is a spam forum post

I second that. A legitimate store would not have to use this method to find customers.

Regarding shutter lag in P & S cameras, I believe the Panasonic Lumix series is the fastest. They also have excellent optics and auto focus fairly fast in decent light. It's a good thing I don't trust my eyes, while looking thru the viewfinder. I've learned to trust the camera's AF system.

[Lady of the Lakes]

Thank you so much for the responses.

I do like my Panasonic but know at 5 years old - it is only a matter of time.

I used to take fairly decent shots - always being asked to cover school events etc for friends cos my shots weren't bad (not blowing my own trumpet here - just telling as it is/was) but more recently I have many more 'rubbish' shots than good - good job the Panasonic has a triple shot facility (and yes, I know it slows the process down generally).

I guess the truth is I'm not entirely sure what is the actual problem but I'm blaming my deterioating eyesight and the fact that with a diopter on the 35mm I never seemed to get that problem.

As much as I liked my 35mm set ups - digital has to be the way for me because of the quantity of photos I take and being able to process etc with my pc.

I liked the sound of the Canon - will have a good look into that. These days I need to have something that is small-ish, can fit in handbag/pocket or whatever else is to hand and is ready to go. I've asked in camera shops, relating my tale etc., and all they try and do is sell me whatever is the 'bargain' of the week rather than listening to trying to resolve my problem - I guess they don't know so cover it up by using the alternative sales pitch!

Thanks again

Mandy

[byjamesderuvoDHQ]

Shutter delay is a way of life in point and shoot digital cameras. It's a common problem with point and shoot cameras. But there are ways to combat it.

1. Prefocus. Hold down the shutter half way to get a prefocus of the image you're shooting. When it changes, prefocus again. This will speed up your camera's performance during picture taking since it won't have to autofocus before it shoots the shot.

2. Use faster SD cards. Yes, there are faster cards and it does make a difference in writing the image file to the card. This is especially key if you're taking multiple or burst images.

3. Fresher batteries. Use alkalines at least. But I recommend using high energy batteries designed for digital photography. Varta is a good brand. They are usually sold in camera shops, are long lasting (because they are sold in small quantities) put out a lot of energy.

4. Pan with the action. You can create some pretty cool shots by panning with your shot, focusing on your subject. This will create the effect of your subject in sharp contrast to the blurry background.

6. Stick with 100-400 ISO. Going higher will cause more noise/grain in your shots, particularly in darker settings.

Doing these, particularly prefocusing and panning with the action will cut your shutter lag by as much as 80%.


As for eyesight issues, most point and shoots are forgoing the viewfinder in favor of larger LCDs. And although I'm not too thrilled with this because that larger real estate will burn up battery life quicker, for those with glasses, they are especially beneficial.

The Canon G9 though, gives you the best of both worlds with a 3" LCD and a viewfinder. It also has a larger chip to give those megapixels some wiggle room in low light conditions.

And since the G10 just came out, it'll go through a nice price drop which makes it even more attractive.

And Screen Shade has an attachable diopter which can come in quite handy.