FujiPix shutter lag

[john_galuszka]

I have been using a Fu jiPix S5100 (4MPX) and it has worked very well for _most_

of the photos I take--recording the step-by-step process of building big film

panorama cameras--but there is one VERY major problem with this camera, viz: it

has a very slow shutter response. For example, my very cute kittens move much

faster than the response time of the camera. Frame a shot, press the button, and

by the time the camera takes the photo, the kittens have moved a foot or more

away!

 

I have been considering upgrading to the 10MPX version of the S-series camera,

but I have not been able to find any information on shutter lag for it. I have been

to the Fuji site; I have been to the sites of camera sellers, but no one has

addressed this issue.

 

Do all the FujiPix S-series cameras have the same basic shutter (and thus all have

the same problem of NOT being able to photograph something that is fast-moving?)

[davidlong]

Are you prefocusing (half-pressing the shutter release), composing, and then fully depressing the release? The response during the last step should be pretty fast (less than 1/10 second) with your S5100. Newer cameras are slightly faster, but not by any huge amount. If you're just composing and then pressing the release completely, it's the focus delay which is causing you trouble. Again, newer point-and-shoot cameras may be a bit faster, but none are going to respond instantly in that mode.

 

Basically, if you can prefocus, most modern point-and-shoots have reasonable half-press to full-press response. If you can't prefocus and you need fast response, you need an SLR.

[ralph_jensen]

What David said. This could be more a case of how you're using the camera than a limitation of the camera itself.

 

Here's dpreview on the S5100/S5500 (different names in different markets for your camera):

 

"Aside from the rather leisurely start up time (just shy of four seconds) and frankly disappointing burst mode performance, the [s5100] feels very responsive indeed in use. It is also considerably faster than its predecessor, the S5000, in two key areas - focus speed (now down to under half a second at wideangle, not a lot more at telephoto) and shutter (full press) lag (now under 0.1 seconds)."

 

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/fujifilms5100/page4.asp

 

Bottom line: I'm guessing that no non-SLR will perform much better....