Have any of the digital cameras you have tested demonstrated very low shutter lag?

For most cameras there are three measurements: total autofocus to shutter trip, "pre-focus" to shutter trip, and manual focus to shutter trip.

I'm primarily interested in the time it takes for the shutter to fire from pre-focused or manually focused.

Most of my photography has been done with Leica M's, which fire essentially instantaneously when the shutter button is pressed. in the informal tests I have done, it has been VERY difficult to adjust to the shutter lag of digital cameras (and most point-and-shoots as well).

Do any of the current digital cameras stand out as exceptional performers in terms of shutter lag, either professional or "prosumer?"

Dan

-- Dan Stringfellow (dan_stringfellow@yahoo.com), May 03, 2000

Answers

Dan, If you are willing to lay out the funds for the Nikon D1, you can have a camera with conventional SLR lag time. Obviously not as fast as your range finder rigs or pellicle mirror SLR's, but just as fast as any other pro equipment. Combined with the newer, faster focusing, silent wave lenses from Nikon, the total time from button push to exposure is quite short.

I'm sure the same applies to other Pro digital cameras, but the D1 is one of the best bangs for the buck. After learning some of its idiosyncrosies, you have a suberb shooting system.

-- Steve (MilwaukeeChrome@aol.com), May 04, 2000.