Looking for a certain feature in a camera

[forsakenfuture]

Slowly I have become more interested in taking photographs. It will never be more then an interest and not something I want to spend a ton of money on so I really just need a budget camera. I can not stand the lag time between each photo that my current digital camera times. It is a Kodak from about 2007 and really has no settings. Others I have tried do the same thing. So , what is it that I am looking for and which camera would you recommend.

[sickchilly]

If you want the least lag, you'll need to look at DSLR cameras. Although some of the newer mirror less cameras are quite fast. Then there are hybrids like the Sony NEX series that have no mirror, but do have a mechanical shutter. Although you can find some good values in these leagues of cameras, the biggest downside is the interchangeable lenses... Good glass adds up real fast, and it's addictive.

[ssssnake529]

Lots of fast cameras out there besides DSLR's. Most modern digital cameras have minimal lag, provided that you use a fast SD card in them. SD card write times vary significantly. A fast SD card will generally have less lag than a slow SD card. I use fast SD cards in my cameras and that has decreased lag a lot. Something like this:

http://www.amazon.com/SanDisk-Extrem...rd+extreme+pro

[forsakenfuture]

I will have to look into the SD cards making an improvement. How do I tell which card to get?

[sickchilly]

If he's concerned about the shot-to-shot time, i.e., the amount of time it takes for the "picture" to come back in the viewfinder (or display) after clicking the shutter, I don't think anything but a DSLR is going to give the results he's after. With a DSLR, you're literally looking through the lens the entire time and your view is only interrupted for a few milliseconds while the mirror flaps up and down. You can shoot continuously on the faster DSLRs while still getting a good representation of what you're shooting at, like in sports photography. I've owned some fast fully electronic and mirrorless (micro 4/3) cameras and none of them came close to the performance of a DSLR. They are great walk-around and travel cameras though, having nearly all the features and quality of a DSLR.

For SD cards, get at least a Class 6 for photos. If you're doing video too, spring for Class 10. And check the advertised transfer rate because Class doesn't always mean the same thing between manufacturers. I always buy Sandisk Extreme Class 10 with 45 MB/sec transfer rates.

[ssssnake529]

If he's concerned about the shot-to-shot time, i.e., the amount of time it takes for the "picture" to come back in the viewfinder (or display) after clicking the shutter, I don't think anything but a DSLR is going to give the results he's after.

My non-DSLR Olympus OMD can shoot at a continuous 9 frames per second with little or no down time shot to shot. My Fuji X100 takes pictures as fast as I can mash the button with no shot to shot down time. Many of the new "pro-sumer" mirrorless cameras have similar performance. There is no advantage to a DSLR. The mirror slows the process down, doesn't make it faster.

[forsakenfuture]

If he's concerned about the shot-to-shot time, i.e., the amount of time it takes for the "picture" to come back in the viewfinder (or display) after clicking the shutter.

This is exactly what I am talking about. Thank you for putting it in better words then i did.

[cchoc]

My wife just got a CoolPix 510 which has little to no lag time between 'click' and 'picture' and will shoot 7fps in continuous mode.

[off-roader]

While the subject is posing or in good light then I agree that most P&S cameras will do what you need these days, however there is one area where P&S cameras simply cannot match my dslr... Low light pics with faster moving objects (ex. Kids at a party). Every P&S camera I've owned (most recently the samsung NV11, Nikon s8000, nikon S80, canon SX230HX) has struggled to capture the shot because the camera can't focus in time before the shot is gone.

My Nikon D70, D300, and Sony NEX5N however have been far superior in this one respect.

HTH.