When you press the shutter, your camera gathers information on your subject and then sets the focus, exposure,
and white balance for the best results. It also saves the photo to the flash memory. These adjustments enhance
your photos, but they can also cause you to miss that perfect shot due to the delay. Fortunately, you can minimize
shutter lag with a few simple tips.
What is shutter lag?
Shutter lag is the lag time between the moment a camera's shutter is pressed and when it actually takes the picture.
It may seem like your camera is performing slowly, but it's actually doing a lot during that time.
Press down the shutter button halfway on your digital camera. The red brackets mean it's still focusing. Green means you're ready.
Preparing your camera before snapping a photo can dramatically reduce shutter lag. Once you find your subject,
aim your camera and press the shutter button lightly, about halfway down. This tells your camera to focus and
make other adjustments before it's time to take the picture. When the time is right to snap the photo, press
the shutter button all the way down to instantly capture the desired photo.
If you're taking photos at sporting events or in other high-action situations, anticipating your photo opportunities
will help reduce shatter lag. Try to see where the action is headed in the game or race, so you'll be prepared for
that championship play or player reaction.
Here's another technique to try: snap the photo just a second before the action happens, if you can predict it.
This will allow your camera the second or so it needs to make adjustments and capture the photo.
Another way to reduce shutter lag is to use shooting modes designed to do just that. For action shots, use your
camera's Action shooting mode. It uses a fast shutter speed to stop the action, so you get clear photos without
blur. To photograph a sequence of moves with ease, use your camera's Burst mode. This setting allows you to take
several photos in quick succession when you hold down the shutter button, increasing your odds of getting that
perfect, winning shot.
If you're shooting in low light (indoors, for example), Steady Photo mode on some cameras can help
avoid blurry photos resulting from camera shake or a moving subject. With this
mode, your camera becomes more sensitive to light. As a result, less exposure time is needed to capture enough
light to make a picture, so the shutter speed is faster. Steady Photo helps freeze motion for sharp, clear photos.
Unless you plan to make large prints, consider decreasing photo resolution to minimize shutter lag. Higher-resolution pictures
take your camera longer to record because there's more information to process. By decreasing your camera's resolution setting
to something like 3 to 4 MP, you can take lower-resolution photos in less time. (Low-resolution photos are better for e-mailing
and adding to Web pages, anyway.)
Lastly, the best way to get that one-in-a-million shot is to take a ton of photos so you'll increase your odds of capturing the one you really want. You can simply delete the rejects later.
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