Digital Camera Question

[kitten645]

You all take such great shots, I hope you can help me out. My Canon Powershot A520 has a rather long delay time in taking a picture. Hence I end up with lots of pictures of an empty piece of carpet where a kitty was just sitting or the back of someones head!! I've tried a bigger memory stick and putting in fresh batteries and that doesn't seem to work. I've tried reading the manual but it doesn't seem to address this. I have it on an AUTO setting but it has other available settings. I've tried them all and it doesn't seem to help either. I've tried with and without red eye reduction and with and without flash. Can anyone of you shutterbugs help?

[Catlady711]

Shutter delay is frequently a factor in the camera itself. Best you can do is try to anticipate the shot and press the shutter button before it happens. Although honestly my camera lag has produced some really cool shots at times.

[Freedom]

I have the Canon A560 - just bought it a few weeks back. I have had that issue a bit. I am just so happy as this is so much FASTER than my Nikon 35 mm, that I am still considering it an improvement!

Does your model have a setting for pets? Mine does, I haven't even tried it yet. It is supposed to help with that.

No other thoughts just now.

[kitten645]

No setting for pets I suppose that reduces glowing eyes? I guess I should count my blessings that I can take pictures and download them in minutes and share them. Hard to recall what it was to buy film, use up the roll, wait for it to get developed only to find you paid for a bunch of bad pics Thanks for your help!

[Cinder & Smoke]

My Canon Powershot A520 has a rather long delay time in taking a picture.

Have you read the section of the Manual that talks about
"HALF-Pressing" the shutter button?

When you "Half-Press" (push down HALF Way on the button), the camera
"sets up" the shot - focuses and determines shutter speed and lense settings -
and "gets itself *ready*" to take the picture ...

THEN (after the "ready light" comes on) -
you Push the Shutter the REST of the way down -
and the camera "fires" the shot almost instantly.

You do have to "start" taking the picture a second or two "early" when you
do the "half-press" - but then the actual *shot* has no delay when you finish pressing the button.

You can "set up a shot" well in advance ... Aim at the subject, Half-Press the shutter
to tell the camera to "get ready" ...
then "HOLD" the half-press for as long as you want to - over a minute if your
subject isn't ready - then push all the way to "Fire When Ready"!

Try it!


/s/ Phred

[Jessika]

I always "half-press" first to focus, and then "full press" to take the pic

Correct me if I'm wrong but that seems like it may be an older, slower model of the powershots. So it may just be slow. When I had my A300 I didn't think it was slow or anything, but when I got my SD500, there were noticeable speed differences between the two. The only difference was age.

[kitten645]

Well, like all technology, it isn't "technically" old as I've only had it a year ...however things change so quickly, it is an "older" camera I guess.. Wish I could afford to get a new one every six months but it isn't a reality...not only that but I visualize the dumpsters of the world teaming with "out of date" gadgets.
It does do the half press/focus thing. I didn't realize you could hold it there for so long Thanks for that bit of info! I guess when I see a pic I just want to TAKE it so I press the button as hard as I can thinking it will take it faster. Think I'll have to practice patience!! Or only photograph still lifes!! Any bowls of fruit around here?? LOL
Guess I'll be surfing the net for my next new camera. Thanks again everyone for your replies!

[Jessika]

Oh no, I didn't mean it's old and you should buy a new one, it just seems like a model that came out a few years back or so.

Then again technology for digi cams has SKYROCKETED in the last few years so if you bought a camera today it would be outdated tomorrow.

[Giselle]

What about the ISO setting? I know the really high ISO settings will give you super quick pictures, but I guess the higher the setting the grainier the picture. Bad compromise, in my experience Other than that, I think anticipating is the only remedy!

Also, lighting seems to affect shutter speed, too. The worse the lighting, the longer it takes to focus and take a picture. The brighter the lighting, the quicker it is. I think that's all automated, though.

[kitten645]

Thanks for the info. Any ideas how I change an ISO setting? I'll have to look in the manual now that know what I'm looking for! I'd compromise a bit of quality for the backs of heads! Especially since most of them aren't really "archival" printed sort of pics. Just to share on the web with friends. Thanks again for your time and kind responses. Hopefully I'll get more pics posted!

[kittycats_delight]

if you have a sport setting your shutter speed will be much faster as well. I use this setting a lot when trying to get pictures of the kittens cause they shoot off like race cars. LOL the setting works well if you don't know how to change your ISO or if you don't want to use manual mode and set it up yourself for each shot. When you are dealing with animals (especially cats & ferrets) there isn't enough time for full manual so sport setting it is.

[catnapper]

Ashley has this one and its is a slower camera. I found the key is to play with the settings. I much preferred the manual setting over the auto. She prefers auto and you can tell an definite difference between my photos and hers.... even if they are taken on the same camera. Play with the "P" mode and make little adjustments. A few minutes playing and reading the manual will yield surprising differences. I wish I could walk you through what I do but I don't realize what little things I do to tweak it.

Oh, and always try using natural light whenever possible. The more light, the faster the camera will take pictures.

[Freedom]

Oh, and always try using natural light whenever possible. The more light, the faster the camera will take pictures.

Yup, I noticed that as well.

I think the pet setting has to do with moving subjects.

You can read the manual and you can also find helps here:
http://www.steves-digicams.com/2005_reviews/a520.html

Scroll down and look at Features and Controls. Maybe you will find something in there.

Craftlady gave me that link when I bought my camera. It has stuff which does not appear anywhere in the Owner Manual! Good luck.

[Catlady711]

Thanks for the info. Any ideas how I change an ISO setting? I'll have to look in the manual now that know what I'm looking for! I'd compromise a bit of quality for the backs of heads! Especially since most of them aren't really "archival" printed sort of pics. Just to share on the web with friends. Thanks again for your time and kind responses. Hopefully I'll get more pics posted!

http://www.steves-digicams.com/2005_reviews/a520.html

Since I'm quite a fan of Canon's for their ease of use and similarity from model to model I think I can help you find your ISO setting.

If you don't see the current ISO setting on your camera press the DISP. button, it should show along the left side of your screen with a bunch of other icons and say something like ISO 100 or something along that line. Higher numbers is faster but grainier. Your model camera will go up to an ISO of 400.

Try pressing the FUNC. button, according to that website it should be located just below your viewing screen and on the right side. Scroll through the options on the left until you get to the ISO then you should be able to hit the SET button (that's the button in the center of the large circle on the back of the camera on the right side. Once you access that you should be able to change the ISO setting to whatever you want.

Hope that helps, that website is a great tool for learning about your camera. I've found for mine it sometimes has features listed that aren't even in my manuals.

[Freedom]

UGH, maybe it was CATlady who gave me that link!!!