| A common complaint about a low to mid range | | | | |
| digital camera is the speed at which it | | | | Unfortunately, users may still have to deal |
| captures images. Such complaints are the | | | | with the delay between taking one photo and |
| result of lag time: both the delay between | | | | the next which can result in missing many |
| pressing the shutter button and getting a | | | | great shots. This delay is due to the fact |
| single picture and the time between capturing | | | | that a digital camera requires time to write |
| consecutive images. | | | | the image to memory and not all cameras and |
| | | | memory cards are as fast at writing as |
| Certainly buying a higher end digital camera | | | | others. |
| can significantly reduce either of these two | | | | |
| delay issues. Recent news reports even | | | | Setting resolution lower can help to speed up |
| indicate that Casio is in the process of | | | | a digital camera as there is less information |
| developing a digital camera that will be | | | | to record. However, the drawback is clearly a |
| capable of photographing 300 frames per | | | | loss in the quality of the image captured. |
| second but that is obviously in the future at | | | | However, there is another way of reducing the |
| this point and may be out of the desired | | | | time between pictures without compromising |
| price range for many buyers. For the near | | | | the quality of the resulting photograph. Use |
| term, and for the buyer on a budget, there | | | | of a memory card that has a faster write time |
| are a couple of tips to help deal with a | | | | can result in a significant decrease in the |
| sluggish digital camera. | | | | delay. This can become particularly important |
| | | | with a camera that has 5, 6, 8 or more |
| <b>Reducing Lag</b> | | | | pixels. Because of the increased amount of |
| | | | information to be recorded, a 2x or 4x memory |
| The lag time that occurs between pressing the | | | | card will not allow such a digital camera to |
| shutter button and taking the picture is due | | | | operate very quickly. |
| in large part to the focusing functions that | | | | |
| are being performed by the camera during this | | | | For this technique to be effective in |
| time. | | | | speeding up the performance of a digital |
| | | | camera however, it is also important to |
| Many digital camera owners have learned to | | | | remember that the camera being used must |
| work around this lag time. By simply pressing | | | | support the faster read/write times offered |
| the button halfway down and holding it prior | | | | by the memory card. Thus, knowing what the |
| to taking the picture, the camera is able to | | | | camera can accommodate will allow the user to |
| complete much of the focusing prior to asking | | | | determine if an 8x or 16x memory card would |
| the camera to actual capture an image. Once | | | | be the better choice. |
| the user is ready to take the shot, the | | | | |
| button is depressed completely and, viola, | | | | A digital camera offers many benefits to |
| the camera responds with almost no delay. | | | | users such as the ability to view shots |
| This technique obviously works only when the | | | | immediately, edit shots for better quality |
| person taking photographs plans ahead and is | | | | photos, and to print photographs at home. The |
| prepared to take a shot prior to the proper | | | | drawback of some digital cameras continues to |
| moment. | | | | be a more sluggish performance but there are |
| | | | certainly a few steps that users can take to |
| <b>Reducing Delay Between Shots< | | | | alleviate any problems this may create. |
| b> | | | | |