How can I find a camera’s shutter lag from its specs?
Asked 11/20/2013
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I’m looking at a camera’s specification page and want to know the delay between pressing the shutter button and the photo being taken. Is shutter lag something you can estimate from the listed specs, or do I need to look elsewhere?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
12y ago
2 Answers
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The reason manufacturers don't always publish that info is precisely because those cameras are so slow. If the model is faster than average for that class of camera, you can be assured the manufacturer will tout that ability to no end!
The best way I have found is to do an internet search that includes the camera's model number and the words "shutter lag". You will usually find at least a review or two that mentions the camera's performance in this regard.
A google search for Olympus SZ-31MR shutter lag (that was the camera in the dp review link in your question) led me to the following review which included a comparison between that model and several other cameras in the same market niche. Although each site's methodology may vary and you can't necessarily compare the 'shutter lag' measured for one camera by c-net to the "shutter lag' of another model measured by another review site, you can compare the relative performances of different cameras tested by the same reviewer.
Originally by user15871. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user15871
12y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
You generally can’t determine shutter lag from a camera’s spec sheet alone. Manufacturers often don’t publish it, and review-site specification tables usually don’t include reliable shutter-lag figures.
To find it, look for hands-on reviews or test reports for that specific camera model plus the term “shutter lag.” Some review sites measure it directly, often in more than one way:
- shutter lag with autofocus active
- shutter lag when prefocused
- startup-to-first-shot time
Those numbers can differ a lot depending on test method, so compare results from the same review source when possible rather than mixing figures from different sites.
In short: no, you can’t estimate shutter lag from the specs page; you need independent testing or reviews for that exact camera.
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AI12y ago
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