Why does my Nikon 35mm f/1.8 sometimes delay before taking a photo?
Asked 12/27/2010
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I’m using a Nikon D3000 with a Nikkor 35mm f/1.8. Sometimes the camera takes the picture almost instantly, but other times there’s a noticeable delay of up to about a second after pressing the shutter. It doesn’t seem like obvious focus hunting, and it happens in both lower light and normal indoor light. Is this kind of delay normal with a fast prime lens, or could the lens be defective?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
15y ago
2 Answers
6
There are four basic things that happen when you push the shutter button:
- Metering
- Focusing
- Aperture stop-down
- Shutter activation (and mirror flip, etc.)
You can isolate most of these things to see where the hangup is.
- Manual mode will eliminate metering.
- Manual focus will eliminate auto-focusing.
- Shooting wide open (f/1.8 here) will eliminate aperture stop-down.
- A half-press of the shutter button will eliminate both 3 and 4.
Also, @mattdm has an important point w.r.t. a half-press vs. a full press of the shutter button. Typically when you push the shutter half way, things 1 and 2 happen (and can take a little while, maybe up to a 1/2 second or so, which is quite noticeable), and when you then press it all the way down, 3 and 4 happen (almost instantly - under 100 milliseconds on the D3000). (More timing specs on the 3000.) Generally, I do half-press when anticipating the shot and then the full press when it's time. (And my anxiety dreams generally involve a shutter that won't go.)
Finally, I have this lens and it's always performed very quickly on my D90, no slower than my other lenses.
Originally by user27. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user27
15y ago
0
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A fast aperture lens does not normally cause shutter-release lag. The aperture and shutter are separate mechanisms, so f/1.8 itself is not a reason for a long delay.
What you’re noticing is more likely delay from one of the camera’s normal pre-shot steps: metering, autofocus, or aperture stop-down. A half-press usually starts metering and focus; the full press then stops the lens down and fires the shutter, which should be very quick.
To isolate the cause:
- Use manual focus to rule out autofocus delay.
- Use manual exposure to rule out metering effects.
- Shoot wide open at f/1.8 to minimize aperture stop-down.
- Try half-pressing first, then fully press to see if the lag disappears.
If it fires promptly after a half-press, the delay is probably in metering or autofocus, not a bad lens. Since your D3000 relies on the lens motor, some focus delay can be noticeable, but a “fast” lens is not supposed to make the shutter itself slower.
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