Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

I am making a plea to any experienced photographers out there, especially those of you experienced with consumer-designed digital cameras.

My question: Is there a digital camera (priced and sized for my "amateur/travel" photography interests) that actually snaps the photo the instant you press the "shoot" button?

Sooooo many of my shots are of people, pets, horses, etc. and they mostly show the moment AFTER the scene that i intended to capture. There seems to be an unavoidable delay and I`m wondering if any of you know how to remedy this or if there`s a camera made that averts this problem.

Thanks!

Rich

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Rich Sloan , Co-Founder, Chief Startupologist, StartupNation

I`m sure there`s equipment out there that`ll do what you`re saying. I`m not a professional action photographer, but I`ll tell you my experience with getting shots of my dogs in motion.

I have a Minolta DiMage Z6. Takes great pictures. What I have to do, is attempt to predict the shot. For example, at an agility trial, I know that dogs will be jumping over certain points, coming through the ends of certain chutes, etc... so I prepare to shoot by focusing on the spot where I know they`ll be coming through.

On less predictable shots, I still try to sort of predict where the dog will be. For example, when tossing the frisbee in the backyard, I set the camera to just keep shooting frame after frame as I pan along the path the dog is running.

Since my camera has a digital viewfinder instead of an optical one, I focus using the viewfinder, and then open the other eye and track the dog`s motion with it. There`s no way my viewfinder can keep up with motion that fast. Anyway... I prefocus it in a spot where I think I`ll get the shot I want. But sometimes you get other cool effects you didn`t even intend :-)

Here`s some of the shots I took last summer (some of you might have already seen the one frisbee pic from my photo album).
Pic 1
Pic 2
Pic 3
Pic 4

I`m no pro in the action department, but hopefully this is helpful for you!



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talk about ACTION shots!!!

as i`ve commented before, i love that flying through the air photo but i see how just shooting like mad can capture some great moments.

unfortunately, it sounds like the answer comes down to "skill", not a "no-brainer" solution. i have some practicing to do!

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Rich Sloan , Co-Founder, Chief Startupologist, StartupNation

There may be a no-brainer solution out there that I don`t know about - so maybe someone else has some input here. But I haven`t found it yet! It`s a great way to wear your dog out for the day, too *L*  I spent a great deal of time taking crap shots and missed opportunities before I actually started getting some good shots in motion.


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rich
It sounds like you are being defeated by the auto-focus feature on your camera.
When you press the button, the camera is trying to figure out what to focus on and then shoots. This is where the delay is occurring.  Check the manual , and look for words like "focus lock" and "autofocus"

Your camera is probably just fine .. just check the manual again

Rich, I don`t have any great action photos to provide proof (the photos provided by Christina were great), but I know when I perform that type of shot, I have to switch to a high speed setting which allows me to take 5 consecutive shots without the auto focus re-adjusting. I then toss the digital images which did not work.

It is more of a skill, than a simple setting thing. But maybe I should read my manual too. The darn thing is so technical that I get lost in the verbiage.

I generally review the manuals of all my devices from time to time. That way, what ever I didn`t understand the first time around, maybe I will the second.

But getting to your exact question… I am not much help.


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Vincent Wilcox (a.k.a. KRAKR)
Drummer
My band: Letters Make Words

Christina - your action shots are wonderful!

I love to take photos! I bought a Canon XT last summer, upgraded the
lens to a 35 - 125 I.S. lens. This year I invested in a dedicated flash. I
think it`s the Canon 430EX. My secret to taking great shots? Take lots of
them!

Here are a few links to my images:
<a href="http://dorisrudddesigns.smugmug.com/share/
nc9VGAzz7NEJw">Sadie and Typo Pictures</a>

<a href="http://www.smugmug.com/gallery/645295">Outer Banks 2003
pics</a>

Dang - let me try again -

http://www.smugmug.com/gallery/727339     

http://www.smugmug.com/gallery/645295     

On that second gallery - does "Outer Banks" refer to the outer banks in North Carolina? It looks beautiful. Great shots, and I would LOVE a Canon Rebel XT or a Nikon D70s. I think one of those two will be my next camera.

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Thanks Christina! Yes, those were taken at the Outer Banks last summer.
There were a few action shots in that group. My son and nephew skim
boarding and the girls in the surf. I haven`t played around much with
action photography, it`s something I need to work on (in my spare time).

I love the Rebel XT. I researched a lot before deciding to purchase it. It
was between the Rebel and the Canon 20D. The Rebel fit my small hands
better, so that was the deciding factor. Before buying a camera, I strongly
recommend going to a camera store and picking it up to see how it fits in
your hands.

Rich, I meant to say earlier that the Rebel does take the picture quickly.
There should be information on-line, maybe Steve`s Digicam, that will tell
you how fast the camera you are interested in will shoot an image. My old
Sony Cyber-Shot seemed to always take the shot a second after it
happened. Even at a fast shutter speed.

Three good photography web sites are:

Steve`s Digicam

Fred Miranda     

DP Review

There are several professional photographers on here. Hopefully they will
chime in.