Shutter Lag
Shutter lag is the time between the shutter release being pressed and the exposure started. While this delay was insignificant on most film and some digital cameras, many digital cameras have significant delay, which can be a problem with fast-moving subjects as in sports and other action photography. Release lag of a bridge camera such as the 2010 Pentax X90 is a relatively short 1/50 s.
In many cases autofocus (AF) lag is the root cause of shutter lag. Lower-cost cameras and low-light or low-contrast situations will make the effect more pronounced and it is in these cases that AF lag is more noticed. Most AF systems use contrast to determine focus; in situations where contrast is low, the speed at which the camera can determine the best focus can be quite noticeable. Since most modern cameras will not activate the shutter until autofocus is complete, the result is shutter lag. In these cases, the photographer can switch to manual focus to avoid the delay that is attributable to the AF function.
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Famous quotes containing the words shutter and/or lag:
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Shut shutter of the mineral man
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The acid sky to the brain-pan;
And calls the crows to peck his head.”
—Allen Tate (1899–1979)
“I could be well content
To entertain the lag end of my life
With quiet hours.”
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)