Shutter Lag??

[iamthatman]

Hi guys,

I've found an issue that needs the expertise of all the shooters here..

I'm shooting with the nikon d5100, with the kit lens (18-55 VR), settings at AF-S and point metering.
I've noticed that no matter how fast my shutter speed is, the image recorded will be lagging behind the moment I press the shutter release. Meaning to say if i take a shot of a cyclist at point A, he will appear at point B (and its a very obvious distance, nt the move move abit type).

Has this got to do with:
1) my lens not being a "Fast lens"? What type of lens are suitable for this?
2) type of file recorded? (i tried shooting with the lowest quality of JPEG and it still occurs)
3) my SD card is only Class 4?
4) any other factors?

Would appreciate the advice here thanks guys

 

[yrh0413]

its not about how fast your shutter speed is, its about how fast your camera can lock-on focus.

try using manual focus, preset a focal plane and snap when the cyclist hit point A. D5100 is not a speedy camera, you need to know your boundaries.

 

[LFC25]

Did you turn on the Exposure Delay Mode?

 

[iamthatman]

its not about how fast your shutter speed is, its about how fast your camera can lock-on focus.

try using manual focus, preset a focal plane and snap when the cyclist hit point A. D5100 is not a speedy camera, you need to know your boundaries.

Hmm sounds good, let me try tt.
Yep, I'm exploring my boundaries too, so that I can know what are my limitations thnx!

Did you turn on the Exposure Delay Mode?

Let me check on tt~ thnx

 

[jnet6]

Alternative you can go to Nikon showroom at Fuji Xerox building and try out the D7000, the shutter lag is better or almost as good as a D3 series.
Can seek professional advice from there too, if still unsure of your camera operations.

 

[Edwin Francis]

Shutter lag is an issue esp with sports photography, and has been even since before AF became popular. Typical DSLRs have shutter lags ranging from 30-50 milliseconds (pro/high-end) to ard 100ms i.e. 0.1s.

If a cyclist is moving across your frame at 40kmh, he covers about 1 metre from the time you press the shutter release to the time the exposure is made (assuming an entry-level camera with a 100ms shutter lag. With a fast camera he still covers around 0.3m to 0.5m, still significant.

It's much worse if you don't prefocus.

Even in the old manual focus days, we were told to shoot just before your moving subject reached the point you wanted the exposure to take place. After a while you'd get the feel of how far ahead to shoot. Something like shooting a moving target during NS.

Shutter lag and focus 'lag' (for want of a better term) will be compounded if you use live view ('display lag'?)

 

[iamthatman]

Thnx for the advice guys makes me feel better and know how to approach the problem!

 

[Squid]

Another factor involved is the time needed for the camera to focus. See Camera Test: Nikon D5100 DSLR | Popular Photography