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57*365: Knowing Your Camera’s Shutter Lag

Does your camera have shutter lag? If you’re using a DSLR, when you press the shutter release, the photograph will be taken. If you’re using a compact digital camera, though, you’ll experience a “shutter lag”…in other words, a lag time between the time when you press the shutter release button and the time when the photo is actually snapped.

Find out your camera’s shutter lag time by taking some test photos that don’t matter. Start counting and press the shutter release button and see how long it takes for the shutter to respond. Half a second? A second?

Keep this number in mind in your future photo shoots. If you’re taking a photo of a person and a dog, it pays to know that when you count one…two…three, the photo won’t really be taken until four (so adjust accordingly and press that shutter release at two instead of three.) It’s helpful when taking a photo of a dog alone as well; you’ll know when your shutter will capture the scene (as with this photo of Irie, doing her predictable counterclockwise roll!)

What is your experience with shutter lag and your camera? Share your experiences below (and a photo using the + link, to share the fun!)

Paris Permenter
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This post originally appeared on DogTipper.com and is the sole property of DogTipper.com.