Shutter lag doesn't affect all cameras

Q Your recent digital camera recommendations were interesting but left out one important subject: shutter lag. I have an older Olympus ultra-zoom camera, which does some things well but has horrible shutter lag. I have missed many shots because the camera was "thinking" about it for a while after I pushed the shutter button. Even my Nikon D70 SLR has a problem now and then, although it is much faster than the Olympus. How do compact interchangeable-lens cameras such as the Olympus E-PL1 and Sony NEX-5 deal with shutter lag?

A Shutter lag is not an issue at all with compact interchangeable-lens cameras. They use the same kind of shutter as SLRs and will fire immediately once focus is achieved and the shutter button is fully depressed. Focusing and ergonomics are what separate the two classes of cameras in overall shooting speed and action capturing ability.

SLRs still reign supreme in focusing speed, although some of the compact interchangeable-lens cameras are close. User skill plays a role in how quickly a camera focuses, as does available light and the subject. A photographer who knows how to pick an area of the subject with good contrast for the camera to focus on will achieve focus much faster than someone who simply points the camera at the subject and lets it hunt until focus is achieved.

I've used most of the compact interchangeable-lens cameras on the market and can provide a practical yardstick of their focusing speed.

On a scale of 1 to 10 -- with 1 being your pokey ultra-zoom camera and 10 being a typical digital SLR -- early versions of compact interchangeable-lens cameras such as my Olympus E-P1 rated about a 6.5, maybe a 7. The new E-PL1 rates a solid 8, and the Panasonic GF1 and Sony NEX-5 are a 9.

Then there is ergonomics. Most users of compact interchangeable-lens cameras compose with the large screen on back of the camera, which means the camera is held out from the body. This is less than ideal for action photography, especially compared with holding a digital SLR up to your eye. Some compact interchangeable lens models have built-in or accessory electronic viewfinders, but they are smaller, dimmer and less sharp than the optical viewfinder of an SLR, which provides an immediacy and clarity that no electronic viewfinder can match.

Adding it all up, a digital SLR can be operated more quickly. If you want to shoot a lot of action or sports, an SLR should be your choice.

True lovers of photography should own one of each. Get a digital SLR for the wide variety of lenses and overall flexibility and a compact interchangeable-lens camera for travel and general photography.

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