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Old 26-02-10, 11:01 AM   #1
SAMMY650
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Default Camera advice please

Hi all,

I'm shopping about for a decent compact camera. I'll be using it for the usual snap shots but also want to be able to take some pictures when I go to Moto GP and WSB this year.

I've been looking at the Olympus mju 1010 as it seems an ok all rounder, my question is about the shutter speeds.

Obviously I need something that has fast shutter speed (I've tried cameras before that take ages between pressing the button and taking the picture and I've ended up with photos of empty track!) to be able to capture the bikes as they come past and the Olympus spec shows
1/2000 sec. –1/2 sec. (up to 4 sec. in Night Scene mode) is this fast enough? If not, what speeds should I be looking for?

Thanks in advance
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Old 26-02-10, 11:10 AM   #2
fizzwheel
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Default Re: Camera advice please

In my experience, Compacts arent really fast enough for bike racing.

However 1/2000 might be OK, This was taken at that shutter, speed, but its the exit of Melbourne loop and its not exactly a fast part of the circuit



However you might find its not enough when the bikes a travelling at a higher speed

i.e here



Taken at 1/640

It also depends on the camera and then lens. You'll IMHO get better results with a DSLR but that obviously depends on whether your budget will allow you to go that far...
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Old 26-02-10, 11:18 AM   #3
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Default Re: Camera advice please

Sammy,

What you describe isn't a slow shutter speed causing the track to be empty, it's the lag between you pushing the button and the camera taking the shot. Compacts can be a nightmare for this. Check for cameras with a very short lag, some tout themselves as being very quick now.

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Old 26-02-10, 11:19 AM   #4
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Default Re: Camera advice please

Quick Googling

http://photo.net/digital-camera-forum/00RPAg

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Old 26-02-10, 11:29 AM   #5
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Default Re: Camera advice please

Thanks for the info guys. My budget is max £150.

The bikes going by at speed shouldnt be an issue as we tend to watch from places like Coppice etc.
My parents have managed some decent shots with their compact, the only issue being the picture quality when enlarged to print (pixels?)
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Old 26-02-10, 11:33 AM   #6
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Default Re: Camera advice please

This is what I found out about the Olympus I mentioned....would these be ok for the bikes?

"Shutter lag times are all quite respectable. A single photo took 0.3 seconds and five photos took 8.23 seconds. When flash is turned on times increase to 0.39 seconds for a single photo and 12.51 seconds for five photos. The times with flash are very good.

It took 2.3 seconds to turn the camera on and capture a picture"
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Old 26-02-10, 11:39 AM   #7
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Default Re: Camera advice please

In my experience Donnington is not the best for photos, the two layers of catch fencing cause issues as does the fact that you are in places stood alony way from the bikes themselves for obvious safety reasons.

At 140 - 150mph a bike can travel along way in 0.3 seconds, you need to work on your technique, so that you pan with the bike as its moving so keep the camera focused / pointed at your subject matter.

The issues with poor quality pics when enlarged to print arent being caused by megapixels, 4mp should be enough for a decent A4 print. Its more than likely the way the camera is zooming. I.e its using digital zoom rather than using the lens to get in close. You loose quality with digital zoom...

Sadly you arent going to stretch to a DSLR on your budget, you might want to look at a Bridge camera, which sits between the compact and DSLR, you get more features such as control of the shutter speed etc etc and I suspect it'll have less shutter lag as well.
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Old 26-02-10, 12:07 PM   #8
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Default Re: Camera advice please

Ok, so I need something that has a minimum 4MP, a decent optical zoom (x5?), 1/2000 shutter speed should be ok and need smallest amount of shutter lag possible. And practise, practise, practise.

Anything else I should consider?
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Old 26-02-10, 01:07 PM   #9
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Default Re: Camera advice please

Mp isn't going to be an issue nowadays, practically everything is using well over 4Mp. More isn't always better, the combination of the optics and sensor is the key, and that tends to be model specific, just read the reviews to see how each perform in practice.

The most useful feature for your use with compacts is to lock the focus at the distance you're using, then the shots will be more or less immediate when you press. Depends on model, but a lot will have a way to lock the focus at one setting for as long as you wish, otherwise simply half press the release to focus on an object at the correct distance, press full release when the subject comes into frame. This might also lock the exposure, so it may compromise the end result.

The other function to consider is rapid fire shooting, hold the release and it takes a sequence of shots as long as you hold it (or up to what the processor/buffer/memory will handle). Get a fast memory card (class 6) for fast writing, depending on what the camera processor will deliver. Some quick cameras will do a couple of shots per second.

As others say, compacts are pretty good these days but will never match a larger format/SLR type. That's the compromise for portability/pocketability. Not many compacts go to 5x optical zoom.

Check http://www.dpreview.com/ and http://www.steves-digicams.com/
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Last edited by embee; 26-02-10 at 01:11 PM.
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Old 26-02-10, 08:44 PM   #10
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Default Re: Camera advice please

Would this one be any good?

Samsung WB500: Specification
  • Zoom: 10x optical
  • Resolution: 10.2Mp
  • Sensor size: 1/2.33in
  • Sensor type: CCD
  • Max. image size: 3648x2736
  • File type: JPEG
  • Sensitivity: ISO80-1600
  • Storage: Internal, SD, SDHC
  • Focus types: Centre, multi, selection, manual, face detection
  • Normal focusing: 50cm-infinity
  • Close focusing: 5cm-50cm
  • Metering types: Multi, spot, centre-weighted, face detection
  • Exposure compensation: +/- 2EV in 1/3 step increments
  • Shutter speed: 16sec-1/1500sec
  • Flash: Built-in, Wide: 0.3-4.7m, Tele: 0.5-2.7m (ISO auto)
  • Monitor: 2.7in TFT LCD screen
  • Interface: USB 2.0
  • Power: Li-Ion battery
  • Size: 105x61.4x36.5mm
  • Weight: 219g (excl. battery and card)
Review says shutter lag is approx 0.15
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