Speed up multi-shot

congo_90

**edit**
I have a fuji film S5800 (i know, i know its not a DSLR)

moving on.. i was experimenting taking some burst shots the other day and to my disapointment the cam was very slow. In auto mode the cam had to re-focus for every shot even if the cam hadn't moved. I switched to manual mode with MF and while if became a little faster, it was still terribly slow. especially seems my camera phone can shoot 4 bursts in the time it takes my cam to take even two!!

Is there a known way to speed up the burst? i planned on going to take some action shots where taking several shots in a few seconds can secure a good photo compared to taking bursts manually.

Thanks for any feedback..

forgot to mention the specs say 0.6 frames per second...
http://www.fujifilm.com/products/digital_cameras/s/finepix_s5800/specifications/index.html

MartMax

if the specs say 0.6 frame per second, i don't think it'll be able to exceed its technical limits...

have you tried Sport mode if it does any better?


Marty

congo_90

the specs say 0.6 frames per sec but i am in no way getting that in fact i'd say 1-2seconds. i'll try sport mode and post again.

Eirebear

You might be surprised actually congo, 0.6 seconds can actually seem like a long time when your trying to fire off a burst of shots.

I dont know too much about bridge cameras, but i assume they also suffer from the same shutter lag problems as compacts at times?

congo_90

Eirebear wrote: »

You might be surprised actually congo, 0.6 seconds can actually seem like a long time when your trying to fire off a burst of shots.

I dont know too much about bridge cameras, but i assume they also suffer from the same shutter lag problems as compacts at times?

Yea they can be a bit slow at times. for such a good lens the lag is a bit bad. i spend most of my time in Manual mode because AUTO is too tempermental. Mind you they're not too slow. though trying to set up apperture etc is slow because buttons are a bit messy

Eirebear

It could be a combination of both the .6 of a second wait, and a little bit of lag maybe.

Next time you get a really nice bright day, test it out and see what your getting then, and try it in sports mode also to see how that works.

Other than that its the usual stuff, get the aprture open as far as it will go, generally useful for sports anyway, and get the shutter speed as quick as possible, hopefuly then you may be able to combat the lag.

Set the autofocus to continuous, and the specs say something about "Top 3" getting 1.3 Frames per second...i dont know if that is an actual setting or if it means the first three shots will take at that speed before it slows down to 0.6?
If this is the case then try and keep your bursts to 3.

congo_90

**EDIT**

Eirebear wrote: »

It could be a combination of both the .6 of a second wait, and a little bit of lag maybe.

Next time you get a really nice bright day, test it out and see what your getting then, and try it in sports mode also to see how that works.

Other than that its the usual stuff, get the aprture open as far as it will go, generally useful for sports anyway, and get the shutter speed as quick as possible, hopefuly then you may be able to combat the lag.

Set the autofocus to continuous, and the specs say something about "Top 3" getting 1.3 Frames per second...i dont know if that is an actual setting or if it means the first three shots will take at that speed before it slows down to 0.6?
If this is the case then try and keep your bursts to 3.

After some quick experimenting there ( i know not great conditions but) i noticed that continuous AF was a little slower than MF but, in an action shot it needs to be absolute focus.. There is a Top 3 option along with a Auto bracketing. I found that continuous AF was nearly as good as sports mode
Though so far full manual including MF has been the best result for speed not focus though unless the subject is generally in the same distance for the scene

Just out of curiosity, what sort of speeds do DSLR's get?

Eirebear

congo_90 wrote: »

**EDIT**



After some quick experimenting there ( i know not great conditions but) i noticed that continuous AF was a little slower than MF but, in an action shot it needs to be absolute focus.. There is a Top 3 option along with a Auto bracketing. I found that continuous AF was nearly as good as sports mode
Though so far full manual including MF has been the best result for speed not focus though unless the subject is generally in the same distance for the scene

Just out of curiosity, what sort of speeds do DSLR's get?

Your never going to be able to manual focus for shots at speed though....or at least i wouldnt! I guess its just a case of finding that compromise.
TBH im sure theres a few people that will turn up in the morning and tell me im talking rubbish! Im not the most technically gifted when it comes to photography.

Ive got a Canon 30D and a 400D the 30 gets 5fps or 3 fps depending on the setings while the 400 gets 3fps.

congo_90

@eirebear
I get ya. sure its impossible to focus a bridge cam because on this specific model you gotta hold a button then swing the zoom either way until its in focus which is too slow. i guess my compromise is continuous AF because sports doesn't give me the option to change the focus but i would assume its single AF

Eirebear

best of luck with it!

ANd lets see some results

ThOnda

Just get strobe light and fire it into one frame. Like this.

City-Exile

congo_90 wrote: »

Just out of curiosity, what sort of speeds do DSLR's get?

The 40D gets 6.5 fps.
The 1D Mk III gets 10 fps.

This was taken in a burst, with a 40D.

AnimalRights

450D get's 3.5 fps.

nilhg

This is the exact moment I decided I was buying a DSLR, we were at a zoo in France and my young fella wanted a picture of the elephant taking food fron his hand. I had a fuji S5000 and for all its strenghts the focusing and shutter lag were glacial, it took about 15 minutes and 3 bags of popcorn to get this.:rolleyes:

City-Exile

nilhg wrote: »

I had a fuji S5000 and for all its strenghts the focusing and shutter lag were glacial, it took about 15 minutes and 3 bags of popcorn to get this.

It was worth the effort though.

nilhg

Probably a better shot would have been the steam coming out of my ears...:eek:

5uspect

What kind of batteries are you using. The available current will affect the cameras performance, particularly for flash recycling and maybe to a lesser extent for the frame rate.

Have a look at hybrid NiMH batteries perhaps.

Alun

congo_90 wrote: »

the specs say 0.6 frames per sec but i am in no way getting that in fact i'd say 1-2seconds. i'll try sport mode and post again.

Errm, you do realise that 0.6 frames per second isn't the same thing as 0.6 seconds per frame !!!!!

0.6 frames per second works out at 1/0.6 = 1.67 seconds per frame which is roughly what you're seeing.

congo_90

Eirebear wrote: »

best of luck with it!

ANd lets see some results

will do

ThOnda wrote: »

Just get strobe light and fire it into one frame. Like this.

no thats a shot!

Alun wrote: »

Errm, you do realise that 0.6 frames per second isn't the same thing as 0.6 seconds per frame !!!!!

0.6 frames per second works out at 1/0.6 = 1.67 seconds per frame which is roughly what you're seeing.

that is actually roughly what i'm getting. I timed it with a stop watch several times last night.

Thanks for all the advice