- In this report
- Overview
- Complaints solver
- Point-and-shoots
- CR Quick Recommendations
- Ratings
- Digital SLRs
- CR Quick Recommendations
- Ratings
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July 2007
Candid camera: Your top complaints solved
1. I miss the perfect shot because my camera is too slow.
A slow response when you press the shutter is common with point-and-shoots (but not with SLRs). Sony appears to have made the greatest progress in fighting shutter lag (the delay for the first shot you take) and next-shot delay (the lag for follow-up pictures). None of the point-and-shoots in the digital camera Ratings (available to subscribers) scored excellent on both, but most Sonys came close. So did a compact HP and the subcompact Kodak.
Tips: Autofocusing is a major contributor to shutter lag. Focus on your subject by holding the shutter release halfway down; when the desired moment arrives, press the release the rest of the way. Try to shoot in bright light and focus on a subject with crisp edges. Avoid shooting in an uncompressed format such as RAW, which produces a large file whose size can add to next-shot delay.
2. Distant subjects are very dark, even with the flash.
While some cameras claim flash ranges of 20 feet or more, 12 or so feet is a more dependable maximum range for well-lighted flash shots. But the range for decent flash shots or low-light shots will be longer if the camera has high sensitivity, reflected in ISO settings above 400. But print quality can suffer at high ISO. All SLRs offer high-quality, high-ISO performance; see our digital camera Ratings (available to subscribers) for smaller cameras that do so. With cameras that have a zoom greater than 3x, look for a lens whose widest aperture setting is less than f4 when zoomed to its longest focal length.
Tips: An external flash unit, typically $80 and up, should reach farther than the camera’s built-in flash. Almost any SLR will accept one, though only a few compact and subcompact models have the necessary “hot shoe” mount.
3. Shots are blurry when I use maximum zoom.
The limited light sensitivity of many small cameras often results in slow shutter speed. That can lead to camera shake, especially at maximum magnification. More than half the cameras we tested now offer image stabilization, which compensates for a modest amount of shake. Some cameras offer less-effective simulated stabilization, which uses software, higher sensitivity, or faster shutter speed to reduce blur. See our digital camera Ratings charts (available to subscribers) identify only models that have true stabilization.
Tips: Use a tripod or steady surface when you can. Consider using the flash or zooming out the lens, both of which increase the light reaching the camera’s sensor. If your camera has manual controls, use them to open the aperture to its widest setting (which does pose a risk of overexposure), increase shutter speed (which risks underexposure), or boost sensitivity by selecting an ISO level above 400.
4. The batteries die too quickly.
Battery life is better overall than it was a year ago, with all point-and-shoot models in our tests scoring at least good. (It isn’t a problem with SLRs.) Cameras from Canon, Fujifilm, Nikon, and Olympus were especially good, our digital camera Ratings (available to subscribers) show. We’ve found no difference in battery life between cameras that use proprietary batteries, as do most subcompacts, and those that use AAs.
Tips: Turn off the feature that displays every shot and use the one that shuts off the camera when you don’t shoot for a while. If you take shots more often than every few minutes, it’s more power-efficient to leave the camera on than to power it on and off.
5. I can’t read the LCD screen in bright sunlight.
As manufacturers endow cameras with larger LCDs, there’s less room for the venerable viewfinder, still handy for composing shots in the sun. Canon is one manufacturer that’s bucking the trend. Models with viewfinders are noted in the digital camera Quick Picks (available to subscribers).
Tips: Shade the LCD with your hand or hat. Or buy an LCD hood ($10 to $50 at Amazon.com, Hoodmanusa.com, or a specialty camera store).
A slow response when you press the shutter is common with point-and-shoots (but not with SLRs). Sony appears to have made the greatest progress in fighting shutter lag (the delay for the first shot you take) and next-shot delay (the lag for follow-up pictures). None of the point-and-shoots in the digital camera Ratings (available to subscribers) scored excellent on both, but most Sonys came close. So did a compact HP and the subcompact Kodak.
Tips: Autofocusing is a major contributor to shutter lag. Focus on your subject by holding the shutter release halfway down; when the desired moment arrives, press the release the rest of the way. Try to shoot in bright light and focus on a subject with crisp edges. Avoid shooting in an uncompressed format such as RAW, which produces a large file whose size can add to next-shot delay.
2. Distant subjects are very dark, even with the flash.
While some cameras claim flash ranges of 20 feet or more, 12 or so feet is a more dependable maximum range for well-lighted flash shots. But the range for decent flash shots or low-light shots will be longer if the camera has high sensitivity, reflected in ISO settings above 400. But print quality can suffer at high ISO. All SLRs offer high-quality, high-ISO performance; see our digital camera Ratings (available to subscribers) for smaller cameras that do so. With cameras that have a zoom greater than 3x, look for a lens whose widest aperture setting is less than f4 when zoomed to its longest focal length.
Tips: An external flash unit, typically $80 and up, should reach farther than the camera’s built-in flash. Almost any SLR will accept one, though only a few compact and subcompact models have the necessary “hot shoe” mount.
3. Shots are blurry when I use maximum zoom.
The limited light sensitivity of many small cameras often results in slow shutter speed. That can lead to camera shake, especially at maximum magnification. More than half the cameras we tested now offer image stabilization, which compensates for a modest amount of shake. Some cameras offer less-effective simulated stabilization, which uses software, higher sensitivity, or faster shutter speed to reduce blur. See our digital camera Ratings charts (available to subscribers) identify only models that have true stabilization.
Tips: Use a tripod or steady surface when you can. Consider using the flash or zooming out the lens, both of which increase the light reaching the camera’s sensor. If your camera has manual controls, use them to open the aperture to its widest setting (which does pose a risk of overexposure), increase shutter speed (which risks underexposure), or boost sensitivity by selecting an ISO level above 400.
4. The batteries die too quickly.
Battery life is better overall than it was a year ago, with all point-and-shoot models in our tests scoring at least good. (It isn’t a problem with SLRs.) Cameras from Canon, Fujifilm, Nikon, and Olympus were especially good, our digital camera Ratings (available to subscribers) show. We’ve found no difference in battery life between cameras that use proprietary batteries, as do most subcompacts, and those that use AAs.
Tips: Turn off the feature that displays every shot and use the one that shuts off the camera when you don’t shoot for a while. If you take shots more often than every few minutes, it’s more power-efficient to leave the camera on than to power it on and off.
5. I can’t read the LCD screen in bright sunlight.
As manufacturers endow cameras with larger LCDs, there’s less room for the venerable viewfinder, still handy for composing shots in the sun. Canon is one manufacturer that’s bucking the trend. Models with viewfinders are noted in the digital camera Quick Picks (available to subscribers).
Tips: Shade the LCD with your hand or hat. Or buy an LCD hood ($10 to $50 at Amazon.com, Hoodmanusa.com, or a specialty camera store).
