[DJA]

Hi! can anyone help me? I'm having problems with the delay on my coolpix 4500. I focus through my scope, press the sutter-release button causing the camera to refocus before taking the photo and all I get is a photo of a up-ending duck or a wader with it's head in the mud. What am I doing wrong?
I could always submit the photos for a "Name that bird!" competition.

[Tannin]

Pressing the shutter-release a half second too late.

Sad but true. I have a 4500 and the shutter delay drives me crazy. Fair dinkum, I just about froth at the mouth over it sometimes. There may be things you can do to reduce it a little, but there ain't nothing you can do to get rid of it.

One day, I'm going to discover a camera that I can digiscope with that doesn't have the appalling Nikon shutter delay, and I'll throw my Coolpix into the lake for the ducks to look at.

[Tannin]

Oh - first post. I didn't notice. Welcome to the Bird Forum, DJA! There are some real experts here who will undoubtedly give you some tips on at least reducing the delay. (Though I know you can't get rid of it completely.) It's a great site. Stick around.

Tony

[DJA]

Thanks for the reply! I'll just have to put up with it for now. Looking at some of the photos I've seen on here,it can be beaten.
Untill then, look out for my photos in the "NAME THAT BIRD!" competitions

[Tannin]

I'll do that. I understand that there are digital camera around with much shorter delays than the Nikons have - notably the Leica/Panasonic ones - but that they have other features which make them unsuitable for digiscoping. Dianne (Digi-Birder) runs a Canon (G3, I think) which she loves. Perhaps they have a shorter delay. She would know. (That's a hint, Dianne.)

Meanwhile, all you can you can do is try to guess when the bird is about to do something interesting, and press the shutter-release a few moments before it happens. Either that or else just bang off lots of shots machine-gun style and hope for some luck.

Wuo knows, maybe one day someone will invent a camera with a half-second negative shutter delay - i.e., one that takes a picture a half second before you press the button. That would be just the thing for my gin-sozzled reflexes.

[IanF]

Hi DJA,

On behalf of Admin and the Moderators welcome to Bird Forum

I'm not greatly impressed with the operation of the CP4500 myself, though admitedly it seems about the best camera to use for digiscoping along with the CP990 - which I suspect is better but a good deal chunkier.

You can get over the shutter lag or at least greatly reduce it in two ways that I have found. Firstly have the camera set to 'continous mode' so that when you press the shutter release the camera may take up to six to seven shots in sequence depending on how charged the batteries are or how fast it can write to the card.

Secondly when you are lined up on the subject, half depress the shutter release and hold it there - that prefocuses the camera locking focus and exposure, then when the bird looks the right way simply press the shutter the rest of the way in. There is hardly any delay. By using the continuous mode the bird has chance to move it's head and body so giving you more chance of a better looking shot. Obviously this technique works best on birds that are reasonably stationary, though it's worked for me on panning shots where the bird is walking across the line of sight.

Thirdly this technique works especially well when using a shutter release cable and bracket as you don't need to touch the camera itself so eliminating camera shake.

I hope this helps

[DJA]

Thanks for the words of wisdom, Maybe going to Spurn point later today! I'll put them to the test