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Olympus C-4040 Zoom

Olympus introduces a top-of-the-line 4-megapixel model with noise reduction technology, optimum image enlargement, and newly designed interface

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Page 7:Shutter Lag & Cycle Time Tests
Review First Posted: 07/23/2001

Shutter Lag/Cycle Times
When you press the shutter release on a camera, there's usually a lag time before the shutter actually fires. This time is to allow the autofocus and autoexposure mechanisms time to do their work, and can amount to a fairly long delay in some situations. Since this number is almost never reported on, and can significantly affect the picture taking experience, we now routinely measure it using Imaging Resource proprietary testing. The results are listed in the following chart.

Olympus C-4040 Zoom Timings

Operation Time (secs) Notes

Power On -> First shot 3.5 A bit better than average for cameras with telescoping lenses.

Shutdown 4.9 Time until lens retracted and ready to put away. About average.

Play to Record, first shot 1.3 Time until first shot is captured, from playback mode. Quite a bit faster than average.

Record to play (max/min res) 3.7/2.9/2.1/0.6 Longest time shown is for immediate switch to record after shutter release in highest res mode. Next time is for switch to play after image saved to card. Next is for "Quick Review" playback. Shortest is for immediate review while in record mode.

Shutter lag, full autofocus 0.83-0.89 Average to faster than average. 0.83 in tele mode, 0.89 in wide angle.

Shutter lag, continuous autofocus 0.79 Not much faster than normal autofocus.

Shutter lag, manual focus 0.73 Slower than average

Shutter lag, prefocus 0.27 A little faster than average.

Cycle Time, max/min resolution 2.1-14.0
2.1-15.1 Faster than average. Full speed for first 3 shots, then wait 14-15 seconds for buffer to clear, then 3 shots fast again.

Cycle time, continuous mode 0.51sec
(1.97 fps) Pretty fast for a 4 megapixel camera. Bursts range from 3 frames at max res/quality to more than 60 frames in lowest res/quality mode.

Overall, the C-4040 Zoom is a pretty fast camera. Its autofocus speed is only average for wide angle lens settings, but is faster than average in telephoto. (The absolute times are about the same for wide and telephoto, it's just that most cameras focus quite a bit more slowly at telephoto focal lengths.) Manual focus lag time is slower than average, but prefocus lag time (when the camera is prefocused by half-pressing the shutter button prior to the exposure itself) is a bit faster than average. Surprisingly, we found little advantage in lag time in the continuous autofocus mode. Cycle times are faster than average, about the same as we found in the earlier C-3040 Zoom. Sequential Shooting mode is quite fast for a four megapixel camera, and the camera can grab up to three frames at a time before having to pause to write the images to the memory card. The 4040 is a little unusual in that, once filled, it makes you wait for the buffer to completely empty before letting you snap more shots. It then gives you a full three shots of rapid-fire exposure again though. (Other cameras we've tested allow you to snap additional shots as soon as a frame's worth of space opens up in the buffer.)

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Olympus C-4040 Zoom Timings
Operation	Time (secs)	Notes
Power On -> First shot	3.5	A bit better than average for cameras with telescoping lenses.
Shutdown	4.9	Time until lens retracted and ready to put away. About average.
Play to Record, first shot	1.3	Time until first shot is captured, from playback mode. Quite a bit faster than average.
Record to play (max/min res)	3.7/2.9/2.1/0.6	Longest time shown is for immediate switch to record after shutter release in highest res mode. Next time is for switch to play after image saved to card. Next is for "Quick Review" playback. Shortest is for immediate review while in record mode.
Shutter lag, full autofocus	0.83-0.89	Average to faster than average. 0.83 in tele mode, 0.89 in wide angle.
Shutter lag, continuous autofocus	0.79	Not much faster than normal autofocus.
Shutter lag, manual focus	0.73	Slower than average
Shutter lag, prefocus	0.27	A little faster than average.
Cycle Time, max/min resolution	2.1-14.0 2.1-15.1	Faster than average. Full speed for first 3 shots, then wait 14-15 seconds for buffer to clear, then 3 shots fast again.
Cycle time, continuous mode	0.51sec (1.97 fps)	Pretty fast for a 4 megapixel camera. Bursts range from 3 frames at max res/quality to more than 60 frames in lowest res/quality mode.