Olympus C-7070 Wide ZoomThe Olympus C-7070 offers a nice range of "enthusiast" features in a capable and affordable 7-megapixel camera.<<Exposure & Flash :(Previous) | (Next): Operation & User Interface>> Page 6:Shutter Lag & Cycle Time TestsReview First Posted: 03/01/2005, Updated: 04/27/2005 |
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 only rarely reported on, and can significantly affect the picture taking experience, I routinely measure it using a test setup I designed and built for the purpose. (Crystal-controlled timing, with a resolution of 0.001 second.)
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(secs) |
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| Power On -> First shot | |
LCD turns on and lens extends forward. On the slow side of average. |
| Shutdown | |
First time is time to retract lens, second time is worst-case buffer-clearing time. Average times, buffer clearing time isn't bad, considering it corresponds to clearing a hundred small/basic images after a continuous burst. |
| Play to Record, first shot | |
Time until first shot is captured. Fairly fast. |
| Record to play | |
First time is that required to display a large/fine file immediately after capture, second time is that needed to display a large/fine file that has already been processed and stored on the memory card. A little slow. |
| Shutter lag, full autofocus | |
First time is at full wide-angle, second is full telephoto. Pretty fast. |
| Shutter lag, continuous autofocus |
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As usual, no benefit to continuous AF with a stationary subject. |
| Shutter lag, manual focus | 0.36 |
A little slow, by current standards. |
| Shutter lag, prefocus | 0.169 |
Time to capture, after half-pressing shutter button. Moderately fast. |
| Cycle Time, max/min resolution | 2.16 / 2.14 |
First number is for large/fine files, second number is time for "TV" mode (640x480) images. Times are averages. In large/fine mode, shoots 4 frames this fast, then slows to an irregular pace of 3 seconds per shot. Buffer clears in 4 seconds. In TV mode, keeps up this pace indefinitely, and clears the buffer in 2 seconds. OK speed, but nothing special by current standards for this class of camera. Times recorded with Lexar 2GB, 80x CF card. |
| Cycle Time, TIFF / RAW | 10.29 / 6.99 |
First number is for largest size TIFF files, second number is time for RAW files. No buffer, each shot takes this long. Times recorded with Lexar 2GB 80x CF card. Times with xD card are a little slower (10.42 seconds for RAW mode files.) |
| Cycle Time, continuous High mode, max/min resolution | 0.40 (2.5 fps) |
Shoots 2 frames this fast regardless of resolution, then slows to about 3.4 seconds per shot for large/fine files, or 2.1 seconds per shot for TV mode files. Buffer clears in 4 seconds for large/fine images, 3 seconds for lowest resolution. Pretty fast, but an awfully small buffer. Times recorded with Lexar 2GB 80x CF card. |
| Cycle Time, continuous Low mode, max/min resolution | 1.26>0.84 1.06>0.84 (1.19 fps) |
First set of numbers are for large/fine files, second set for TV mode images. Times are averages. Shoots 4 images fast in large/fine mode, then slows to about 3.4 seconds per shot. Maintains this pace indefinitely in TV mode. Buffer clears in 4 seconds for large/fine shots, in 13 seconds for TV mode images. Like many digital cameras I test, the interval between the first two shots in continuous-low mode is longer, 1.26 and 1.06 seconds respectively for large/fine and TV mode images, but subsequent shots all occur at intervals of 0.84 second. Average speed, but again a somewhat limited buffer capacity for a camera of this capability level. Times recorded with Lexar 2GB 80x CF card. |
The Olympus C7070 is middle-of-the road in a lot of its performance characteristics, but does focus somewhat faster than average, with full-autofocus shutter delays of 0.65 - 0.66 second. Shutter lag when manually focused is slower than average, its lag when prefocused is reasonable at 0.169 second. Cycle times are OK, if not dramatic, at about 2.16 seconds/frame for large/fine images. Buffer capacity is a little low by current standards, at 4 large/fine shots in single-shot and low-speed continuous modes, and only two frames in high-speed continuous mode. Overall, a camera with faster-than-average focusing speed, but not one that you'd look to if your primary interest was sports or other fast-paced action.
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