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Toshiba PDR-M71

Toshiba introduces a feature-packed, value-priced 3 megapixel model!

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Page 7:Shutter Lag & Cycle Time Tests
Review First Posted: 08/24/2001

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 allows 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 an Imaging Resource proprietary test system.

Toshiba PDR-M71 Timings

Operation Time
(secs) Notes

Power On -> First shot 6.8
A little slow.

Shutdown 2.9
Pretty fast. (This is time to retract lens. Allow longer if file being saved to card, before card can be removed.)

Play to Record, first shot 1.44
A little slow.

Record to play (max/min res) 1.4/1.8/5.3
Shortest time is for quick review via "erase"key, second time is for switch to play from record with camera idle, longest time is for switch to record immediately after a large/fine image capture.

Shutter lag, full autofocus 0.86/0.97 First time is for wide angle, second for telephoto. A good bit slower than average.

Shutter lag, manual focus 0.53 About average

Shutter lag, prefocus 0.18 A fair bit faster than average. (Average is about 0.3)

Cycle time, large/fine files 2.41 Quite fast for a three megapixel camera. At least 8 shots this fast. (Fast without buffer?)

Cycle time, small/basic files 2.20 Also pretty fast.

Continuous mode cycle time 1.15 Pretty fast, but stops after 3 shots, forces you to confirm saving them.

Overall, the PDR-M71 is a pretty fast camera. Shot to shot cycle times are excellent, particularly considering that the camera appears to be writing directly to the memory card, so there's no slowdown after a few shots due to a buffer memory getting full. Shutter lag is about average for higher-end digicams, and switching from record to play and back again is quite fast as well. About the only aspect of the camera's performance that's lacking in the speed department is the startup time, which is rather leisurely.

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Toshiba PDR-M71 Timings
Operation	Time (secs)	Notes
Power On -> First shot	6.8	A little slow.
Shutdown	2.9	Pretty fast. (This is time to retract lens. Allow longer if file being saved to card, before card can be removed.)
Play to Record, first shot	1.44	A little slow.
Record to play (max/min res)	1.4/1.8/5.3	Shortest time is for quick review via "erase"key, second time is for switch to play from record with camera idle, longest time is for switch to record immediately after a large/fine image capture.
Shutter lag, full autofocus	0.86/0.97	First time is for wide angle, second for telephoto. A good bit slower than average.
Shutter lag, manual focus	0.53	About average
Shutter lag, prefocus	0.18	A fair bit faster than average. (Average is about 0.3)
Cycle time, large/fine files	2.41	Quite fast for a three megapixel camera. At least 8 shots this fast. (Fast without buffer?)
Cycle time, small/basic files	2.20	Also pretty fast.
Continuous mode cycle time	1.15	Pretty fast, but stops after 3 shots, forces you to confirm saving them.