Researching the Canon Powershot SX50 HS

[rpcrowe]

I'd love to know about the shutter lag on the SX50 HS. Can I catch some fast moving action like puppies. I shoot with a 7D now but, I would really like a relatively small camera to carry everywhere. I don't want a miniscule P&S with only a LCD as a viewfinder. However, the reason I switched from a Olympus C5050Z P&S was the shutter lag which drove me crazy...

[William W]

Not a direct answer but hopefully helpful

I use a Powershot SX40HS and I use it to capture fast motion (swimming).
The Shutter Lag can be accommodated for such a rhythmic and predetermined motion.

BUT - The shutter lag of the the SX40HS to capture quick moving Puppies or expressions on Children’s faces would drive me nuts - I have tried.

Perhaps you might find the Specs which compare the Shutter Lag of these two cameras – if they are close or the same then my advice would be to steer clear.

Have you thought of a rangefinder, or the new mirror-less – Canon Mirror-less can get adapter form your existing EF lenses?

WW

[rpcrowe]

I have read a review that mentions the shutter lag of the SX50 is 44% less than that of the SX40. However, since I don't know anything about the shutter lag of the SX40; that information did not help me very much.

I guess that I will visit the COSTCO discount store tomorrow and play with the SX50 that they have on display. If I like it and can convince my son-in-law to purchase one for his use, I will probably get the XT with 28-135mm IS lens back from him. I gave/loaned him the camera until and if he could find a new camera which will suit his needs. We never specified about when or even if I would get the camera back. If he gets the new camera, I get my oldie but goodie back...

[jcuknz]

Faced with that situation I doubt if I would use AF and would pre-set the focus and move to maintain that distance as the puppies play staying on WA ... working this way the camera would be as quick as any in taking the shot ... the most likely cause of missed shots will be the human reaction time. since you have a specific use for the camera and need for manual focus you need to check how the camera does this ... using AF and half trigger is viable in some situations but an easy to use MF would be good.
My bridge camera has a switch on the lens barrel and one can use AF and then switch to MF and focus stays at the AF point unless [ disaster! ] you touch the focusing ring on the lens. [FZ50]
My M4/3 lens, the 14-140 Lumix, is a fast focuser and I'd still expect to miss some shots so I would be working both ways.

[William W]

Faced with that situation I doubt if I would use AF and would pre-set the focus and move to maintain that distance as the puppies play staying on WA ... working this way the camera would be as quick as any in taking the shot ... the most likely cause of missed shots will be the human reaction time.

With all due respect JC - they are two very silly statements.

We are discussing Shutter Lag - reported and/or tested:

About 0.50s~0.45s for the SX40HS and at about 0.30s~0.25s for the SX50HS . . .

A Canon DSLR (the 400D) has a Shutter Lag of about 0.090s~0.100s and a Canon 40D a Shutter Lag of about 0.055s~0.060s.

Assuming the human reaction time is the same for each human using each camera . . . well . . . work it out.

WW

[Dave Humphries]

Hi Richard,

The problem is not just shutter lag, there is "EVF lag" too.

By this I mean that there is a delay between the sensor capturing an event, writing it to memeory and displaying it on the LCD (be that a big one on the back or a non-optical viewfinder (the EVF).

EVF lag adds to your reaction time and shutter lag before the image is actually captured.

I have found this with any bridge camera and (I guess) it must also afflict the mirrorless models too.

Some modern bridge and P&S cameras have 'precapture' modes, but these usually come with limitations I personally cannot live with for what I shoot (long distance wildlife in continuous mode).

Therefore, if I can, I frame up, hold camera steady and watch 'real life' over the top of the camera (or with the other eye) and shoot when the action starts. This takes EVF lag out and just leaves human finger reaction time and shutter lag. The latter can be significantly reduced by having the shutter half presssed, so that metering, focusing and IS/VR stabilisation have already been done. That just leaves finger cramp to contend with

When a bird unexpectedly launches into the air from a perch, I find this makes a difference between getting several empty frames and getting the first frame with the bird's tail in
The knack then is to study your subject and recognise when they might launch to get them in the frame next time (and pan in the direction of flight by instinct alone).

My point is that EVF delay does exist, and is significant, but isn't too easily measured, nor is it given as a spec. - I suspect all cameras will be similar, set by the frame rate) - just one more tip to improve your odds at capturing the moment.

Cheers,

[rpcrowe]

Thanks friends... I was especially keen to learn the objective shutter lag of the SX50. The reason that I switched away from the Olympus C5050Z P&S was the shutter lag. I will relate the news about shutter lag to my son-in-law who may or may not decide to get the camera.

BTW: I did try, albiet unsuccessfully, to google the actual shutter lag of the SX50 before I began this post.

I suspect that my son-in-law will be keeping the XT for the forseeable future. BTW: my son-in-law and daughter have given us a lot, so an XT and a lens is not anything for me to worry about. My daughter's business is one of the op contributors to our Maltese Rescue funding and my son-in-law has donated several airline tickets to enable us to transport dogs.

As for me buying the SX50, I think that I will pass on this one also. One thing that I learned, despite things looking quite tempting; there is no such thing as a free lunch in photography.

As far as a camera for keeping in my car... I do have an older 30D which is a backup camera. Before I purchased my 7D, the 30D along with the 40D was what I shot with (I always use two lenses).

My Honda CRV has what they call an ice chest in the rear compartment, under a pad. I will just carry the 30D and a lens or two in that compartment. I am sure that this will work quite well and I will know that the image quality will be up to par....

[Dave Humphries]

All sorted in < 16 hours, eh?

Sometimes the speed of CiC is amazing

[evan47]

if you normally use the 7d, you will find the sx50 hs to be a slow, cumbersome disappointment. i had one for a couple of weeks and returned it.
i normally use a d7000 and 70-300vr lens for birds. i was hoping that the sx50 would be useful for when i required more reach. quality wise, i realised that i was better off by simply cropping the image from the d7000!
the sx50, compared with any dslr is a poor relation, ok, i suppose if you are moving up from a point and shoot.
it is capable of decent pictures in perfect conditions, but on the other hand suffers from shutter lag, poor evf, overcrowded control cluster, unreliable/slow focusing, clipped highlights, almost impossible to manually focus and rather poor battery life. add to this the high ca in high contrast situations, the fact that canon seem to have rigged some kind of digital enhancement to its images, and of course the limitations of its small sensor make it far short of an ideal package.
in short, you will be better off saving for longer glass or persevering with what you already have.

[rpcrowe]

My son-in-law has just purchased a SX-50 which means that I get my 350D + 28-135mm lens (which he had borrowed on an open ended loan) back to carry in my car as a "have with me always" camera. I don't need to think about a bridge camera for that use.

I plan to carry this outfit in the car within an insulated cooler bag to provide some protecting from heat and from theft. IMO, no self-respecting thief will break into a car to steal a cooler bag which may contain an apple and a peanut butter sandwich...

[William W]

good-oh!

[escoville]

'Capturing fast-moving action like puppies' is pure serendipity. The shutter lag may give you an even better pic than you were intending.

Having said which, I agree that there are situations where this does not apply. Maybe an Olympus OM-2 from 1974? Swings and roundabouts.

[Shadowman]

A bit late but look for this function on your camera.




pre-shooting cache

The "Pre-shot" menu is available in high-speed continuous mode. If the shutter-release button has been kept pressed halfway before being pressed the rest of the way down, pressing the shutter-release button the rest of the way down will record up to ten shots from the time the shutter-release button was pressed halfway, together with any shots recorded while the shutter-release button is pressed all the way down.

[William W]

A bit late but look for this function on your camera.
pre-shooting cache

I think this feature doesn't exist within the Canon PowerShot Range - I beleive that it's a feature of some Nikon Coolpix Camers, though.

WW

[Inkanyezi]

It does exist in several Casio cameras and in Nikon 1.

[Shadowman]

I think this feature doesn't exist within the Canon PowerShot Range - I beleive that it's a feature of some Nikon Coolpix Camers, though.

WW

It has a version of continuous shooting; of course at 10 fps that means the shooter has to wait until those frames are saved to the card before they can take another shot.

Faster Focus and High-speed Shooting.
Faster Focus and High-speed Shooting
High Speed AF greatly improves focus speed and High-Speed Burst HQ allows for continuous capture at a maximum of 10 frames* while maintaining superb image quality.

The PowerShot SX50 HS is equipped with Canon's latest advancement in AF technology: High Speed AF. The result of several improved technologies, High Speed AF delivers significantly faster focus speed of 0.19 seconds and a dramatically reduced shooting lag time of only 0.25 seconds, for a super-responsive shooting experience that lets you capture every great shot as it happens. The technology also powers the camera's new High-Speed Burst HQ, with continuous capture at a maximum speed of approximately 13 fps. Moreover, images captured in High-Speed Burst HQ maintain the camera's superb image quality.

[William W]

OK.
Yes I understood that previously.

I was just commenting that I didn't believe the PowerShot Range had a 'preshooting cache' that was "the same as" (in functionality and usefulness) as the Nikon, that's all I was meaning.

WW

[Shadowman]

OK.
Yes I understood that previously.

I was just commenting that I didn't believe the PowerShot Range had a 'preshooting cache' that was "the same as" (in functionality and usefulness) as the Nikon, that's all I was meaning.

WW

I hope I didn't respond coldy, i was just relaying an option and potential concern for the Richard.

[William W]

No - not at all.
I rarely interpret 'bad emotion' in responses . . . I was just explaining to you, what I meant.
Don't sweat it.

Your follow up with the extreme detail about the functionality of the SX50HS will certainly be useful to some people reading this thread and that is what this forum is all about.

Happy New Year

WW

[Shadowman]

No - not at all.
I rarely interpret 'bad emotion' in responses . . . I was just explaining to you, what I meant.
Don't sweat it.

Your follow up with the extreme detail about the functionality of the SX50HS will certainly be useful to some people reading this thread and that is what this forum is all about.

Happy New Year

WW

Happy New Year to you as well.