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Dave Johnson

"How to Do Everything: Digital Camera 5 edition"

??? The result: when trying
to take an action shot, the subject sometimes moves before you can take the picture. You may see
the picture on the left in the viewfinder, but what you get on your memory card is the picture on
the right:
CHAPTER 7: Sports, Action, and Active Kids 141
Indeed, while some cameras are better than others, that pause is responsible for more
frustration than all of the world??™s child-safe medicine bottles combined. Older digital cameras
had a ???shutter lag??? that lasted a whole second or more, but even many of the newest digital
cameras have some lag??”and that??™s a real problem whether you??™re trying to freeze a NASCAR
rounding the corner or catch your grandson hugging the dog.
Capture the Moment
Most digital cameras have a two-step shutter release. Knowing how to use it is key to taking
great pictures.
When you put a little pressure on the shutter release button, the camera springs into
action??”it locks in the focus. If you continue to hold down the shutter button, the focus
won??™t change; you can then recompose the picture and, when it meets your approval, press
the shutter release all the way to take the picture.
You might want to use the focus/exposure lock step without pressing the button all the
way down for a lot of reasons:
?–  Focus lock takes a little time??”a fraction of a second, but time nonetheless.


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