>>I'm thinking about buying a digital camera and am interested in other people's recommendations. I want to stay in the mid-range ($200-$300) so I figured a 3 megapixel camera is probably what I'll end up with.
>>
>>If you have any strong opinions towards a specific camera or features I should have ... or strong opinions against a particular camera or feature ... please chime in!!
>>
>>TIA,
>>Cathy
>
>The biggest complaint we have with our camera is the lag time between depressing the shutter button and the time the picture actually takes [upwards of 2 to 3 seconds] even with fresh batteries. I would ask the store clerk if you could test this out with fresh batteries of your own so you can check out this feature. And shoot moving targets as well as in normal to below normal lighting.

Mark --

That's pretty typical of digital cameras as a group, and actually all 35 mm cameras with autofocus. The time lag is due to the camera focusing and really isn't impacted by the freshness of batteries.

Most cameras allow a "prefocus" -- press 1/2 way down on the shutter release. The camera will set the focus and exposure. Then, at the "decisive moment" you can snap the shutter and get an almost immediate exposure. Some cameras with more features allow manual focus and other ways to address this issue.

That approach works in some situations, and not in others.

The lag time is generally identified at different light levels in reviews of cameras and is certainly an important consideration.

Jay