Shutter lag in Mirrorless Cameras

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By shutter lag what do you mean? Do you mean the short blackout time after a picture is taken? That happens with all cameras. Or do you mean a delay between what you see when you press the shutter button and the time the image is taken? It’s no different than a DSLR, it’s milliseconds.
 
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I can't speak for other brands, but the wake-up delay is there in the Nikon Z cameras. It taught me to hit the shutter button quickly while I bring the camera up to my eye. That way the camera is awake when I'm ready to shoot.
 
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The start up time on every mirrorless camera I've used is much slower than a DSLR. For a DSLR, you can turn it on and instantly shoot - there is always a delay with mirrorless. That delay really depends on the camera though - some are faster than others. The fastest two I've used are the Z6/7ii. They are much faster than the first versions and even faster to startup than the Sony cameras (and I have an a9ii).
 
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Thanks for the reply's...Just picked up a Z7ll a few days ago, I had a Z7 sold....this seems to have a faster start-up, just curious about other brands. I guess I have to get in the habit when I pick it up to hit the shutter !

Thanks,
Chuck
 
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Steelhant said:
Thanks for the reply's...Just picked up a Z7ll a few days ago, I had a Z7 sold....this seems to have a faster start-up, just curious about other brands. I guess I have to get in the habit when I pick it up to hit the shutter !

Thanks,
Chuck
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Another trick I use is to simply be more active with the on/off switch and set the standby timer for a longer duration. I think mine is set to 5 minutes before the camera goes into standby mode. That way, if I think I'm going to need fast access (like if I'm waiting for a bird to come in or something or if I'm stalking a subject) I can leave the camera on and ready during those times. When I'm not using it, I just shut it off. In any event, I would recommend setting the stand timer for longer than the default 30 seconds - that can get annoying for sure! :)
 
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Yes, it is an issue in the Nikon Z6 & Z7 for quickly moving subjects. I just got a Z6II and have not tested it to see if it is the same.

As Rassie and Steve mentioned, you can touch the shutter button as you raise the camera to your eye to start the turning-on-the-EVF process (you have to remember to do this) or set the standby timer to a longer time.

I found the lag to be an issue photographing warblers in the past two spring migrations here in Minnesota when I used a Z7 + 500 mm PF (often with a 1.4x TCIII). The warblers were often perched, but they move around a lot and quickly. I found I was missing shots when the EVF was black as I got it to my eye — the warbler had often moved on by the time the EVF lit up. I was not very good at remembering to touch the shutter button as I raised the camera to my eye. ( I was walking around a wildlife refuge with the camera/lens on a black rapid strap.) So I set the standby timer either to 30 minutes or to not shut off at all. Then the EVF was on when I raised the camera to my eye with no lag (beyond the refresh rate). This does use more battery power, but I alway carry an extra battery or two and it was very helpful in getting shots of warblers. Less an issue with targets that are stationary or moving more slowly.
 
I have a Canon RP, I had to go test it when you posted the question.. after letting it time out to black then half pressing shutter it was less than a second to be ready to shoot. Same from camera off to camera on.
 
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That delay is a bit of a pain, but to me it is better than needing 4-5 batteries to get through the day, so I keep the delays short. I wouldn't use my Z6 for shooting action anyway, so it's not a problem.
 
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BillW said:
Yes, it is an issue in the Nikon Z6 & Z7 for quickly moving subjects. I just got a Z6II and have not tested it to see if it is the same.

As Rassie and Steve mentioned, you can touch the shutter button as you raise the camera to your eye to start the turning-on-the-EVF process (you have to remember to do this) or set the standby timer to a longer time.

I found the lag to be an issue photographing warblers in the past two spring migrations here in Minnesota when I used a Z7 + 500 mm PF (often with a 1.4x TCIII). The warblers were often perched, but they move around a lot and quickly. I found I was missing shots when the EVF was black as I got it to my eye — the warbler had often moved on by the time the EVF lit up. I was not very good at remembering to touch the shutter button as I raised the camera to my eye. ( I was walking around a wildlife refuge with the camera/lens on a black rapid strap.) So I set the standby timer either to 30 minutes or to not shut off at all. Then the EVF was on when I raised the camera to my eye with no lag (beyond the refresh rate). This does use more battery power, but I alway carry an extra battery or two and it was very helpful in getting shots of warblers. Less an issue with targets that are stationary or moving more slowly.
Click to expand...

Touching the shutter to wake the camera before you bring it to your eye is mainly a matter of practice. If you are photographing in a high volume location, it's very easy too learn. Warblers are tough in the best of cases, so that's probably a case where I would adjust the standby timer. For a few minutes on a single subject, it's not hard to touch the shutter several times to reset the standby timer, but for extended viewing adjusting the timer is a better option. I've learned to touch the shutter as soon as a bird is suspected or is visible when I'm on bird walks or similar situations. If I am stopping to work one subject for 15 minutes or more, I use a longer standby timer rather than tapping the shutter every 30 seconds.
 
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I have the Z50. There was a long delay between shorts that I discovered was caused a preview setting for the viewfinder. When it was turned off, the delay was much shorter. The monitor has the same settings. If I want to use the fold out monitor to take a photo, the preview must be turned off to avoid delay while showing the last photo taken. That said, there is still a delay for the first shot as Steve pointed out because the default setting puts the camera on standby very quickly.
 
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