Digital Camera Shutter Lag Table

Cameras.co.uk has a useful tool for prospective point-and-shoot camera buyers: a Digital Camera Shutter Lag Comparison Table. This seems to be a topic that's gaining more steam as so many varieties of digital cameras proliferate in the market. My own Panasonic FZ7 is listed here, and at a .32 second delay is one of the faster cameras, but still a cause for frustration.

As we become more familiar with new-fangled wonders of digital technology, the more we begin to ask questions that matter about what really sets them apart. Is a camera capable of grabbing another megapixel of data really worth it if it takes more than a second to capture? I'm not kidding. The table indicates that the bottom of the heap, The Nikon Coolpix L3, has an epic 1.8 second (!!!) shutter delay. In case you think that's a fluke, second-worst goes to the Olympus FE-210, at a 1.72 second delay, followed by other cameras in the Coolpix series.

All of these cameras are labeled "Entry Level Digital Cameras," and taking one look at the Coolpix series (or reading the name, for that matter) should hit it home that these models are for casual users. That still doesn't explain "more than a second." Just one second would be enough to ruin a picture. Should these cameras even be on the market?