Digital Cameras and Latency Westminster MD

Understanding media storage devices on digital cameras and how you can control latency, the time required to write the image you've just taken to your storage media.

Local Companies

Joe Bruce Photography
(410) 925-9530
1619 Terrace Dr
Westminster, MD
Corbin David
(410) 876-2703
270 E Main St
Westminster, MD
Studio Two Seventy
(410) 876-2703
270 E Main St
Westminster, MD
Portraitwedding Com
(410) 695-0155
681 Old Waugh Chapel Rd
Odenton, MD
Lippenholz Richard Photography
(410) 628-0935
10524 Lakespring Way
Cockeysville, MD
Paul Will Photography
(410) 360-9447
8258 Fenton Ln
Pasadena, MD
Moto Photo Inc
(301) 279-9014
15106 Frederick Rd Ste C
Rockville, MD
Dorothea K Stieff Photography
(410) 752-1911
1002 Olive St
Baltimore, MD
Vivienne Photography
(410) 974-1751
Arnold, MD
Mission Photography
(410) 620-4086
32 Norman Allen St
Elkton, MD

Digital Photography All-in-One Desk Reference For Dummies, 3rd Edition

Adapted From: Digital Photography All-in-One Desk Reference For Dummies, 3rd Edition

Latency is the time required to write the image you've just taken to your storage media. When you take a picture with a film camera, the shutter releases, and the image is immediately registered on the film at the speed of light, so to speak. When you take a picture with a digital camera, the image has to be captured and then recorded onto your memory card. The image capture and storage process can take a second or two — or even longer. How long the process takes and whether your camera will continue taking additional photos while writing to the card are important questions.

Some digital cameras use buffers (built-in memory) to temporarily let you keep shooting while the buffer contents write to removable memory. If you keep shooting, eventually the buffer fills, and you have to stop until it's made enough room for you to resume shooting. Other cameras might not be able to use their buffers for their highest resolution files but will let you keep shooting if you chose a lower-resolution setting. It's a tough choice, but sometimes the ability to keep shooting overrides the desire for the highest possible resolution.

Things that affect latency (that you can control) are:

  • Media: Some forms of media accept data faster than others. CompactFlash cards tend to write information faster than microdrives (tiny hard disk drives). Some CompactFlash cards write data faster than others. Look for ones rated for faster write times (frequently marked 4X, 8X, or 12X).
  • Resolution: The more data the camera has to write to the card, the greater the latency period. A non-compressed format such as TIFF can take the longest to write. If you can get by with a lower-resolution setting, you can speed up things considerably. After you give up quality, you can't get it back however. On the other hand, missing a shot because you're waiting for your last few images to write to your memory card is one of the more frustrating experiences for a photographer. Film photographers miss shots while changing rolls of film, but digital photographers miss them because of latency.

provided by:


For Dummies is a registered trademark of Wiley Publishing, Inc. in the United States and other countries. Used here by license.


Featured Local Company

Cermak Technologies, Inc.

717-762-8234
46A South Potomac St
Waynesboro, PA
http://www.cermaktech.com

Related Articles
- Digital Point-And-Shoot Type Cameras Westminster MD
The two popular types of digital cameras on the market today are the "point-and-shoot" and "digital single-lens reflex." While the imaging technology and picture formats are nearly identical, their operation, convenience, and purchase prices are significantly different.
- Buying Digital Cameras Westminster MD
- Digital Camera Options Westminster MD
- Transferring Digital Images from Camera to Computer Westminster MD
- Perfect Pictures Westminster MD
- Digital Camera Ratings Westminster MD
- Digital Camera Usage and Satisfaction Westminster MD
- How to Buy a Digital SLR Lens Westminster MD
- Digital Photography Equipment Westminster MD
- GE E1050TW Westminster MD
Related Articles
- Digital Point-And-Shoot Type Cameras Westminster MD
The two popular types of digital cameras on the market today are the "point-and-shoot" and "digital single-lens reflex." While the imaging technology and picture formats are nearly identical, their operation, convenience, and purchase prices are significantly different.
- Buying Digital Cameras Westminster MD
- Digital Camera Options Westminster MD
- Transferring Digital Images from Camera to Computer Westminster MD
- Perfect Pictures Westminster MD
- Digital Camera Ratings Westminster MD
- Digital Camera Usage and Satisfaction Westminster MD
- How to Buy a Digital SLR Lens Westminster MD
- Digital Photography Equipment Westminster MD
- GE E1050TW Westminster MD

Rss   Delicious   Digg   Add To My Yahoo   Add To My Google   Bookmark   Search Plugin

Topics:
Advertising Family Home Services Real Estate Resources
Business Services Fashion Industrial Goods & Services Retail & Consumer Services
Career Financial Services Insurance Software
Cars Food & Beverage Internet Technology
Computer Hardware Franchise Legal Telecommunications
Construction Health Miscellaneous Trade Shows
Education Holidays Nightlife Travel
Entertainment Home Appliances Online Database Weddings
Environmental Home Electronics Pets World History