Fastest small point and shoot or m4/3

[nightfly]

What's the fastest (from time to turn on and also minimum shutter lag) modern, small point and shoot or m4/3?

My biggest hangup with digital compared to my M4-P is that lag between seeing a shot and shooting. Something that turns on instantly and can go to something approximating a stored hyperfocus setting is what I'm looking for. Also must be small (sub-DSLR, possibly m4/3 size).

 

[__--]

I've never been execrised about the start-up time because I have the camera on when I'm going to shoot. But the shutter lag on a Ricoh GDD3 is insignificant — can't really distinguish it from that of my Leica M6 — when you use the SNAP focus mode and manual exposure.

Because of the huge depth of field of the 6mm (28mm-e) focal length lens, using SNAP focus is fast, easy and effective. You can set the SNAP focus at 1.0m, 1.5m, 2.5m, 5m and infinity; and you change these fixed settings easily and rapidly.

—Mitch/Bangkok
Portraits

 

[coelacanth]

If you are used to manual focus camera, Olympus Digital PEN series might work for you. You can set AF to a button instead of half-way shutter relesse. So you can prefocus and the actual shutter release can be instant.

I think once you are used to instant shutter release of MF mechanical cameras, you will be frustrated by the shutter release lag on any AF cameras no matter how fast they are.

And E-PL1 is quite small. Here is a size comparison.

 

[__--]

That's a good point. I use my Ricoh GXR/A12 in a similar way: I use spot autofocus to focus and immediately switch to manual focus, which fixes the focus to the plane where I want it — for street photography this how I zone focus with this camera. Then, together, with manual expsoure, I'm in Leica M6-territory in terms of insignifcant shutter lag.

—Mitch/Bangkok
Tropical Light

 

[kbg32]

Panasonic GF1 wins hands down for speed of focus.

 

[jsrockit]

I agree keith.

 

[Ezzie]

An M8 or 9 or an R-D1 will be pretty quick too, in full manual. 😉 I mean, its not as if the m4/3 offerings are that much smaller...

 

[jsrockit]

Supposedly, Panasonic is releasing the LX5 (with u4/3 sensor) on the 21st. Might be worth a look if true.

 

[nightfly]

Regarding the M8/M9, I should have also mentioned I wanted something relatively inexpensive. I've never had a digital camera I've liked after an attempt every year or two to try one so I'm not going to drop big bucks on one.

Interested to see what the LX5 looks like.

 

[gavinlg]

LX5 will most likely be a small sensor still, like the lx3. Rumored to have some interesting tech on the sensor though.

GF2 coming out fairly soon - no idea what the differences will be.

 

[Peter_S]

can you live w/o RAW?
A cheap solution is the old Sony V3; fastest AF I have seen in P&S and little shutter lag. Sure made my G9 seem slow. Turn-on time was only average Ias far as I can remember, though.
Kept a V3 for the speedy AF, until going back to analog when things need to go fast. Then again, I have not used newer (post-G9) p&s or m4/3. In any case, worth googling for 5min or so.