15 Half-pressing the Shutter for maximum speed shooting

Most modern Autofocus cameras require the shutter to be lightly depressed before shooting in order to correctly focus on the subject. If the flash is needed to make the correct exposure, then this action also allows time for the flash circuit to charge.

The Coolpix E-950 and E-700 are similar in that a half-press before shooting ensures that the camera is  ready to shoot at the precise instant that the shutter is fully depressed. Of course, you can take the picture by just fully depressing the shutter in one movement, but there will be a small delay whilt the camera performs autofocus and charges the flash.

The Coolpix E-950 and E-700 are the first of the new generation of fast-response digital cameras, where the shutter may be pressed repeatedly without the extended delays previously encountered with other models (including the E-900). To achieve the fastest reponse, you can keep the shutter pressed half-way down between shots. Doing this will ensure that the camera is ready with the least possible delay  between shots: well under 2 seconds. However, as you become used to using the camera you will notice that if the exposure requires flash, they you must RELEASE the shutter fully between shots, to allow the circuit to recharge.

Therefore the following guidelines are useful  reminders:

• Don't care: just press the shutter fully each time and release.
• Fastest speed: keep the shutter half pressed, ready to take a shot at any moment.
• Using flash: take your finger off the shutter after each shot, wait about 2 seconds for the flash to recharge, then half-press again to be ready for the next shot.

Notes

• After a certain number of shots, the camera will need to download the images to the Compact Flash memory card. During this period (which occurs after about 6 or 7 full resolution images have been taken in rapid succession) no further pictures can be taken until the images have been transferred. This operation takes about 30 seconds to  1 minute.
• If the batteries are nearly exhausted, then the LCD display will turn off   momentarily until the flash is fully recharged.