Close Examination of Fuji X-Series Lag Time

rlx wrote:

Hi Cass,

I did some quick checks with my XE1 and the 18-55 at around 35mm and everything set to manual: focus, aperture, speed and ISO. I got results consistent with yours, but what I did was just a quick check. The shutter lag is

120 ms at maximum aperture.

240 ms at f/11.

450 ms at f/11 just following refocus.

The following sample is the worse case I got (450 ms). It shows the camera sounds at f/11 just after a sight refocus. The first sound is the trigger. The shutter speed was 1/2 s. Note that there is a long period without much activity before the shutter gets into action.

Shutter lag of the XE1 with the 18-55 at 35.8mm, f/11, 1/2s exposure just following a focus adjustment.

I am surprised to see that the shutter lag with a manual lens is close to the lag with the 18-55 at f/11.

Hi there Rlx,

Wow, I did try the 18-55mm and couldn't induce it to show the longer lag time. Good that you have managed to show it. I am not sure what is going on with the lenses, but it is like the extra manual focus adjustment prior to shooting does something to the motors/servo in the lens, and either the firmware gets confused by the action, or there is some design feature whereby perhaps something electro-mechanical, perhaps like shared use of motors for both aperture movement and focus, causes a conflict whereby the lens needs to do something extra prior to shooting. It is weird...

It is surpising that it has remained like this for the life of the system and that Fuji has done nothing, or they didn't know. With my report now in circulation at teh Fuji offices, I guess we can rule out 'them not knowing', and wait to see if they can/will do something...

Cheers for the extra testing,

Cass.