Guide

These cameras can capture images before you’ve even finished clicking

11.11.2022

Translation: Katherine Martin

Some cameras start shooting even before you hit the shutter button. This way, you can capture a moment you actually missed. Here’s my round-up of which devices are equipped with the feature.

Whether you’re taking snapshots, capturing a sports event or snapping a speedy animal, photographers like you and me sometimes press the shutter button too late and miss the crucial moment.

There are cameras out there which start shooting before you hit the shutter button. Is it magic? No, just a simple trick. Even when the shutter release button is pressed halfway, the camera captures images. However, they’re only stored temporarily in the buffer. If the button isn’t pressed down fully, the camera continuously deletes the oldest images in the buffer memory to make room for new ones. It’s only when the shutter release button is clicked that the content of the buffer memory is saved onto the card. This way, the camera compensates for your reaction time – typically you gain between 0.5 seconds and 1 second.

For these pre-shots to be of any use to you, the camera needs to be pointed at the right spot, and focused. It’s why I had no use for this feature until recently. Being late to hit the shutter button usually means being late to focus as well.

Capture a bird as it’s flying off

That being said, pre-shot mode is handy in some situations – think skiers or motocross riders suddenly popping up over a jump. Where the feature is most useful is when photographing birds. They often stay stock-still for a long time before abruptly flying off. You have the bird in your sights, but you don’t see the point in hitting the shutter button. Otherwise, your memory card will fill up with thousands of identical photos, none of which you want. But if you don’t keep snapping, you’ll miss the bird taking off – the moment which produces the most interesting photos.

Pre-shot mode makes taking shots like these easier.

I discovered the advantages of the feature while reviewing the Fujifilm H2S. It made me wonder why I hadn’t thought of using it earlier.

The feature isn’t yet standard

There’s a simple reason for this: most cameras don’t have the feature yet. Not even the Sony Alpha 1, a camera that can do everything else, and which I also tried out for bird photography.

There still isn’t a generally accepted name for the function. Olympus calls it «Pro Capture», Fujifilm «Pre-Shot», Nikon «Pre-Release Capture», Sony «Predictive Capture». Meanwhile, Canon and Panasonic have gone for «Pre-burst». Unclear terminology doesn’t exactly make it easy to find the feature, so I’m not sure if I’ve pinpointed all the cameras that have it. Go ahead and add more in the comments section if I’ve missed any.

For pre-shot mode, you need to use the electronic shutter. Under certain conditions, this can create a rolling shutter effect: fast movements in combination with slow sensors lead to geometric distortions. Today’s sports cameras, however, have sensors which don’t usually cause a rolling shutter effect – even with the electronic shutter.

Olympus/OM Systems

«Pro-Capture» has been embedded in the Olympus system for quite some time. Even the M1 Mark II released in 2016 had the function. These models are kitted out with the feature too:

These cameras can capture images before you’ve even finished clicking

Capture a bird as it’s flying off

The feature isn’t yet standard

Olympus/OM Systems

Fujifilm

Panasonic

Canon

Nikon

Sony

Verdict

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