Point-and-shoot with better shutter lag and next-shot delay? (taking pics of kids) Canon S5 or A650? or Sony H3?

From Safarisunrise:
I have an older Canon powershot A80. The shutter lag and next shot delay drive me nuts. I really like canon's feel in my hand and the swivel screen. Plus I have a decent Canon photo printer. So I'm leaning towards Canon. Possibly S5 IS or A650 IS? Also considering Sony DSC-H2 or H3 based on consumer reports. Which do you recommend? Is there a better (faster) Canon to consider?

I know an slr would remove the delays, but I don't think I want something that big. Or should I just break down and buy slr? I know how to use many of the manual and fancy features from yrs of using traditional film slr, but I want simple and speed. Is there a simpler and smaller SLR?

We have toddler twins who are constantly on the move (our main photo subjects), so speed is priority. And prefocusing doesn't usually help since they are constantly running around.

What camera do you recommend for taking pics of active kids?
Is there a place I can compare the actual data? (for example I understand with or without flash contributes to delay and lag).

thanks for any help!

Answer from byjamesderuvo:
Shutter delay is a way of life in digital cameras. The good news is that according to recent news articles, many camera companies will be incorporating the CCD chips they use in their SLR lines (which give no shutter lag) into their point and shoot cameras. So look for it within the next few years.

Meanwhile, there are a few tips to speed up your performance:

1. Prefocus. Hold down the shutter half way to get a prefocus of the image you're shooting. When it changes, prefocus again. This will speed up your camera's performance during picture taking since it won't have to autofocus before it shoots the shot.

2. Use faster SD cards. Yes, there are faster cards and it does make a difference in writing the image file to the card. This is especially key if you're taking multiple or burst images.

3. Fresher batteries. Use alkalines at least. But I recommend using high energy batteries designed for digital photography. Varta is a good brand. They are usually sold in camera shops, are long lasting (because they are sold in small quantities) put out alot of energy.

4. Shoot in "sports" modes when you're in situations that require action. Night or available light modes when in night time settings. These presets can help in speeding up your shots, rather than the camera taking a split second to evaluate the conditions of the lighting.

5. Go manual. If teh camera you choose has a manual option, focusing, particularly in darker settings will help. Also, the infrared does have a range and if your image is out of that range you can end up with the camera's "best guess" or infinity setting which may not help. You can also go manual on fstops and shutter speeds as well, getting more light faster when you choose.

6. Go with a shallow depth of field.

7. Pan with the action. You can create some pretty cool shots by panning with your shot, focusing on your subject. This will create the effect of your subject in sharp contrast to the blurry background.

8. Use a flash - even in day time. This will "freeze" the image and cause your subject to "pop" in the shot. However, flash is only designed for limited range and can dissipate outside of about 20-25 feet unless you're using a zoomable flash.

9. Stick with 100-400 ISO. Going higher will cause more noise/grain in your shots, particularly in darker settings.

THe purist in me would say just take the plunge and go SLR. But the fact is, you may not be interested in photography as a hobby, and as such, it isn't really necessary to get one.

I can tell you my preference is Canon of the two brands you mention. In my opinion, it's a good idea to steer clear of SONY, as they tend to force their customers into proprietary technologies such as the memory stick, their own spin on formatting, and a host of others which the Canon won't do. As you know, Canon relies on SD cards, which are pretty much the standard in point and shoot for memory cards. This means you can use any you happen to currently have and they are much cheaper than memory sticks. You can also use them in other technologies like PDAs, DMPs, and even mp3 players, whereas that memory stick is only going to be used in another SONY and as such, you'll have to reinvest in digital memory cards. That's a drag.

Another recommendation is to for comparison, you may want to check out this resource. It takes pictures with each and you can compare them side by side. The A650 hasn't been tested yet, but looking at the A630, I would say that the A650 will continue to have the advantage in macros settings, BUt if that isn't an issue for you, I'd call it a draw.