You will have noticed that after turning on your digital camera, it takes some time before it is ready to use. Start-up time with digicams is usually between 1 to 4 seconds, which is considerably longer than with conventional compact cameras. The reason for this is that the built-in processor will have to do a “self-test” to determine all the settings, load the operating system (just like a PC) and get everything ready for action.
Today most manufacturers have successfully tackled this issue and modern digicams now start up much faster than earlier models. If your camera always starts in fully automatic mode, there is not much you can do about it. Most models however retain their last setting and start up faster.
You can shorten start-up time even further by switching off the flash before turning off the camera, eliminating the need for the flash capacitor to charge before use. Switching off the flash when turning the camera off also means that your batteries will last longer, always a good thing on digital cameras. For candid or action shots, it pays to switch on the camera beforehand and be prepared for any action that might present itself .