Hi,
I'm using a Canon digital SLR. From previous experience I find that between activating the shutter button and the camera lifting the mirror and clearing the shutter, is about 0.1seconds (100mS). In that time a flying insect at full magnification can easily fly out of the frame.
The amazing Mr Footopa, using somewhat different hardware, achieves a 6mS delay between trigger and photo taken. I'd be very happy with 10mS. The shutter mechanism can handle this sort of speed.
(0.1s delay is also too long to capture the *first* lightning strike, which is another anticipated use of this device. )
With the solenoid I'm using, at 12v it can't even open the shutter - fairly pathetic. I'm only activating the solenoid for <<50mS, just long enough for it to open the shutter, so perhaps I could whack it with a huge voltage >>24v, using the strobe circuitry from a small disposable camera? Any thoughts?
(Interestingly, the camera I gutted for the shutter mechanism - dropped it into a lake - already had tiny electromagnet type things, I think for holding open the shutter during long exposures.)