I've learned to not care about shutter sounds anymore... I actually like the feel of a Nikon F ... feeling the whole camera shake in your hands... awesome.
Nikkor AIS
Nikkor AIS
To me, noise is the wrong word to use about a camera. Every camera makes a unique sound. When compared to the Pentax 6x7, Leicas are very quiet. Compared to my Twin Lens Rollei, not so much. Everything is relative.
Recently, I had my portrait taken by my Nikon D3 and my Nikkor 300 2.0 IF-ED AIS. I was surprised that I could barely hear it. While I was at some distance, I was still surprised, as by all accounts the Nikon D3 pounding at 9FPS is not quiet by any means.
Where you are when you take a picture, the ambient level of the surrounding area and your hearing also influence how loud you think your camera is. Being a drummer, I suffer from some hearing loss in one of my ears.
One thing people have to realize is that the camera sounds louder to the user because it is pressed against your face. The other thing (personally) is that the effect of my big mitts around the M3 dampens the sound even further.
The Leica M7 and the motor drive make the quietest motor-driven combo I have ever used.
I'm not sure about the shutter not being as quiet as the hype but the sounds my Leicas make are sweet to me.
Recently, I had my portrait taken by my Nikon D3 and my Nikkor 300 2.0 IF-ED AIS. I was surprised that I could barely hear it. While I was at some distance, I was still surprised, as by all accounts the Nikon D3 pounding at 9FPS is not quiet by any means.
Where you are when you take a picture, the ambient level of the surrounding area and your hearing also influence how loud you think your camera is. Being a drummer, I suffer from some hearing loss in one of my ears.
One thing people have to realize is that the camera sounds louder to the user because it is pressed against your face. The other thing (personally) is that the effect of my big mitts around the M3 dampens the sound even further.
The Leica M7 and the motor drive make the quietest motor-driven combo I have ever used.
I'm not sure about the shutter not being as quiet as the hype but the sounds my Leicas make are sweet to me.
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sepiareverb
genius and moron
Amen bro! Refueling hot aircraft for 5 years didn't help me either!
In my case it was photographing live music, standing too many times for too long in front of the speakers.
browncycle
Readyville, TN
quiet cameras
quiet cameras
I see this thread is still going and I have to add some more 2 cents.
I was in a meeting today and there was a guy taking pics with some new Canon DSLR and it was distractingly loud for my meeting. I cannot see how anyone can say that DSLRs are quieter than a Leica. Garbage. My M6 is about 6 times quieter than what I heard today.
The softest little "click" is better than a muffled clunk.
quiet cameras
I see this thread is still going and I have to add some more 2 cents.
I was in a meeting today and there was a guy taking pics with some new Canon DSLR and it was distractingly loud for my meeting. I cannot see how anyone can say that DSLRs are quieter than a Leica. Garbage. My M6 is about 6 times quieter than what I heard today.
The softest little "click" is better than a muffled clunk.
Frankie
Speaking Frankly
It all depends on what lens you have mounted on the camera. Some lens have more/less damping material within...brass/glass...than others; and how the parts are arranged.
My M2 [two] and M6 sound different with/without lens mounted and with different lenses mounted...also with/without case.
And, it also depends on what age group you are in...aging causes hearing loses in higher frequencies first.
My M2 [two] and M6 sound different with/without lens mounted and with different lenses mounted...also with/without case.
And, it also depends on what age group you are in...aging causes hearing loses in higher frequencies first.
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dyao
Well-known
having a quiet shutter can have a psychological effect - it may make you feel more comfortable shooting on the street, for example.
The streets in NYC are pretty loud... most shutters can't compete.
damien.murphy
Damien
Different strokes for different folks. I loved everything about my FM2N, except for the heavy clunk from the shutter when fired. Sounded like a hammer being dropped.
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dyao
Well-known
The streets of HK are pretty loud too, but it's not loud everywhere. Try taking photos on a bus with a SLR.
Well, the Bus isn't the streets IMO. That said, I'll take a photo on the bus with a SLR. I'm not trying to hide most of the time. I get the point though.
picker77
Established
A Leica it ain't, but my quietest camera is a tiny little shirt-pocketable Olympus XA, which is nearly inaudible even to me when I shoot, and once hyperfocal distance is set, can even easily be used one-handed at waist level, including advancing the film after a shot. Sometimes I'm not even positive myself that it triggered. That's what I carry when I really want to be "unobtrusive". Takes sharp negatives, too.
dyao
Well-known
David Hughes
David Hughes
I'll second that and if we were/are talking about "noticeable" instead of "noisy", then the XA and XA2 or XA3 win hands down.
Regards, David