Lss
Well-known
So, I joined the club by picking up the OM-D E-M5 today. Haven't made any pictures yet -- only put on the 12-50 kit lens, inserted a battery and memory card, and started looking at the menus. I handled the camera in the store a couple of times before buying to make sure I can live with the camera and never noticed the noise that some people have commented on. But it sure was the first thing I found out at home! Well, the second thing. The first thing is that this camera is not just small. It looks tiny beyond its measurements without the zoom lens on it and it's not exactly enormous with the lens on either.
But that noise is something else. With a desktop computer and a/c running in the same room, I can quite easily locate the camera by noise only from about 2-3 metres away. Ridiculous. The noise should be masked in most environments, but it makes me wonder what the average age of the Olympus engineering team really was. That old look must come from somewhere.
Okay, it's terribly noisy. Big deal. It should not be much of a problem in my use, and no one seems to complain much about it.
Next thing is to get some smaller lenses and adapters. And possibly the grip to balance this excessive tininess. The ergonomics of the OM-D so far seem good to me, but it has that usual small camera feature of revealing I was born with one or two fingers too many per hand. When size is the main issue, you just need to suck it up, but for general use the camera could benefit from some extra bulk. Too bad the grip is not cheap, good thing everyone says it is well made. Oh, the eyecup could also be much better, but I don't think I will try to change or modify it.
But that noise is something else. With a desktop computer and a/c running in the same room, I can quite easily locate the camera by noise only from about 2-3 metres away. Ridiculous. The noise should be masked in most environments, but it makes me wonder what the average age of the Olympus engineering team really was. That old look must come from somewhere.
Okay, it's terribly noisy. Big deal. It should not be much of a problem in my use, and no one seems to complain much about it.
Next thing is to get some smaller lenses and adapters. And possibly the grip to balance this excessive tininess. The ergonomics of the OM-D so far seem good to me, but it has that usual small camera feature of revealing I was born with one or two fingers too many per hand. When size is the main issue, you just need to suck it up, but for general use the camera could benefit from some extra bulk. Too bad the grip is not cheap, good thing everyone says it is well made. Oh, the eyecup could also be much better, but I don't think I will try to change or modify it.
dreilly
Chillin' in Geneva
Really? Mine is on the desk next to me, two feet from my right ear. I can hear the hum of the ac. My computer doesn't have the fan on. I hear some distant car noised on the street below. I hear my colleague typing. I can't hear my OM-D.
I have read that there is some variation, but yours might be out of spec. If the stores is nearby, it might be worth brining it in and comparing yours and the store one side by side. Something doesn't sound right. (NPI)
I have read that there is some variation, but yours might be out of spec. If the stores is nearby, it might be worth brining it in and comparing yours and the store one side by side. Something doesn't sound right. (NPI)
HuubL
hunter-gatherer
i don't hear my omd at all. it maybe my 60year old ears, but they do hear the fan in my pc sitting next to it. your's must be out of spec indeed. check it against one in the shop.
rbelyell
Well-known
have to literally put mine to my ear to hear the 'purr'.
loneranger
Well-known
It's a nice comforting purr. Dont hear it at all unless It is next to my hear.
kbg32
neo-romanticist
I don't notice the noise at all. If I put my ear to it I can. I guess being in NYC, there is so much going on it drowns out the OMD.
boomguy57
Well-known
Sounds like the OP has super-sensitive ears, or has a problem with the camera...?
plummerl
Well-known
Like others, I am able to hear it in a completely quiet room, holding it quite close. In normal use, I never hear it and would actually forget about it entirely if people would just quit complaining about it! !
!Lss
Well-known
Hmm, either everyone else has trouble hearing or my camera is indeed noisier than normal. I will try to compare against another body when I have a chance. If everything seems to work well once I get around to doing some photography and the noise does not affect audio recordings I make (which it really shouldn't), I'm not really too worried about this. I don't think this noise is something that I will hear in real use.
Here's a good test to keep all OM-D owners entertained. Go to a quiet room, switch the camera on (not in movie mode, the noise level is greatly reduced in that mode), and hold it at arm's length in front of your face with the LCD facing you. This corresponds to about a 20dB drop in sound pressure level compared to holding the camera a few centimeters from your ear. My OM-D purrs quite clearly at this distance, I am sure anyone with normal hearing should at least be able to pick it up. The noise seems to be rather directional, though. For example, I don't really hear much at arm's length if I turn the camera's grip towards myself.
Here's a good test to keep all OM-D owners entertained. Go to a quiet room, switch the camera on (not in movie mode, the noise level is greatly reduced in that mode), and hold it at arm's length in front of your face with the LCD facing you. This corresponds to about a 20dB drop in sound pressure level compared to holding the camera a few centimeters from your ear. My OM-D purrs quite clearly at this distance, I am sure anyone with normal hearing should at least be able to pick it up. The noise seems to be rather directional, though. For example, I don't really hear much at arm's length if I turn the camera's grip towards myself.
fireblade
Vincenzo.
if you can hear it from 2-3 metres away, you bought the model with the supercharger
...if its that loud take it back.
...if its that loud take it back.
FrankS
Registered User
Is it the camera turning on, the shutter fire, or auto focus sound? I don't imagine the camera makes a sound while on but idle.
Keith
The best camera is one that still works!
It does Frank ... the noise is constant when the camera is on and ready to shoot. I read it's some type of small gyroscope that's part of the image stabilisation system.
When I got mine I wasn't aware of this and when I first turned it on I thought WTF! Google eased my anxiety quickly though after typing in 'OMD noise!'
I only hear mine if there's no other noise in the room though so maybe the OP's camera is out of spec?
Keith
The best camera is one that still works!
So, I joined the club by picking up the OM-D E-M5 today. Haven't made any pictures yet -- only put on the 12-50 kit lens, inserted a battery and memory card, and started looking at the menus. I handled the camera in the store a couple of times before buying to make sure I can live with the camera and never noticed the noise that some people have commented on. But it sure was the first thing I found out at home! Well, the second thing. The first thing is that this camera is not just small. It looks tiny beyond its measurements without the zoom lens on it and it's not exactly enormous with the lens on either.
But that noise is something else. With a desktop computer and a/c running in the same room, I can quite easily locate the camera by noise only from about 2-3 metres away. Ridiculous. The noise should be masked in most environments, but it makes me wonder what the average age of the Olympus engineering team really was. That old look must come from somewhere.
Okay, it's terribly noisy. Big deal. It should not be much of a problem in my use, and no one seems to complain much about it.
Next thing is to get some smaller lenses and adapters. And possibly the grip to balance this excessive tininess. The ergonomics of the OM-D so far seem good to me, but it has that usual small camera feature of revealing I was born with one or two fingers too many per hand. When size is the main issue, you just need to suck it up, but for general use the camera could benefit from some extra bulk. Too bad the grip is not cheap, good thing everyone says it is well made. Oh, the eyecup could also be much better, but I don't think I will try to change or modify it.
I find the tiny dimensions of the camera interesting ... I won't be rushing to get the grip though at $300.00!
Positioning in the hands is different with small cameras ... I noticed when I first used a Leica screwmount that your fingers play a much larger part than your palms when using one. You definitely can't wrap your hand around the little Oly in the same way you can't with the diminutive Leica.
I'll need to hold one with a grip before I'm convinced that I need that rather expensive add on!
FrankS
Registered User
A sound while idling, wow. I think that would drive me nuts, but that's just me and my conditioned expectations of camera behaviour.
Keith
The best camera is one that still works!
My only concern is what happens one day when you turn the camera on and it doesn't make the noise!
I guess that's when you take it to Olympus for repair!
dreilly
Chillin' in Geneva
I thought it would too. But I almost never notice it. When I do notice it, it kinda surprises me, like, oh, is that you?
I'll be in the desert tomorrow, I'll see if the solitude encourages the OM-D to speak up. But really I'm going to be more interested in how it handles Chaco Canyon!
gavinlg
Mentor
Perhaps it's louder without a lens on? From what I understand it's actually the magnetized IS mechanism that allows the sensor to 'hover' in place - which is why the IS works so well. Pretty incredible really...
celluloidprop
Well-known
In a quiet room, I can definitely hear mine when it's up to my eye, but I don't notice it when I'm carrying it at chest or hip height.
coelacanth
Ride, dive, shoot.
If I'm in really quiet room, say at my computer desk late night, OM-D right next to keyboard, I can hear it. In everyday situation indoor or outdoor, I don't hear it. When OM-D goes into sleep, I hear a small "clunk" or "click" shutting down the OIS (guessing).
Avotius
Some guy
When I got my panasonic 20mm lens I saw so many people complain about how noisy it was. I dont get what they are complaining about. The lens is no noisy than any other, but then again people will complain about the font on the lens barrel so I guess everythings up for grabs.