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Looking for the quietest shutter/mirror noise
- Thread starter LCT
- Start date
Steen
Senior Subscriber Member
hi LC
the APS-C DSLR with the quietest shutter seems to be the new Pentax K5, according to this thread
http://forum.getdpi.com/forum/showthread.php?t=21078
LCT
Member
Thank you Steen but i'm after a Nikon body. My question was not clear enough sorry.
Hi LCT,
Well firing off the shutter while next to someone playing Kyoto drums, I'd say all DSLR's and MFD all sound about the same
Serious though, regarding Nikon DSLR's, although I haven't listed to all the lower level bodies, the new D7000 certainly is strong in this attribute. It's shutter noise is certainly quieter than the larger D300/D700 D3s and although the D3s has a quiet function that for all practical purposes does little for my kind of shooting, its implementation is better in the D7000. No, its nothing like the M8/M9 discrete mode and how that functions, but it can help in the D7000 in certain situations. I too am confronted with this issue, shooting many pro level performing art concerts and during quiet passages, shutter noise can often be an issue (yes, there are other ways to deal with this). I cannot specifically compare the D7000 to its lower price siblings (such as a D90, D3000, D40 etc.) but I hope this gives you a start. Certainly if you can try and fire off the D7000, it's level of performance along with this one particular attribute, is a strong combination.
Dave (D&A)
Well firing off the shutter while next to someone playing Kyoto drums, I'd say all DSLR's and MFD all sound about the same
Serious though, regarding Nikon DSLR's, although I haven't listed to all the lower level bodies, the new D7000 certainly is strong in this attribute. It's shutter noise is certainly quieter than the larger D300/D700 D3s and although the D3s has a quiet function that for all practical purposes does little for my kind of shooting, its implementation is better in the D7000. No, its nothing like the M8/M9 discrete mode and how that functions, but it can help in the D7000 in certain situations. I too am confronted with this issue, shooting many pro level performing art concerts and during quiet passages, shutter noise can often be an issue (yes, there are other ways to deal with this). I cannot specifically compare the D7000 to its lower price siblings (such as a D90, D3000, D40 etc.) but I hope this gives you a start. Certainly if you can try and fire off the D7000, it's level of performance along with this one particular attribute, is a strong combination.
Dave (D&A)
I used to have a D60, which was very quiet - that was one of the things I liked most about it. AFAIK the current D3100 uses the same shutter/mirror system.
If this is really important to you, though, ideally you should go to a dealer and do the comparison yourself. How obtrusive the sound is depends as much on its character as on the measured dB level; the sounds made by different cameras have different mixes of low and high frequency components, as well as different durations. Judgment of of all that is pretty subjective.
If this is really important to you, though, ideally you should go to a dealer and do the comparison yourself. How obtrusive the sound is depends as much on its character as on the measured dB level; the sounds made by different cameras have different mixes of low and high frequency components, as well as different durations. Judgment of of all that is pretty subjective.
m3photo
New member
D5000
"Something the D5000 does exceptionally well is work quietly. When I first shot it, I noticed how quiet it was, and a week later when I found the D5000's Quiet Mode, I was astounded! It's far quieter than any other SLR, and is at least as quiet as the LEICA rangefinder cameras."
Well I wouldn't go as far as that but;
The Quiet Mode he's talking about certainly works extremely well and is similar to the M9 in that you press the shutter and hold it there then turn your back or hide it under your jacket or whatever, then release the button and it drops the mirror (not on the Leica obviously) and re-cocks the shutter. Good as anything for theater work short of using a blimp.
According to Ken Rockwell the D5000 is the one you're looking for:
"Something the D5000 does exceptionally well is work quietly. When I first shot it, I noticed how quiet it was, and a week later when I found the D5000's Quiet Mode, I was astounded! It's far quieter than any other SLR, and is at least as quiet as the LEICA rangefinder cameras."
Well I wouldn't go as far as that but;
The Quiet Mode he's talking about certainly works extremely well and is similar to the M9 in that you press the shutter and hold it there then turn your back or hide it under your jacket or whatever, then release the button and it drops the mirror (not on the Leica obviously) and re-cocks the shutter. Good as anything for theater work short of using a blimp.
LCT
Member
I've been using Nikon bodies for years but they were all more or less noisy. The D40x i've bought for my daughter is much quieter though. If i could have a more 'serious' body that quiet i would be perfectly happy.
I mean with built-in AF motor to fit my non-AFS lenses, contrary to D3100/D5000 if i'm not wrong.
D7000? Yes i thought of it but it sounds more noisy than the D300s here. I cannot test the latter though. Any experience about it's noise?
http://nikon-d7000.net/videos/shutter-sound-d300s-versus-d7000.html
I mean with built-in AF motor to fit my non-AFS lenses, contrary to D3100/D5000 if i'm not wrong.
D7000? Yes i thought of it but it sounds more noisy than the D300s here. I cannot test the latter though. Any experience about it's noise?
http://nikon-d7000.net/videos/shutter-sound-d300s-versus-d7000.html
LCT
Member
I like much those small bodies. No built-in AF motor though...
If you need the AF motor, you're probably stuck. There have been plenty of anecdotal, subjective reports that the D7000 is relatively quiet, but I don't think there's any way to figure out whether it will sound that way to you short of being able to do a side-by-side for yourself.
LCT
Member
That's what i fear as well...
Hi LCT,
In addition to the comments I made above, the D7000 is quieter than the D300s, at least the two that I tested side by side. Whether its quiet enough for your purposes, only you can judge. I can't say for certain but I've been told that the D7000 is about as quiet as the D7000, or extremely close to it. Some even go so far as saying the D7000 is almost as quiet as the M9 and when both are put in their so called quiet mode), they are very close too. I haven't done any formal test to confirm this. Something tells me in Nikon bodies with a AF motor, the D7000 may be your only choice in a relatively quiet body. Of course what happens with a future D300s successor (or D700 successor for that matter) is anyones guess.
Dave (D&A)
In addition to the comments I made above, the D7000 is quieter than the D300s, at least the two that I tested side by side. Whether its quiet enough for your purposes, only you can judge. I can't say for certain but I've been told that the D7000 is about as quiet as the D7000, or extremely close to it. Some even go so far as saying the D7000 is almost as quiet as the M9 and when both are put in their so called quiet mode), they are very close too. I haven't done any formal test to confirm this. Something tells me in Nikon bodies with a AF motor, the D7000 may be your only choice in a relatively quiet body. Of course what happens with a future D300s successor (or D700 successor for that matter) is anyones guess.
Dave (D&A)
LCT
Member
Hi Dave, you mean that the D5000 is quieter that the D300s i guess.
About the D7000, what do you think of this test:
http://nikon-d7000.net/videos/shutte...sus-d7000.html
About the D7000, what do you think of this test:
http://nikon-d7000.net/videos/shutte...sus-d7000.html
Hi LCT,
What I was actually trying to say (obviously I had a typo in my last posting)...was that I had heard that the D7000 has about as quiet a shutter as the D5000. I haven't ever compared the two, so I can't say for sure.
I listened to that comparision in the link your provided.I can't say the D300 & D7000 that I've listened to extensively sounded like that. Not sure if it was the amplification in that short clip or not. In my opinion, the D7000 shutter is quieter than the D300, but part of that is its a different kind of sounding shutter too...so perception has a lot to do with what appears to be sound differences between different shutters. Neverless the D7000 in NIkon DSLr's is considered to be on the quieter side.
Dave (D&A)
What I was actually trying to say (obviously I had a typo in my last posting)...was that I had heard that the D7000 has about as quiet a shutter as the D5000. I haven't ever compared the two, so I can't say for sure.
I listened to that comparision in the link your provided.I can't say the D300 & D7000 that I've listened to extensively sounded like that. Not sure if it was the amplification in that short clip or not. In my opinion, the D7000 shutter is quieter than the D300, but part of that is its a different kind of sounding shutter too...so perception has a lot to do with what appears to be sound differences between different shutters. Neverless the D7000 in NIkon DSLr's is considered to be on the quieter side.
Dave (D&A)