is a K20D shutter really loud in a quiet room?

Ratmagiclady · 09-30-2009, 08:15 PM

Originally posted by Ash

What about when film SLRs were the norm, and the bodies had the motorised winders on them?
I wonder how many people were complaining about the noise coming from that combo in weddings or concerts then?!?

In a quiet ceremony or other circumstance you'd wanna turn off the winder and use the crank. Or, if the camera allowed, set it to single, make the shot but keep the shutter depressed, lower the camera so your leg and a lot of people's bodies are between the sound and general ears, and *then* release the button and let it wind.

Or just hold long enough so that there's background noise to hide it.

One reason I never cared for the built in winder design. I'd rather have the option.

KungPOW · 09-30-2009, 08:42 PM

Absolutly the quietest camera I have is a Yashica Minister II.

Number two is my Olympus XA. Both are rangfinders.

Of my manual wind film bodies (Pentax), the quietest is the ME super, followed by the MX, and the loudest is the LX. Add the winder to these and they get louder.

Of powerwind film bodies, the F100 is about as loud as the D200. there is no film advance noise from the F100. But you can hear it rewind. The EOS-1n is the loudest of the bunch. Loud shutter, loud film advance. It has that "clasic" expensive film camera sound they use in movies.

The K10D is no louder then the D200. It just has a softer shutter sound. Kind of a Startrek door sound. The D200 is crisper and faster but not really quieter. I'm not familiar with Canon shutter sounds. I think I remember the 40D as being quieter then the K10D.

If you really need silent, you have two options.

1. P&S digital with the "shutter" sound turned off.
2. Pinhole film camera. Ok, no one move 15 sec count!

mysticcowboy · 09-30-2009, 09:41 PM

You know, when my wife first heard the K20D shutter, she said, "Now that sounds like quality."

Ratmagiclady · 10-01-2009, 05:50 PM

Originally posted by mysticcowboy

You know, when my wife first heard the K20D shutter, she said, "Now that sounds like quality."

Does sound nice and authoritative, I think. Odd, to me, (At first I was a little worried) but there's a good twenty years between this guy and my F-1N.

And, Kungpow, you have a Minister.

If only I'd kept a Lynx for myself when you couldn't give away a fixed-lens RF.

Ben_Edict · 10-02-2009, 02:09 AM

I find the noise of the K10 and K20 too loud. During a wedding it can be a bit emberassing and cause some eye's turn to me from the attendants... I have heared a noise comparisson between the K20 and K7 in a YouTube video, just when the K7 was released and it was definitely much quieter, still keeping the distinctive DSLR sound.

Back in the 1980 there was a US county court, where the judge banned any camera from the court room, that was louder than his old Leica M3 - that's the measure. Not completely quiet, but very bearable...

Ben

catfish252 · 10-02-2009, 11:08 AM

I read a review at: Pentax K-7 Digital Camera - Full Review - The Imaging Resource! in that review, which is very favorable he refers to the quietness of the shutter. He refers to the sound as, "Past Pentax SLR shutter designs made some unique noises, some good, others a little much. There were lots of odd winding sounds that lasted a little too long and made the cameras sound almost broken. Not the Pentax K7. It's quieter than any digital SLR I've used. The sound has no winding or even clicking sounds. It's more like rubbing a nickel about an inch across the surface of a desk, then drawing it back quickly; or maybe an SD card. Try it. I hope that gives you some idea. It sounds very quiet to me.

Pentaxor · 10-04-2009, 07:38 PM

the K-7's shutter would make anyone fall asleep or won't even disturb a person right next to you. I took some candid photos of people and they always wonder if I had even taken their picture since they heard nothing. that's how quite it is.

messthetics · 10-05-2009, 11:37 AM

I was not a fan of the K10D shutter, which I'm assuming is the same as the K20. It was considerably louder than my K-7 and I especially notice it now. It does seem to last longer than it should, I think this is due to the vibration it makes inside the camera. The K-7 sounds so much nicer to my ear, such a crisp sound.

I've been in many situations recently where my K-7 has gone completely unnoticed where my K10D wouldn't have. The quiet shutter is so key in taking urban candid portraits. I often get really close to people in public, so anything to take away attention is very important.

Ratmagiclady · 10-07-2009, 10:25 AM

You know, I was thinking of this thread while watching the news, and noticing what a clatter a few Canons and Nikons can set up, (When there's a whole battery of them, it's like a flock of mechanical birds being flushed) ...assuming the mike's no closer than my basis for trying to judge: namely my K20d at arm's length, I don't think there's a big difference, except in *how* it sounds. There's that scissorey sound which I think is actually the lens stopping down (since the stopdown metering makes a similar sound) or the mirror as someone suggests... but it's not as staccato-like a sound as you seem to get from other machines.

So I wonder if it's just more conspicuous, to listen to right there cause it's unusual, rather than really being 'louder' or more disruptive.

mithrandir · 10-07-2009, 06:12 PM

When I shoot at a wedding or other quiet venue, my wife frequently asks me to turn down the shutter volume on my K10D.

kenyee · 10-07-2009, 07:21 PM

The K10D's shutter is louder than the K20D's. Oddly, I found the K10D's shutter to sound more "solid" than Canikon shutter which sound more like "flick flick flick" :-)
To be honest, I don't hear the camera's shutter that much...I mostly feel it. Others might notice it though...

Ben_Edict · 10-08-2009, 02:24 AM

Originally posted by kenyee

The K10D's shutter is louder than the K20D's. Oddly, I found the K10D's shutter to sound more "solid" than Canikon shutter which sound more like "flick flick flick" :-)
To be honest, I don't hear the camera's shutter that much...I mostly feel it. Others might notice it though...

I made a comparisson between the K10 and K20 in this respect. The K10 is louder only for the photographer behind the camera. From the front, bot have an equal sound level.

Ben

opfor · 10-08-2009, 03:27 AM

I have taken plenty of pictures in churches with my k20 and have had people comment that they didn't know I was actually taking photos.
Depends on the background noise. Most weddings have background noise. Most people will not hear a camera over the voice of the person performing the ceremony.
May not be quite enough for wildlife captures if you are close to the subject.

**Ash** · 10-08-2009, 03:55 AM

Though if one closes in stealth-like on an animal to get a shot, the shutter release would happen quicker than the animal could react to the sound it makes.

Indeed, if this is such a problem, how did film photographers get their wildlife photos?

Ben_Edict · 10-08-2009, 05:19 AM

Originally posted by Ash

Though if one closes in stealth-like on an animal to get a shot, the shutter release would happen quicker than the animal could react to the sound it makes.

Indeed, if this is such a problem, how did film photographers get their wildlife photos?

They used blimps. Nikon used to have one for their cameras, but nowadays one would buy a generic modell from an independend manufacturer. Indeed one of those cheap Chinese rain covers might serve the purpose. The one I bought recently has quite thick padding, which absorbs some of the noise.

EDIT: for filming blimps were always en vogue, up until today, because when filming, the first good shot is just not enough, you need at least a couple of seconds, better minutes of undistrubed animals in front of the lens. But even in photography (quite as with many humans) the second or third shot is best...
Ben

09-30-2009, 09:41 PM	#18
mysticcowboy Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: port townsend, wa Photos: Albums Posts: 968	Sounds like quality You know, when my wife first heard the K20D shutter, she said, "Now that sounds like quality."

10-08-2009, 03:27 AM	#28
opfor Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Oxford, UK Photos: Albums Posts: 276	I have taken plenty of pictures in churches with my k20 and have had people comment that they didn't know I was actually taking photos. Depends on the background noise. Most weddings have background noise. Most people will not hear a camera over the voice of the person performing the ceremony. May not be quite enough for wildlife captures if you are close to the subject. Last edited by opfor; 10-08-2009 at 03:29 AM. Reason: typo

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09-30-2009, 08:15 PM	#16
Ratmagiclady Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: GA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 13,563	Originally posted by Ash What about when film SLRs were the norm, and the bodies had the motorised winders on them? I wonder how many people were complaining about the noise coming from that combo in weddings or concerts then?!? In a quiet ceremony or other circumstance you'd wanna turn off the winder and use the crank. Or, if the camera allowed, set it to single, make the shot but keep the shutter depressed, lower the camera so your leg and a lot of people's bodies are between the sound and general ears, and then release the button and let it wind. Or just hold long enough so that there's background noise to hide it. One reason I never cared for the built in winder design. I'd rather have the option.

09-30-2009, 08:42 PM	#17
KungPOW Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Vancouver, Canada Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,699	Absolutly the quietest camera I have is a Yashica Minister II. Number two is my Olympus XA. Both are rangfinders. Of my manual wind film bodies (Pentax), the quietest is the ME super, followed by the MX, and the loudest is the LX. Add the winder to these and they get louder. Of powerwind film bodies, the F100 is about as loud as the D200. there is no film advance noise from the F100. But you can hear it rewind. The EOS-1n is the loudest of the bunch. Loud shutter, loud film advance. It has that "clasic" expensive film camera sound they use in movies. The K10D is no louder then the D200. It just has a softer shutter sound. Kind of a Startrek door sound. The D200 is crisper and faster but not really quieter. I'm not familiar with Canon shutter sounds. I think I remember the 40D as being quieter then the K10D. If you really need silent, you have two options. 1. P&S digital with the "shutter" sound turned off. 2. Pinhole film camera. Ok, no one move 15 sec count!

10-01-2009, 05:50 PM	#19
Ratmagiclady Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: GA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 13,563	Originally posted by mysticcowboy You know, when my wife first heard the K20D shutter, she said, "Now that sounds like quality." Does sound nice and authoritative, I think. Odd, to me, (At first I was a little worried) but there's a good twenty years between this guy and my F-1N. And, Kungpow, you have a Minister. If only I'd kept a Lynx for myself when you couldn't give away a fixed-lens RF.

10-02-2009, 02:09 AM	#20
Ben_Edict Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: SouthWest "Regio" Photos: Albums Posts: 3,309	I find the noise of the K10 and K20 too loud. During a wedding it can be a bit emberassing and cause some eye's turn to me from the attendants... I have heared a noise comparisson between the K20 and K7 in a YouTube video, just when the K7 was released and it was definitely much quieter, still keeping the distinctive DSLR sound. Back in the 1980 there was a US county court, where the judge banned any camera from the court room, that was louder than his old Leica M3 - that's the measure. Not completely quiet, but very bearable... Ben

10-02-2009, 11:08 AM	#21
catfish252 New Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Atlanta, GA Photos: Gallery Posts: 3	I read a review at: Pentax K-7 Digital Camera - Full Review - The Imaging Resource! in that review, which is very favorable he refers to the quietness of the shutter. He refers to the sound as, "Past Pentax SLR shutter designs made some unique noises, some good, others a little much. There were lots of odd winding sounds that lasted a little too long and made the cameras sound almost broken. Not the Pentax K7. It's quieter than any digital SLR I've used. The sound has no winding or even clicking sounds. It's more like rubbing a nickel about an inch across the surface of a desk, then drawing it back quickly; or maybe an SD card. Try it. I hope that gives you some idea. It sounds very quiet to me.

10-04-2009, 07:38 PM	#22
Pentaxor Veteran Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Vancouver, B.C. Photos: Gallery Posts: 6,513	the K-7's shutter would make anyone fall asleep or won't even disturb a person right next to you. I took some candid photos of people and they always wonder if I had even taken their picture since they heard nothing. that's how quite it is.

10-05-2009, 11:37 AM	#23
messthetics Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Oakland, CA Posts: 137	I was not a fan of the K10D shutter, which I'm assuming is the same as the K20. It was considerably louder than my K-7 and I especially notice it now. It does seem to last longer than it should, I think this is due to the vibration it makes inside the camera. The K-7 sounds so much nicer to my ear, such a crisp sound. I've been in many situations recently where my K-7 has gone completely unnoticed where my K10D wouldn't have. The quiet shutter is so key in taking urban candid portraits. I often get really close to people in public, so anything to take away attention is very important.

10-07-2009, 10:25 AM	#24
Ratmagiclady Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: GA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 13,563	You know, I was thinking of this thread while watching the news, and noticing what a clatter a few Canons and Nikons can set up, (When there's a whole battery of them, it's like a flock of mechanical birds being flushed) ...assuming the mike's no closer than my basis for trying to judge: namely my K20d at arm's length, I don't think there's a big difference, except in how it sounds. There's that scissorey sound which I think is actually the lens stopping down (since the stopdown metering makes a similar sound) or the mirror as someone suggests... but it's not as staccato-like a sound as you seem to get from other machines. So I wonder if it's just more conspicuous, to listen to right there cause it's unusual, rather than really being 'louder' or more disruptive.

10-07-2009, 06:12 PM	#25
mithrandir Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Maryland Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,895	When I shoot at a wedding or other quiet venue, my wife frequently asks me to turn down the shutter volume on my K10D.

10-07-2009, 07:21 PM	#26
kenyee Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Boston, PRofMA Photos: Albums Posts: 3,026	The K10D's shutter is louder than the K20D's. Oddly, I found the K10D's shutter to sound more "solid" than Canikon shutter which sound more like "flick flick flick" :-) To be honest, I don't hear the camera's shutter that much...I mostly feel it. Others might notice it though...

10-08-2009, 02:24 AM	#27
Ben_Edict Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: SouthWest "Regio" Photos: Albums Posts: 3,309	Originally posted by kenyee The K10D's shutter is louder than the K20D's. Oddly, I found the K10D's shutter to sound more "solid" than Canikon shutter which sound more like "flick flick flick" :-) To be honest, I don't hear the camera's shutter that much...I mostly feel it. Others might notice it though... I made a comparisson between the K10 and K20 in this respect. The K10 is louder only for the photographer behind the camera. From the front, bot have an equal sound level. Ben

10-08-2009, 03:55 AM	#29
Ash Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Toowoomba, Queensland Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 23,920	Though if one closes in stealth-like on an animal to get a shot, the shutter release would happen quicker than the animal could react to the sound it makes. Indeed, if this is such a problem, how did film photographers get their wildlife photos?

10-08-2009, 05:19 AM	#30
Ben_Edict Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: SouthWest "Regio" Photos: Albums Posts: 3,309	Originally posted by Ash Though if one closes in stealth-like on an animal to get a shot, the shutter release would happen quicker than the animal could react to the sound it makes. Indeed, if this is such a problem, how did film photographers get their wildlife photos? They used blimps. Nikon used to have one for their cameras, but nowadays one would buy a generic modell from an independend manufacturer. Indeed one of those cheap Chinese rain covers might serve the purpose. The one I bought recently has quite thick padding, which absorbs some of the noise. EDIT: for filming blimps were always en vogue, up until today, because when filming, the first good shot is just not enough, you need at least a couple of seconds, better minutes of undistrubed animals in front of the lens. But even in photography (quite as with many humans) the second or third shot is best... Ben