shutter sound: ZI -v- R3A

[Matus]

Hello,

I currently own a Bessa R3A which I bought less than a year ago. I was attracted by the 1:1 viewfinder and the price was OK too (used camera). Up to now I have only one lens - the Jupiter 3 50/1.5.

Now - I realized too late how much I would like to use 35mm lenses too. On top of that I am not really happy about the metal shutter sound. It is not really the sound volume - it is the sound itself (I had recently a Contax G1 in hand and was not bothered by the AF/shutter sound).

My question is - what is the difference in the shutter sound between the R3A (or R2A) cameras and the Zeiss Ikon? I know the rangefinder is very good, but I would like to hear your opinion on the shutter sound.

 

[back alley]

very similar sound as the zi has a metal shutter as well.

you are right in that the sound levels are not really high but do sound metallic.

 

[Papercut]

+1 to back_alley's post.

ZI is not really louder than my M4, but sounds metallic instead of cloth-like: clack-ting instead of swoosh-clop. I haven't heard too many bessas up close, but to my memory they're quite similar to the ZI.

 

[Matus]

Thank you. Any idea how do these cameras compare to Hexar RF?

 

[bogelgelbo]

Sorry to hijack your thread, but how is the design of the shutter on the ZI? Like Nikon FM2 or like a leica M?

 

[_goodtimez]

As far as my ears let me know in the past the Hexar is super smooth. I think one model even has a silent shutter cocking switch.

 

[jonmanjiro]

Sorry to hijack your thread, but how is the design of the shutter on the ZI? Like Nikon FM2 or like a leica M?

Vertical movement and metal like an FM2n. No need to worry about burning a hole in the shutter like on a Leica M 😉

 

[RayPA]

To my ears the ZI is the loudest RF camera I've ever heard. Maybe it has something to do with the lighter (thinner?) body?


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[back alley]

To my ears the ZI is the loudest RF camera I've ever heard. Maybe it has something to do with the lighter (thinner?) body?


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it sounds more hollow than most cameras.

 

[aizan]

the zi has a noticeably more dampened sound than the bessa r3a, similar to the r3m, leica m8/m8.2/m9, and hexar rf (the last two not including the motor wind, which is much softer in the m8.2/m9 than the m8 and especially the hexar rf). the r3m's shutter is a little louder than the others, which are basically the same volume.

 

[ethics_gradient]

How does the shutter sound affect your pictures?

 

[aizan]

it's hard to work in a cloud of metaphysical doubt. 😉

 

[Alpacaman]

How does the shutter sound affect your pictures?

The advantage or a quiet shutter is you can get more shots in before you get noticed/yelled at 🙂

 

[RayPA]

How does the shutter sound affect your pictures?

How does a strap, a bag, or a soft release affect your pictures? It's gear talk, and we're talking about shutter sounds. 🙂


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[Matus]

How does the shutter sound affect your pictures?

A fair question indeed. It is just purely a matter of taste. BTW - I finally did the decision to sell the camera (see classifieds).

Only time will tell whether this was a wise move, but I am getting a Mamiya 6 soon and will want to concentrate on it so the R3A would not get too much use anyhow.

 

[Papercut]

Hah! best RFF one-liner I've heard in a while. And it has the added benefit of being true to boot.

it's hard to work in a cloud of metaphysical doubt. 😉

 

[presspass]

Shooting a fire company ladder drill last week with an R2 and an M6. Every time the R2 was used, the nearest firefighters turned and looked. Not so with the M6. So louder shutter doesn't affect the shot itself but does alter the situation.

 

[stompyq]

I owned a bessa R a while back. Bought it thinking i wouldn't care about the shutter noise. I found it6 incredibly annoying to the point where i didn't even want to use it. Saved up and bought a Leica M. The Leica is much smoother sounding. In terms of effecting pictures i found the bessa had SIGNIFICANTLY less shutter damping. Made it impossiable to handhold a 50mm below 1/30 and get decent results. I could do better with my D200!!. The Leica is worlds better in this regard. I've handheld 1/4 with the 50mm and still got decent results.