Bessa shotgun, or why is the Bessa so loud?

[TheHub]

The quietest I have is the Retina 1a: the shutter makes a kind of "bzzt" sound. Second would be my Diacord (name plate says Ricohflex?) which is only slightly louder.

The loudest I have is the Nikomat FTN. Even for an SLR it's a loud camera - but I like the sound it makes and the solid 'clunk' you get when it shoots (one of the reasons I bought it.)

 

[FrankS]

loud = Bronica C 6x6 slr (FPS and instant return mirror)

 

[Thardy]

Surprisingly and harshly loud (a metallic crack ) for a 35mm SLR type camera - Canon 20D - I think is much much louder than an EOS 3

Loudest camera I know personally- Rollei 6008I - big kerphlump mirror noise, whirring motor film advance.

All the big SLR medium format cameras are really loud before you lock up the mirror, then all you hear is ......snick, and maybe a slight buzz to go along with it.

 

[gareth]

No it is not loud.

Oh yes it is!

One of the oft touted advantages of the rangefinder over the SLR is that it is much quieter.

While many years ago that may have been true, it's clear that it is no longer necessarily the case.

The Bessa is significantly louder than my EOS30 and my EOS 5D. Not just a wee bit, it’s a lot louder. I was certainly disappointed to discover how loud the camera is.

Meanwhile the old Canonet suggests to me that it is possible to make a rangefinder camera that is extremely quiet for not a lot of money.

Meanwhile as I often have to shoot stills for video I find myself lusting after the Jacobson Sound Blimp. For video shoots I need a silent camera.

Having said all that I really don’t see the noise that the Bessa makes being a problem on the street. But yes in certain indoor situations it will no doubt give the game away. On the other hand looking at the camera in question, well I don’t fancy trying to be sneaky with that thing. Matt black for me every time please.

 

[ibcrewin]

Awesome post.. I agree, the LX1 is pretty funny..
The Bessa in the link sounds like someone flicked a spring in it.

Ok, this thread has made me curious enough to record the shutter sounds of my cameras. I have a Voigtlander Bessa R2, a Konica Minolta Hexar RF, a Minolta CLE, an Olympus XA, and a Panasonic Lumix LX1 (digital point and shoot). See/hear the comparison by going to this URL:

http://www.clarkmackey.com

I'll leave it up for at least a few days.

 

[Richard Black]

My loudest camera is a Pentacon Sixtl and my quietest is either the Fuji GS 645S folder or an Afga Isolette or Vivitar 35es. The Bessa R is closer to the Agfa than the Pentacon and quieter than either Minolta X700 or Maxxum 4. It is one of the 3 or 4 quietest cameras I own.

 

[PetarDima]

can someone post BESSA vs ZI shutter sound? There are a lot of RFF members who own both bodies 😀

 

[PetarDima]

Yes the Bessa is loud. It shouldn't be much of a problem out on the street, but indoors it can be hopeless if you are trying to be discreet.

yes, that was my point of view, but ...

The M6 is nowhere near as quiet as I believed it would be before I got it - thats my fault for believing the hype about Leicas - though I still love it dearly.

same with BESSA , even when I take a photo of a friend who expect that,
he change his face expression after shutter sound.
To be one with camera, to use it on street - that is my BESSA future 🙂

 

[utku]

bessa loudness

bessa loudness

yes, that was my point of view, but ...



same with BESSA , even when I take a photo of a friend who expect that,
he change his face expression after shutter sound.
To be one with camera, to use it on street - that is my BESSA future 🙂

all depends on how you interfere with your environment.

you may be silent with an slr, "mixing in" the environment, or loud with a "leaf shutter" such as canonet ql17, taking everybody's attention.

point is, whatever you use, in the street, firstly you should accept you're a part of environment, smiling to people, or just nodding simply, and be quick while making the picture.. (wide angle and zone focusing, with a pre-set exposure works a lot here)

because putting the camera in front of your eye makes you noticable more than any shutter sound. 😀

 

[kully]

The loudest camera I've ever used was a Pentax 67 - but it put a smile to my face every time it went off 🙂

If you must have quiet a P&S is going to be best, but as OMiT said, the act of putting a camera to face is the major hurdle in discrete photography.

 

[pizzahut88]

Loud?

Loud?

The Contax G2 is LOUD. Much louder than any Bessa R2.

I never had any problems with Bessa's.

 

[Spider67]

I just found the solution for the Bessa R noise!
The farther I keep it away from my face the quieter it gets.
Now seriously:
very quiet:
The Retina II/IIIS
Olympus 35RC/RD
quiet:
Kiev 4AM/5
strange:
Zorki 4K produces a very distinct "plock" after taking the photo(No I do not let the lever bang upon the camera! then it would be "KAPLOWK!)