Do you ever feel your cameras are too quiet?

clarence

clarence

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For about a week, I felt a great emptiness as I considered the cameras that I owned and used. Since 2006, I had only been using rangefinders and TLRs with whispery shutters to shoot stealthily.

Something was missing. I was tired of playing Cartier-Bresson. I had this compulsion to get the biggest, loudest SLR ever made. Something that makes its presence felt with a mirror slap like the report of a rifle.

http://kochi-med.net/moto/camera/favorite/rittreck/

I'm glad it's over now.


Clarence
 
What you need is a Nikon with either the MD-4 or MD-12 motor drive: two of the loudest photographic devices ever made. Or maybe a Hulcher.😀

On my pocket Canon digicam, I had to switch the sound on -- leaving it on 'silent' left me wondering if the shutter had tripped. No sound, no vibration, no nothing.
 
I know this is a humourous post, but with my Oly 35LC, I can't hear the shutter close in a somewhat noisy (e.g., bar with acoustic music at normal levels) environment. So on a long exposure I tend to lower the camera before the exposure is finished. The effects are interesting.
 
Joe Brugger said:
On my pocket Canon digicam, I had to switch the sound on -- leaving it on 'silent' left me wondering if the shutter had tripped. No sound, no vibration, no nothing.
Click to expand...

A little tactile and audio feedback is be a good thing. On a recent visit to London, I was asked by a tourist couple to take their picture on Westminster Bridge, with Parliament in the background. I pressed the shutter of their little digicam p&s three or four times before I had sense enough to peek at the back. There was no other feedback.
 
There's nothing quite like the clatter of an SLR with a film motorwind. My Pentax MZ-M (ZX-M for the yanks) makes the most dreadful racket. My little Olympus RC on the other hand is barely audible. If it's a quiet country walk I want, the Olympus is a lot more pleasant to bring along.

Doesn't scare the wildlife, either.
 
I've got over the desire for a loud camera, but I like the idea of having a portable 6x9 camera with a waist level viewfinder. The fact that it uses interchangeable lenses is a bonus. The Rittreck will be on my list of desired cameras. I don't suppose anyone here has any experience with it?

Clarence
 
A friend of mine was visiting with her toddler who was stuffing food in his face and being kinda cute so I wandered off to get my D70 to take a few pics of him for his mother. When she saw the camera she said "is that one of those cameras that makes that noise?" When I pressed the shutter and she heard it she exclaimed " oh it is one of those ... it's a real camera!" 😕 🙄 🙄

If it doesn't make 'that' sound ... obviously it's not a 'real' camera! 😛
 
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Making pictures outdoors in the quiet countryside (birdsong, light breeze, cows etc etc) I have had moments of doubt with various oldish r/fs - did it work ?? - so I can fully understand the need for something that gives a little more feedback.

Can't help thinking that portrait layout shots might be a bit too 'interesting' with the Optika. The brochure picture showing the bellows unit looks as though it is eating a 35mm camera . . .
 
The Olympus XA is one that may be too quiet. With no shutter release feedback
one can't always be sure you've taken a photo until you try the film advance.

Chris
 
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In a certain way, I can understand what the orginal poster is saying. I recall watching a program on an electric sportscar. It was fast. However, it lacked the powerful rumble of a race tuned engine and to me diminished the sportscar experience.
 
I just realised that it's the same reason why I prefer my mechanical Omega Seamaster to my quartz watches. The aural feedback makes it seem like a live creature. That and the sweeping rather than hacking hands.

Clarence
 
I find my Olympus XA's feedback to be just about perfect. The quiet "ting!" is loud enough for me to hear with the camera to my face, but anybody else is hard-pressed to notice it. Never had a problem knowing if the shutter tripped or not.

If Bessas were as quiet as my XA, I'd buy one right now.
 
I went shooting with my Pentax Spotmatic F last night, and the sound actually bothered me. I've never had a sound bother me before from a camera. My Leica is spoiling me.
 
Interesting thought, which got me thinking of my Pentax 6x7 w/55mm and a wooden handle, or my Nikon F2 at 5fps .. you could feel the image 😉
Kind of miss them, but would not trade them for a M.

vha
 
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If you've ever used one of those automatic Polaroid cameras, you'll know that they also make a lot of noise.

vha says it well with 'feel the image'. That's the kind of audio feedback I was looking for. I didn't want to have anything to do with motors, however. Just a clean and clear mirror slap and shutter snap.

Clarence
 
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