M8 is much louder than I expected...

[Talex]

So after shooting with my M2 and M3 for years, I've finally picked up an M8 on RFF.

My 1st impressions: it feels right. I don't have to use the menu to change aperture nor shutter speeds (I'm talking to you, Canikon). But I was surprised how loud it was. I think my D700 is quieter.

Changing ISO seems to be a pain, and the screen is not as bright as my Nikon.

But she looks and feels like my old Ms, and I can use my summicrons.

Anyhow, just my 1st impressions. Now I need to get out and shoot.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

I use a Zhou half case on mine, makes a difference sound wise. It is not as loud as my Nikon S2.

 

[Talex]

I'm waiting for my half case to arrive in the mail. I'm looking forward to it muffling the loud clacking of the shutter.

 

[Talex]

10 minutes after I posted my last message, my half-case arrived in the mail. USPS, you really surprise me sometimes!

 

[NickTrop]

Leica engineers spared no expense in implementing the most pleasing mechanically perfect sounding "clack" from that shutter that added 100's to the cost of the M8! And y'all are covering it up?!?! That's like going to a fine sushi restaurant and not eating the rice! Are y'all nuts? You paid good money for that clack!

 

[Sonnar Brian]

The half-case dampens the sound of the Nikon S2 shutter break as well.

And it is a far more pleasing and unique sound.

 

[ramosa]

I use a Zhou half case on mine, makes a difference sound wise. It is not as loud as my Nikon S2.

I have the same by Luigi. I agree. It tends to dampen the sound, perhaps, lowering the tone.

 

[cope07]

Wow?! Louder than the D700?? I had no idea. I'ved used an M6TTL, a D3000,D90 and currently a D700 which is by far the loudest. I had no idea that a Leica Digital M would even compare. So much for stealthy photo ops

 

[Talex]

The half case worked: clacking has been successfully diminished. It's still there, but not as jarring as when I first heard it.

 

[brbo]

I don't have to use the menu to change aperture nor shutter speeds (I'm talking to you, Canikon). But I was surprised how loud it was. I think my D700 is quieter.

I just bought M8.2 and in comparison to my D700 it's virtually silent. Maybe my D700 is just loud (I don't know how much variance in shutter sound (or better - mirror slap) is there among D700s) or maybe M8.2 is really that much quieter than M8? I did listen to a M8 vs M8.2 shutter sound comparison mp3 that Leica has on it's website and although M8 was a bit louder it sounded no way near my D700. When I think about it, I was surprised how loud D700 was compared to D90, though. So maybe it really is my D700 that is loud and not M8.2 being that quiet. Although, my Bessa R3A is quite loud compared to M8.2...

Btw, why do you need to use menu to change aperture or shutter speed on Nikon?

 

[cope07]

@brbo.
I think your d700 is normal. I was surprised at the sound of the shutter (really I think the mirror slap) compared to my D90. perhaps more importantly, it was the first thing that alerted my girlfriend to my new camera. Why is you D90 (she said camera) so loud all of the sudden? Cause its not a D90.

perhaps they are referring to low end nikons without two control wheels. Obviously with two wheels no menu diving is necessary. maybe they're counting aperture and shutter speed displayed on a screen instead of engraved in metal as a menu?

 

[Tom Niblick]

There is nothing in the world like the soft whisper of a cloth shutter Leica. My M4 whispered "snick, got it" while my M8 shouted "clunk, zip, shot ya." My M9 is much more refined with a "click, there, there now."

There is still a long way to go before we get back what we once had as far as shutter voice goes but the photographic results of the M8 and M9 are breathtaking.

 

[JayM]

Yeah it's definitely louder than the RD1. Both are much louder than any Leica I've touched (not many.) I was pretty surprised by how quiet the III, Standard, etc were the first time I got to play with one.

 

[Talex]

Btw, why do you need to use menu to change aperture or shutter speed on Nikon?

Good catch: I meant control wheel, not menu. I much prefer to change aperture the old fashioned way, but Nikon is determined to change that with their G lenses.

 

[nikon_sam]

Glad I read this thread...I don't own digital but I do have newer bodies that have a built in motor drives and no film advance lever...
Recently, I've been using a Nikon F and am amazed with how quiet it is...
Although very quiet, I hadn't thought that part of that reason is you don't have a motor whirling after you take a shot...you simply trip the shutter and when you feel like it, quietly crank the lever...

 

[ChrisC]

Yep, sadly for me, my first Leica [M8] was after the great tradition for whisper quiet shutters was shamefully trashed, and the shutter/rewind noise still bothers me. My own theory, and it's a cynical one, was that Leica was listening too much to the bokeh perverts who insist on being able to shoot at f1.0 in bright midsummer sunshine. Personally, I'd have been happier with a quieter 1/2000 sec. fastest shutter rather than the noisy 1/8000 sec. in the original M8 as my lens aperture rings aren't jammed wide open.

From memory [it's a dodgy memory], the damping of the rewind in the M8.2 was improved according to a thread by Mark Norton on LUF?

A whisper quiet cloth shutter would have been nice, but it seems that the mechanics take up too much space for inclusion in a digital 'M'. If you haven't seen it, I recommend reading Mark Norton's thread in the M8 Forum of LUF; 'Anatomy of an M8'.

................. Chris

 

[AncientCityPhoto]

If you upgrade to the M8.2 shutter the sound is way quieter. I think the M8.2 upgrade may even be quieter than the M9 from the last time I remember shooting with both side by side.

The M8.2 shutter with a half case will be as close as possible to classic leica sound in my opinion. (or lack of sound actually!)

I have been thinking about doing this as well. The problem is that I like having the higher shutter speed, and more importantly the higher sync speed of 1/250. I actually use my camera with strobes in the studio.

 

[burancap]

Well, you can use discreet mode...

Exactly.

And this is the only mention I see of this!

Not that it eliminates the "clack" -but it does help to delay it to a more opportune time, perhaps?

 

[RFA]

I've just finished shooting a spool with my M3 which I hadn't used for at least a couple of years, I had forgotten how good it sounds, makes the M8 sound positively crude by comparison, however that's my last spool of slide film so it's farewell to all that and digital only from now on.
Ron

 

[Shade]

Even my m9 feels louder than a canikon, but that's just me perhaps.