akptc
Shoot first, think later
I know the sound of an M7 but am wondering if any of the earlier M-bodies are any quieter?
Most quiet M-body?
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markinlondon
Elmar user
All M's make more or less the same sound, Andy. I think it has more to do with the condition of the shutter than the model. My M2 had a dry, scraping sound until the shutter was serviced. Now it's that lovely Leica "schlup/whirr" sound.
Keith
The best camera is one that still works!
I thought my M7 was quiet when I got it but I think the M2 I just had serviced by Youxin Ye is quieter. Different sound though because of the M7's electro mechanical shutter! 🙂
amateriat
We're all light!
I was going to impishly say "any M with a broken shutter", but the most-quiet M I recall using was a borrowed M4-P. Granted, my Leica shooting experience allows for only a small sample size, but I was quite impressed with that M's gentle "footfall".
- Barrett
- Barrett
telenous
Well-known
I think Mark is right. Between the M3, M2, MP which I have used (long enough to have an opinion), the quitest seemed to be the M3. But I am splitting hairs to say even that. I do not know about the M7, I am very curious about its shutter noise.
akptc
Shoot first, think later
So, if serviced, it sounds like the mechanical M shutter of the M2/3/4 has the potential to be more quiet that those of the M6 or M7?
mdelevie
Established
Hexar RF, quieter by a bunch!
Hexar RF, quieter by a bunch!
If you're only interested in Leica bodies, then this doesn't help you, but the Konica Hexar RF is astonishingly quiet. It takes M-mount lenses.
There's a similar camera, the Hexar AF, which has a 'stealth' mode and is for all practical purposes completely silent. However, that body uses a fixed 35/2 lens.
Also, you might consider medium-format rangefinders. Leaf shutters (in the lenses) are much quieter than focal-plane shutters, flash sync at all speeds, not to mention the other benefits of medium format.
Regards,
Mark
Hexar RF, quieter by a bunch!
If you're only interested in Leica bodies, then this doesn't help you, but the Konica Hexar RF is astonishingly quiet. It takes M-mount lenses.
There's a similar camera, the Hexar AF, which has a 'stealth' mode and is for all practical purposes completely silent. However, that body uses a fixed 35/2 lens.
Also, you might consider medium-format rangefinders. Leaf shutters (in the lenses) are much quieter than focal-plane shutters, flash sync at all speeds, not to mention the other benefits of medium format.
Regards,
Mark
akptc
Shoot first, think later
Mark, I have the Hexar RF and AF and love them both but the RF sounds like a thunder compared to the M7, at least to my ears. The AF in "silent" mode is truly very, very quiet. I have not had a chance to handle any MF cameras yet, unfortunately.
akptc
Shoot first, think later
Good point with the case, I noticed the same with the RD1 and its Luigi case. So far it seems the M3 gets the "quite" vote...ferider said:
akptc
Shoot first, think later
Btw, the reason I ask is because I plan to photograph a church event and want to make as little noise as possible.
kbg32
neo-romanticist
M7 by far is the most quiet. My other Ms are quiet as well, but the M7 is hands down the winner.
kbg32
neo-romanticist
akptc said:
I just had a M4 recently serviced. While it was quiet to begin with, I don't know if it is any quieter now. My M7 is still the most quiet of any M camera that I have owned.
sirius
Well-known
Can anybody say how the m8 lines up? I've heard the shutter-firing sound is a sound clip, but that doesn't really tell me how it compares to the rest.
Benjamin Marks
Veteran
Quietest 35mm camera I have owned. Konica 35 AF. Freakin' unbelievable how quiet that thing was. People with the camera pointed right at them, and paying attention, would ask, "when are you going to take the picture?" a second after the shutter had tripped. Un-be-freakin'-leivable.
My quietest curent camera - Rolleiflex w/leaf shutter.
My quietest Leica (out of M2, M3, M3DS, M4-P, M6, M6TTL, M7) -----> M7. No gear train, just magnets doing their thing.
P.S. You can also get a "blimp" which will silence the noise of a Nikon F3 w/MD12 motordrive. Good for use on movie sets.
Any digicam with an electronic "shutter" will be quieter than its mechanical counterpart.
My quietest curent camera - Rolleiflex w/leaf shutter.
My quietest Leica (out of M2, M3, M3DS, M4-P, M6, M6TTL, M7) -----> M7. No gear train, just magnets doing their thing.
P.S. You can also get a "blimp" which will silence the noise of a Nikon F3 w/MD12 motordrive. Good for use on movie sets.
Any digicam with an electronic "shutter" will be quieter than its mechanical counterpart.
akptc
Shoot first, think later
Here is an audio link to the sound of the M7 followed by the M8:
http://www.dpreview.com/articles/LeicaM8/Samples/Audio/m7-then-m8.mp3
http://www.dpreview.com/articles/LeicaM8/Samples/Audio/m7-then-m8.mp3
FPjohn
Well-known
M3
M3
M3>m6>m4 M3 is most quiet. IIIb sounds like a truck in comparison and a retina IIIc is whisper quiet.
yours
Frank
All the best for the Holidays
M3
M3>m6>m4 M3 is most quiet. IIIb sounds like a truck in comparison and a retina IIIc is whisper quiet.
yours
Frank
All the best for the Holidays
Nachkebia
Well-known
My M7 is much quiet than Zeiss ikon, also very different sound...
MikeL
Go Fish
From my experience, service did make a difference in sound. M4-P was more hollow and clacky until it came back from a CLA. Then similar to my M4.
I should note 'hollow and clacky' for an M is still pretty nice relative to my Spotmatic.
I should note 'hollow and clacky' for an M is still pretty nice relative to my Spotmatic.
peter_n
Veteran
I have a long term project involving classical music. I tried a number of Ms at camera shows and ended up with an M6TTL, partially on the basis of shutter noise. However I've replaced that camera with two M7s which IMHO are slightly quieter as well as having other advantages.kbg32 said:
Having said all of that, there have to be sample differences. You can't generalize on the basis of a sample of one, but my personal experience (on a sample size of two) is that the M7 is a pretty quiet camera.
David Murphy
Veteran
So far the Contax IIa has the quietest shutter on a still camera I've ever heard (some movie cameras are dead silent).
