Most quiet M-body?

akptc said:
I know the sound of an M7 but am wondering if any of the earlier M-bodies are any quieter?

Out of the box I would say the M7. At the very least the M7 is quieter at slow speeds, because the electronic shutter doesn't use the same amount of gears and rollers, as it's mechanical cousin.

On the other hand my well worn M2 is extremely quiet.


What really sets the M series apart is that it doesn't sound like an SLR. Your brain is wired to recognize certain sounds. Most people associate a camera going off with the sound that something like a Nikon makes. The M doesn't sound anything like that, so it just becomes background noise.

The quietest camera I've ever used or owned is a Rolleiflex, which basically is silent.
 
Most of the Rolleiflex Automats and Rolleiflex lettered models are very quiet.

As far as rangefinders, a Retina IIIS is noticeably quieter than any focal plane shutter camera, includng the Leica.
 
I like the sound of my M6ttl which is very quiet. All I can compare it with is my Contax G2.
 
My recently serviced M4 is quiet, my MDa is quieter, but my Contax IIa is by a large margin the quietest!
 
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