Quiet and Small SLRs

[Gid]

Thanks guys. I could have guessed at some of the responses - well except for the Ricoh. I like Olympus - I use an E1 and E400 in the digital world. I had a loan of a Pentax ME and MX, but both were quite loud although small. I think I need to do some OM research.

PS. I also used a Fujica ST801 in the 80s, but its been so long I can 't really remember how loud it was. Nice camera though.

 

[robbo]

I have a Nikon F6 which has a 'silent' mode. I think it must be broken:>)

 

[kbg32]

I concur with the Olympus OM. The Contax Aria is beautiful and you get to use all those great Zeiss lenses.

 

[Ken Ford]

OM2n gets my vote!

 

[kevin m]

The Canon Elan7's are quiet and cheap.

 

[migtex]

Nikon FG (PASM) and quite small.

 

[Peter_Jones]

Olympus OM's get another vote from me (perhaps I should badmouth them to keep prices down?)

Canon EOS 30 (Elan 7?) is quiet but not small. Depends if you want auto or manual focus.

 

[Tuolumne]

Nikon FM3a.

/T

 

[kevin m]

Since when are Nikon FM's quiet? 😕

 

[Tuolumne]

Since when are Nikon FM's quiet? 😕

Not quiet? I thought mine was. I guess I've never used a really quiet SLR, then.

/T

 

[mh2000]

The OM-1 is a wonderful classic camera, but the Rebel G is probably the lightest and quietest SLR made... Leica quiet really... and only $20 for a mint copy!

 

[jgran]

another vote for the Aria. I have used it and the elan 7 and the Aria is smaller and quieter. lots of functions, easier interface than the 7 and the glass is sweet.

 

[kdemas]

The Aria is a wonderful little camera. Goes great with the 45mm pancake lens, incredibly small and high quality package.

Kent

 

[kevin m]

Not quiet? I thought mine was. I guess I've never used a really quiet SLR, then.

They're not terribly loud, like an EOS-3, but they're not among the quietest, either.

If the Aria's quieter than an Elan7, that's pretty impressive. I used the Elan7 for wedding work alongside Leica M's.

 

[JeffGreene]

Since I haven't seen it yet, I'll put in a vote for the Nikon FE. Small, manual focus, inexpensive these days, not necessarily the quietest, but a great little camera. I've had mine since '84.

 

[IGMeanwell]

My Minolta XD-11 is very compact and has a pretty quiet shutter; from 6 feet away you can barely hear it.

Though my most compact SLR is one I found in my closet that turned out to be my brother's camera for the highschool yearbook. It's a Miranda MS-1 with a very compact 50mm f2, the whole package together is thinner, lighter and a little shorter than my Minolta XD-11... but the shutter is a little louder. After a little research I found out that it's not really a Miranda (unlike my father's Miranda EE which took plenty of Kodachromes while I was growing up), but a K-mount camera made by Cosina. Also the Miranda is not battery dependent which is a bonus.

I just had my first roll from the Miranda and I was pretty impressed by the little lens:

 

[kshapero]

Nikon FM3a.

/T

ditto, ditto

 

[hks3sgte]

Another vote for OM and Zuiko glass.

 

[micromontenegro]

Of course, the Pentax A110 trunces them all ;-)

 

[navilluspm]

Olympus Pen FT. It's not the quietest nor does it have AE, but I am having a blast with my Dad's old Pen FT. It is small and just fits perfectly in my hands. The lenses that I have (20, 38, 150) are all fine - especially the 38mm. I really like the portraits I have been making with that lens. It has got a certain look that I can't describe. I think I like the look better than my Sonnar 85 portraits for my Contax SLR - which used to be my favorite portrait look.

From what I hear, the 60mm and 70mm are great for the Pen FT as well as the 28mm.