Mike R
Newbie
My Vote
My Vote
I have owned the Canon QL17 in the past as well as the Minolta 7, 7s, 9 and 7sII. By far my favorites have been the Minolta series of cameras. The 7sII is smaller, like the Canon, and whisper quiet. In my opinion the Minolta glass is better than that of the Canon. I may have had a lemon, but I like the image quality from the Minolta series better. The 7, 7s, and 9 cameras are bigger, but can be had for $20-30 including shipping, so you really aren't taking much of a financial risk by trying them out. I own three different models of Canon SLR's and love them. but I feel that the best kept secret in fixed lens rangefinders are the Minoltas.
Have fun
Mike
My Vote
I have owned the Canon QL17 in the past as well as the Minolta 7, 7s, 9 and 7sII. By far my favorites have been the Minolta series of cameras. The 7sII is smaller, like the Canon, and whisper quiet. In my opinion the Minolta glass is better than that of the Canon. I may have had a lemon, but I like the image quality from the Minolta series better. The 7, 7s, and 9 cameras are bigger, but can be had for $20-30 including shipping, so you really aren't taking much of a financial risk by trying them out. I own three different models of Canon SLR's and love them. but I feel that the best kept secret in fixed lens rangefinders are the Minoltas.
Have fun
Mike
johannielscom
Snorting silver salts
The forgotten Hexar AF feature
The forgotten Hexar AF feature
Just take the shot, and keep the shutter button depressed with your finger. It will not advance the film as long as you do (release your finger when you have taken the camera down, nobody will hear it for sure)!
The forgotten Hexar AF feature
That's true by itself already, but the best part is, the film advance in the Hexar can be 'stalled'.Finder said:
Just take the shot, and keep the shutter button depressed with your finger. It will not advance the film as long as you do (release your finger when you have taken the camera down, nobody will hear it for sure)!
Using a Hexar like this is as silent as it gets.
Furthermore, the Hexar AF has a matrix metering pattern, but when used in Manual, has a spot metering of only 4 degrees. Just set the aperture you desire, and select the appropriate shutter speed with the + and - buttons in Manual. It's really great to have a choice when it really matters.
johannielscom
Snorting silver salts
That is a Petri 7 or 7S.meste said:
I've owned it in the past and second both remarks: it is silent when shot, but hardly when advanced. I cannot recall it's lens though, maybe charjohncarter can help out there?
peterm1
Veteran
Those leaf shutter cameras leave Leica and every other camera for dead when it comes to quietness of the shutter. I once had a Voightlander Prominent and it was almost inaudible even to the user. (Off topic, it was a beautifully made camera BTW but had an odd and somewhat impractical design with only three lenses in its system, so eventually I sold it to buy an M4-P)
jvr
Well-known
CLE-RF said:
I second that. The Hexar AF is the quietest camera I ever used, when in stealth mode. The ability to postpone winding is really great. In stealth mode, I'd say the Hexar makes probably less noise winding than my Leica M3 DS. By hand...
I think the Hexar has a simples CW pattern and not Matrix but that doesn't take the utility out of the spot. Moreover, the Hexar lens is a wonderful 35mm, probably the 35mm I like better (and I own/ed several, from the Leica 35 'Cron ASPH to the CV 35/1.2 Nokton). It's incredibly detailed and sharp but not clinical, contrast is very good, bokeh lovely, etc.
I have lots of very low light shots that probably I couldn't get with any other camrea, like the one below (taken inside a Barcelona church, with a 100ASA slide film. Please notice the shadow detail the Hexar resolves...): the praying man never noticed I took his photograph.
Anyway, I feel the Hexar AF does not qualify as a rangefinder, it does not have one...
Attachments
wgerrard
Veteran
My XA is definitely not silent. The shutter is quiet, but definitely audible.
That said... I appreciate a quiet camera, but if the purpose of a quiet camera is to avoid clueing people into the fact that you just took a picture of them, isn't that possibility blown away because they've just seen you hold a camera to your face that's pointed in their direction?
If you are far enough away from someone so that they don't hear the shutter, how likely are they to notice you at all?
Conversely, if you want to get so close to people that you want a silent camera, aren't you also so close that you are quite obvious?
...Yours for not making a fetish out of quite cameras.
That said... I appreciate a quiet camera, but if the purpose of a quiet camera is to avoid clueing people into the fact that you just took a picture of them, isn't that possibility blown away because they've just seen you hold a camera to your face that's pointed in their direction?
If you are far enough away from someone so that they don't hear the shutter, how likely are they to notice you at all?
Conversely, if you want to get so close to people that you want a silent camera, aren't you also so close that you are quite obvious?
...Yours for not making a fetish out of quite cameras.
jvr
Well-known
wgerrard said:
Well, it looks like that you may have a point, but the fact is that it just does not work that way, most of times, at least in my experience. Yes, if you are far enough away, no need for a quiet camera. But no need for a RF too, probably: you'll be working with a long, fast tele and the best tool for it would be a SLR, probably (paparazzi do it all the time).
On the other hand, if you are photographing people next to you (probably using something on the range from 28 to 50), camera noise is much more of a concern than it seems. Most people (either known people or strangers) are aware of you being around with a camera in your eye, of course, and react to that. People you know tend to "pose" for the camera, people you don't know tend to turn around, step aside or signal, in some way, that they don't want to be in the picture. In some countries, like Tunisia, they will even be very verbal about it, a friend of mine almost got stoned there for taking a few pictures...
But with a very silent camera, they don't get audible feedback to _when_ you take the picture (with the Hexar, sometimes even you don't!) and, after a while, go on with their "normal" activities, especially if you are not pointing the camera directly on them (and with something around a 28-35, that's what I'll be doing). For people you are with, that usually means stop "posing" and for people you don't know, they go on with their business.
Most people, when they see me with a camera in my eye, around them really expect to 1) see a flash and 2) hear a shutter noise. When none of this happens, thay probably thinking I'm just fooling around with the camera
or I'm not dangerous (reporter!), since I don't have a flash and/or a big, noisy camera.Photographing people you don't know, at least for me, falls into two categories:
1) sometimes I'll ask people for permission to photograph them and it's going to be a posed shot. It does not matter what I'm carrying (I've photographed people with my 6x17 Fotoman and that's not a discreet camera, I assure you!). Probably, I'll get their name and address and send them back a photo.
2) sometimes, I don't ask for permission. Then I'll just hang around, most of the times with the camera in my eye, not pointing to them directly. I'll take a few shots and after a while, people will relax and go on with their activities (or just turn around and get away, sometimes it happens). If this is the option, having a very quiet camera helps, at least in my experience. The worst approach is using a big camera, flash, tele (people will see you are pointing the camera directly to them) and, worst of all, giving them a clue that you took a picture and it matters (ie, camera noise, taking the camera off your eye and stare directly to the people, or even worse, do all that and check the histogram on the LCD...
).The shot I posted is from a series of 11 shots. The man was aware of me and probably knew I was taking pictures. But he was not the main subject (that's a 35mm and he is very much in the corner), I carried no flash (and believe me it was dark) and I just kept the camera in my eye, just moving around and pointing in several directions. As usual, he probably got fed up wating for a photograph to be taken (no clues!) and just went on doing his stuff.
Sorry if this is becoming a bit off topic now, but the reaction I get from people I photograph definitely depends on the camera I'm using and the way I use it... And that includes shutter and motor / winding noise.
That said, I don't loose sleep over it, either. Although I have to admit I was (and still am) a bit frustrated with the shutter noise that emanates from my new Leica M8 (people DO turn around in a church!) and I feel VERY tempted to dust off my Hexar, load it with film and use it...
wgerrard
Veteran
I take your point, jvr. Very nicely put. Admittedly, I have little experience in anything resembling street or 'people' photography. I live in deepest suburbia where the only people on the streets are stray joggers and the biggest crowds are inside the malls and at middle school soccer matches.
charjohncarter
Veteran
Meste and CLE-RF, this is a Petri 7s as CLE-RF pointed out, it came with a Petri f2.8 45mm lens. I bought it last month ($9.95) because I had a Petri 7 in 1963. So, it was for fun. It has turned out to be great. It has needle match on the top so you can pre-meter (also one in the finder), and you can, with your index finger while viewing, adjust the f-stop. There are no f-stop clicks so it is very easy. The lens was a surprise.
and see a blowup at: http://rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?p=634354#post634354
and see a blowup at: http://rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?p=634354#post634354
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jvr
Well-known
wgerrard said:
Well, thanks! To be honest, I've never rationalized it like this, the thread made me think about why I still love the Hexar so much for this kind of photos and my Leica M8 let's me down a wee little bit!
Happy shooting!