The quietest SLR

[Oren Grad]

Oly pen f?

No. My Pen FT is one of the loudest SLR's I own.

Some of the latest DSLRs are extremely quiet, for example EOS 6D in quiet mode. Among film SLRs, some of the Canon EOS models as noted. I think it was the 10S and especially the original Elan where Canon started to put really serious effort into this.

The Pentax MX is the least obtrusive of the mechanical SLRs I've used.

 

[kbg32]

Photographers doing critical work, especially macro work, etc., would lock the mirror in the up position to make an image. The slap of the mirror against the mirror box could indeed induce in camera vibration, reducing critical sharpness of the image.

 

[kubilai]

Nikon F6

Nikon F6

Nikon F6. When using previous mine, I found then my M7 noisy.

 

[nikon_sam]

My quietest would be the Nikon F with maybe the Pentax MX second...

 

[kshapero]

So the first press lifts the mirror and trips the shutter, then the second returns the mirror?

Yes sir
😀

 

[rbsinto]

I've never used one, but what about the various cameras that were produced with semi-silvered non-moving pellicle mirrors (Canon Pellex, Nikon F2 Highspeed, F3H, and Canon EOS 1n RS)?

 

[brbo]

The mirror goes down, the camera is now in a state of vibration, the shutter opens.

This is not what I was asking...

The mirror goes UP. There are vibrations. And the mod that kshapero describes doesn't do anything about that. After exposure the mirror goes DOWN, again vibrations but they do not affect the photo.

I guess we'll have to wait for kshapero to explain how his mod works.

 

[tunalegs]

This is not what I was asking...

The mirror goes UP. There are vibrations. And the mod that kshapero describes doesn't do anything about that. After exposure the mirror goes DOWN, but they do not affect the photo.

I guess we'll have to wait for kshapero to explain how his mod works.

They already said what it does. But we're talking about noise, not camera vibration.

 

[brbo]

They already said what it does. But we're talking about noise, not camera vibration.

...2. there is virtually no vibration, allowing me to shot at 1/15 or even 1/8 of a second without shake...

 

[_goodtimez]

It does not reduce vibration at all, it only makes the F mirror slap not be part of the photo.

To reduce vibration the mod must add a button to pre-release the mirror, as was done on F as the "Questar" modification.

http://www.pacificrimcamera.com/pp/nikon/fcel.htm



Pete could do the Questar mod, but sadly he has passed away. There is really no one else I would trust with an F.

Interestingly, one of my 36 Nikon Fs does this:

A slight press on the shutter button lifts the mirror only and if I continue pushing the shutter is triggered. This feature is indeed easy to control and when I just press the shutter button normally, the whole sequence is like on any F.
There is no other added button on that camera and this feature was not mentionned when I bought it second hand.

 

[nongfuspring]

Yes sir
😀

I see, but to echo brbo, how does that make it so much quieter? What is happening seems to just be a staggering of the shutter cycle into two parts. There should be a whack as the mirror is raised, but there doesn't seem to be any such sound (only the mirror return has a clack)- is it extra damped or something?

 

[_goodtimez]

On the other hand, should we have the noisyest SLR thread ?
I would vote for the beautiful Nikon F36 as this is my mini 50 Cal camera 🙂

 

[tunalegs]

I think my Exakta VX500 is the noisiest in my collection. Praktiflex is also pretty noisy.

 

[kshapero]

I see, but to echo brbo, how does that make it so much quieter? What is happening seems to just be a staggering of the shutter cycle into two parts. There should be a whack as the mirror is raised, but there doesn't seem to be any such sound (only the mirror return has a clack)- is it extra damped or something?

Sorry mirror is not raised or slapped until the the next push on the shutter. Listen to the video.

 

[p.giannakis]

I have a minolta XD-7, a Pentax MX, an Olympus OM-1n and a Minolta X-700. Out of these, the Olympus is probably the quietest, followed closely by the XD-7.
As far as AF SLRs are concerned, the Canon EOS 5 is probably the quietest AF SLR I ever owned.

 

[Phil_F_NM]

1. Canon EOS 1nRS
2. Canon EOS RT
3. Nikon F4 (in slow mode)
4. Pentax MX or possibly LX

Phil Forrest

 

[Godfrey]

The Leica R8 is pretty darn quiet to begin with and has the mirror pre-fire as a standard option. Click the switch and press one flips the mirror up and stops down the aperture, press two releases the shutter and cycles to the next frame.

The Olympus E-1 DSLR is about the quietest, smoothest operating SLR I've used. It's as quiet as my M4-2.

G

 

[shadowfox]

Anything less than the Bronica S shutter is quiet to me 🙂

 

[Dirk]

Contax RX for manual focus SLRs. Nikon F/N80 for autofocus. Canon 6D in quiet mode is quieter than either.

 

[nikon_sam]

1. Canon EOS 1nRS
2. Canon EOS RT
3. Nikon F4 (in slow mode)
4. Pentax MX or possibly LX

Phil Forrest

I forgot about that...I agree...F4 in slow mode is very quiet...