The quietest SLR

[wblynch]

Well an OM-1 will have some clockwork noise from longer exposures (quite pleasing to me)

But lock up that OM-1 mirror and I can't imagine a quieter SLR.

Some OM's now suffer from mirror return 'ping' and aperture lever 'ring' when surfaces collide. Their original noise reduction features must be worn by now.

 

[nobbylon]

Well an OM-1 will have some clockwork noise from longer exposures (quite pleasing to me)

But lock up that OM-1 mirror and I can't imagine a quieter SLR.

Some OM's now suffer from mirror return 'ping' and aperture lever 'ring' when surfaces collide. Their original noise reduction features must be worn by now.

Lock up the mirror and it's not now an SLR!
The challenge of making a quiet SLR is in making the mirror and if fitted the motor as quiet as possible. The OM1 is no better than most in this respect. I had an OM system and it was no quieter than my Nikon systems.

 

[segedi]

My Canon EOS Elan 7E is fairly quiet.
The new Nikon D810 is very quiet, especially for a fullframe DSLR.
The Mamiya 7 II is so silent I didn't think it even took a photo the first time I snapped it! Love the leaf shutters.

The loudest cameras I've owned:
Hasselblad 503CW - loud but neat sounding
Sony NEX 5N - like a yappy dog that one, tiny-cute but annoying.

 

[sc_rufctr]

It's not the quietest but my Leica 6.2 has a very refined snick and thunk.
Almost manly... lol 😉

(I have a softy on mine which improves the feel)

 

[dtcls100]

I had an OM system and it was no quieter than my Nikon systems.

My personal experience is a bit different. Without a motor drive, I found the OM-1, OM-1n, OM-2n, OM-4t bodies to be noticeably quieter than Nikon FE2 and FM3a bodies, as the Nikons have much higher pitched and more metallic shutter release sounds. However, the OM winder 2 makes a horrific and loud squeal in operation (even though its max is 2.5 fps) and is much louder than the Nikon MD-12 drive (which has a max of 3.5 fps). However, the OM Motor Drive 1 and especially the Motor Drive 2 (both max at 5 fps) are quieter than the Nikon MD-12.

The Nikon F6 however is still quieter than any OM camera in operation (and most rangefinders I have tried). This not too surprising really, given that Nikon states it paid particular attention to addressing noise and vibration and because Nikon had the advantage of several decades worth of tech advancement between the time of development/design of the OM cameras and the Nikon F6. In multiple respects, the Olympus OMs were well ahead of their times. Indeed, the OM motor drives' 5 frames per second motor drives (without need to lockup mirror) was not matched by other manufacturers for quite a few years. Indeed, the Nikon F3 and MD-4 motor drive could only go 5 fps with the mirror locked up.

 

[steveyork]

In terms of mechanical cameras, the Leicaflex series is pretty quiet. Over the last couple decades I've used the following SLRs -- Nikons F, F2, F3, Topcon R, Leicaflex original, SL, SL2, Contarex Bullseye. Contax D, Contaflex IV, Canon FTb, Leica R6, 6.2, 7, original Canonflex, and probably a few others.

Of these the most pleasing shutter sound is the Leicaflex series and the original Canonflex (the best!!). They are also the quietest. The Canonflex has an absolutely cool sounding shutter (too bad it has radioactive lenses). When the Leicaflex came out, the magazines tested it as the quietest mechanical shutter of its' time.

The loudest mechanical shutters were the Contarex and the Nikon F2. Annoyingly so. Like a gun going off. The Contaflex IV is also pretty loud (if my memory is correct).

 

[HHPhoto]

The Nikon F6 however is still quieter than any OM camera in operation (and most rangefinders I have tried). This not too surprising really, given that Nikon states it paid particular attention to addressing noise and vibration and because Nikon had the advantage of several decades worth of tech advancement between the time of development/design of the OM cameras and the Nikon F6.

+1.
I have compared my F6 to lots of other cameras. And it is much quiter than all other SLRs (no matter whether AF or MF SLRs).
Nikon did an absolutely outstanding job with the F6 design.

Cheers, Jan

 

[Ronald M]

Raise the mirror on my F2 Nikon. I can hear nothing.

Also get insanely sharp images.

DSLR have mirror up mode and also shutter delay.

 

[Skiff]

+1 !
It is exactly that, I completetly agree.
I've bought an F6 with MB-40 and MV-1 data-reader brand new, and it has been my best camera purchase ever.

I've used lots of different cameras and camera types over the last decades.
The F6 ist the most quiet SLR ever built!
You only hear the extremely well dampened mirror with a very quiet, low frequent and nice noise.
You don't hear the motor of the film advance at all (!!) when you press the release.
Nikon really did an outstanding job with this camera.
All the design flaws of the F5 and F100 are gone. Nikon listened very attentively to the F5 / F100 critic of professional photographers.
And introduced with the F6 a camera significantly improved in all respects.
Nikon's masterpiece.

I wrote that about two years ago.
Nothing has changed since then 🙂.
The F6 is still the most quiet SLR ever built.

 

[Pentode]

My Minolta XD-11 is pretty darn quiet, but it's still nowhere near as quiet as a leaf shutter RF.

 

[mkvrnn]

The LOUDEST I ever had was my first SLR, a Zenith. That one used to frighten horses.

After that all the Olympus, Pentax, Rolleiflex and other SLRs seemed whisper quiet.

The quietest shutter I've owned (non SLR) is an Olympus Pen S half frame. The M3 is deafening by comparison.

 

[PaulDalex]

SRL's I have owned/own

NIKON: NikkorexF, F, F4

MINOLTA: 9000, 7xi, 9xi, 9

CONTAX: RTSII, RX, RTSIII, S2

PENTAX: KX

Many of them I still own, a few I would sell, but it very difficult because I can only sell (and also I prefer to sell) face to face.

My impression is that the most quiet of those is the Contax RTSIII. I could hear the whisper of the motors (advance / vacuum system) but not he shutter

Cheers

Paul

 

[PaulDalex]

Edit: but not he shutter/mirror

 

[Skiff]

My impression is that the most quiet of those is the Contax RTSIII. I could hear the whisper of the motors (advance / vacuum system) but not he shutter

That is interesting. With the F6 you only hear an extremely quiet and well dampened mirror slap. Nothing else.
The film advance motor is absolutely silent. You don't hear it at all.

 

[radi(c)al_cam]

In terms of mechanical cameras, the Leicaflex series is pretty quiet. […] When the Leicaflex came out, the magazines tested it as the quietest mechanical shutter of its' time.

You're right. Additionally, the Leicaflex / SL / SL2 models have had then — and probably still have — the brightest viewfinders, at least still much much better than anything with «Nikon» written on it 😉