The shutter sound of A7/A7r

H

Hsg

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I tried the A7 and A7r for the first time in a local shop. I picked up the A7 and pressed the shutter, and for a second I was really surprised. The shutter sounded like or I should say unlike any camera I have ever used. The sound was loud but clunky. Clunky in a very crud sense, like a tool used for basic mechanical work, not the sound one would expect from a precision device.

After two 'clunks' I didn't want to hear any more of the A7/A7r shutter sound. The idea of hearing that sound for hours, even in loud places was simply out of the question for me... I don't know how anyone would be able to put up with that sound, lets not forget their subjects as well.

But I also wondered how a camera with such glaring flaw could also be so hyped. Are we that desperate for new cameras and especially full frame cameras that we're ready to put up with anything that is thrown at us?
 
When I first used the M5, I though the shutter had not tripped.
She has the "sound of silence" really.
M5 to A7R. This is "progress".
On the other hand I have to make pictures. And I want them with the best possible IQ. And I want to use the M lenses I have.
Whatever sound it takes
I have no more time to wait for a silent A9
Cheers
Paolo
 
Youtube videos have 128kbps compressed mp3 audio files of already compressed video, so anyone who uses youtube for audio test is living in youtube, because in real life sound is much more louder and much more annoying.

A loud shutter sound, if the sound falls mostly in the mid and low as it did with most of the loud cameras before is tolerable but the shutter sound of A7 is on the high frequency side, like metal hitting against metal.
 
IMO the sound is no worse than any digital 645 body. The 645D is much louder and more obnoxious, so is the Hasselblad 500 bodies as Godfrey mentioned.

It's quieter and less shaky than most FF DSLRs simply because there's no mirror flap and a electronic front curtain...Having put 19,000 frames through two A7s in the past three months, I think I'm putting up with the sound pretty well 😀

As for the "metal on metal" part, I guess you haven't tried the M8's 1/8000s setting...
 
In my experience, the loudness of the shutter also depends a little on what lens you put on it. With the kit lens it is a bit louder than when I put a sum micron 40 on it, apparently the lens functions as a sound body. But it sill is loud, certainly not quieter than a DSLR. I hope that some day sony will come with the possibility to use electronic shutter only.
 
Fuchs said:
As long as the sound doesn't get into the pictures 😉 , I couldn't care less., sorry.
Click to expand...

Actually it does. For example, if you photograph people and its a quiet place, you'll destroy the mood and annoy people. If you shoot street, close shots of people without them turning around to look at you is out of the question.

If you're out in nature, you destroy the peace. Wildlife is totally out of the question - unless you use telephoto lens.
 
nakedcellist said:
In my experience, the loudness of the shutter also depends a little on what lens you put on it. With the kit lens it is a bit louder than when I put a sum micron 40 on it, apparently the lens functions as a sound body. But it sill is loud, certainly not quieter than a DSLR. I hope that some day sony will come with the possibility to use electronic shutter only.
Click to expand...

The reason electronic shutter was not included with A7/r has to do with marketing. Electronic shutter is P&S territoy and Sony could not allow that label to be used against its A7/r line.
 
Hsg said:
The reason electronic shutter was not included with A7/r has to do with marketing. Electronic shutter is P&S territoy and Sony could not allow that label to be used against its A7/r line.
Click to expand...

A full electronic shutter will cause extremely serious artifact issues on an FF sensor. The GXR M module struggles with tearing artifacts in any scene with moving objects, so does the GM1's full electronic shutter. I'd only expect the issue to become more problematic with FF sensors. The front curtain being non-physical reduces camera shake, and that's good enough for me.
 
I have an A7 and I'm not bothered at all by the shutter sound. I can see if you're being pervy on the street that it might draw attention to yourself... but for all other types of photography, who cares?

(BTW, I'm being tounge-in-cheek about the "pervy" thing. I enjoy street photography, and would probably use this camera for it regardless of noise)
 
jordanatkins said:
I have an A7 and I'm not bothered at all by the shutter sound. I can see if you're being pervy on the street that it might draw attention to yourself... but for all other types of photography, who cares? ...
Click to expand...

Thus far, 3000+ exposures later, not one individual I've photographed has remarked or reacted to the sound of my Sony A7. Even when I disable EFCS so it sounds like the even louder A7r "freight train." Much ado about very little.

Of course, my Olympus E-1 and E-M1 are much quieter, which is to their credit.

G
 
I was totally turned off by the shutter sound at first...thought it was the worst. However, now that I've actually used it for awhile, I am no longer bothered by it. My buddies seem more annoyed by it than me. I have had people look after hearing the shutter on the streets, but I already have my photo (or they've already noticed the 6'2" bald guy walking up before the shutter sound) by the time that happens. The bottom line for me is that the camera is just too good to worry about a shutter sound. I have quiet cameras for when I need them.
 
I hate the shutter sound on the A7, for it's size and look you would think that it would emit a more docile sound but I got used to it.
Like what Pistach said, I would rather get the shot loudly rather than waiting for a silent M9.

But then, I don't really use the A7 except for landscape, wildlife or portraits
 
It makes a change from my quiet M film cameras 😉

DSC01070%20copy-XL.jpg
 
I was trained by a NEX-3 and then a NEX-6, so the A7 shutter sound does not seem to be out of place. They are all kind of loud, but not unbearable in terms of photography. And my medium format SLRs are all so much lounder.

On the other hand, the Fuji X-T1 I played in shop was really sweet and quiet.
 
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