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Recommend me a quieter camera

ongakublue

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Aug 3, 2015
Messages
117
Location
Ireland
Format
35mm
Hi everyone

Was shooting on the streets today with my F801s. If any of you know it, you will know it has a loud electronic-sounding shutter that can be heard across the street. I thought maybe a more mechanical shutter sound would be less intrusive. So I am looking for a Nikon body that is relatively quiet and relatively cheap. Thanks! I would also consider a compact camera with a fixed 28mm lens. I now love 28mm.
 
Staying with Nikon on a budget, choose one without a winder such as an FM-2 or FE-2. Rangefinder cameras are often much more quiet with no mirror slap, but I can't think of any with a 28mm lens I'd consider relatively cheap.
 
Nikon wise, they mostly sound more or less equally loud. Probably Nikon EM or FT? Agree with Mike about rangefinder although one with 28mm? umm only one that comes to mind are probably Canon or Leica, and again, like Mike said, not particularly cheap

Regards


Marcelo
 
The F4s is significantly quieter than the 8008/F80. In Cs (continuous silent) mode you can barely hear the shutter operate.
If I shoot with an extension tube the insects are disturbed by the shutter at 1 foot camera distance but in Cs they barely notice it if at all.
 
I recently started shooting with my Lord-4D 35mm and am amazed at how quiet the shutter is. Quieter than my Leica or my Canon rangefinders.
Alas, 45mm lens, however
 
No Nikon expert but, didn't they have a little point and shoot, think it was called 'Light Touch', that had a 28mm lens?
If I am remembering right it had quite a cult following. They were inexpensive too.

PS; Ah yes, there were a lot of P&S Nikon's called 'Lite Touch' but just found what I remembered on e-buy

It was called Lite Touch AF with a 'Panorama' feature and had a 28mm f3.5 lens. Having a leaf shutter it was probably very quite.
 
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The f6 is the quietest Nikon I know of. It is a stealth monster.

My Leica M-A is also very quiet.
 
I use a T50. It scares small dogs and children.

Like said here before a rangefinder is the best option. You can use a disposable, it has a pretty wide lens and the only sound it makes is Crrrrrrk Crrrrrk when you wind the film on.
 
I'd have to put in a battery and try my Mju II but what what I recall it was pretty quiet. It is however 35 and not 28

pentaxuser
 
One of several Retina cameras - if there is any ambient noise, I have trouble telling whether my Retina IIIc's shutter has released.
 
For Nikon AF/motorized bodies, the F100 I just got seems very quiet. But as suggested, one of the non-motorized bodies are likely better.
For rangefinders with interchangeable lenses, Barnack Leicas are much less dear than M series, but not as convenient to use. A better choice would probably be one of the Canon rangefinders which don't have quite the cult following that the Nikon S rangefinder does. The Canon 7's have pretty much the same functionality as a Leica M except for thread-mount lenses.

Retinas are pretty much as stealthy as it gets, though the widest lens would be a 35.
 
The Nikon S2 is quiet by comparison with the average SLR, but lenses can be expensive. Almost any leaf shutter rangefinder is quiet.
 
I'll second Matt's suggestion of a Retina. I suggest the Retina IIIS, which accepts interchangeable lenses, including a 28mm. Very quiet shutter, and a large, clear viewfinder.

Mark Overton
 
Olympus xa2 if you are ok with zone focusing and a 35mm lens for $10 or xa4 if you want 28mm and dont mind paying maybe 10x as much for the wider lens. They are point and shoots but being able to change iso shot by shot does gives a lot of creative control. They are very quiet and manual wind on so no motors whirring or autofocus to disturb anything
 
When I am shooting theatre, funerals, recording studios, or anywhere else where I need to shoot with something that is quieter than my SLR, I use a Leica M6 rangefinder.



Leica M6 & Nikon F2 by Narsuitus, on Flickr
 
First of all drop Hasselblad, Speed Graphics and Graflex cameras from the selection list.

Consider the Nikon N75 or Nikon F100. But is you want a truly quiet camera you should consider a range finder camera. I recommend that you learn about Leicas and give them serious consideration.
 
Nikon F5 always struck me as quiet. Mirror is well damped. Not exactly the lightest thing in the universe though. Not a. Nikon but an Olympus OM1 is also very quiet.
 
Hello I'm working with Nikon FG and when I put a winder under the body it's a complete discobar for those who are passing by when I'm photographing ... So I believe it's the winder ...automatically or not ... Without the winder the old stuff is not noisy ...am for the F401 X sometimes very noisy due to automatic winder ... So search for no automati sation in moving the film ...Do it by hand ...
 
I'd have thought most of the noise comes from the AF motor and winder.

You could see how you get on with a Nikon EM. It's small-ish, cheap and relatively quiet. And not a total culture shock coming from an automated Nikon SLR.

If you ever get the chance to try a Ricoh GR1 do so. Possibly the most subtle street camera (before the camera phone). Other quiet, wideangle compacts with zero shutter lag are the Fujifilm Silvi 2.8 and the Vivitar UWS (and the clones).

The suggestion of an Olympus XA2 or (ideally) XA4 is very good too.

A Contax G1 or G2 would be good. Be aware some G1s can't operate with the 28mm lens.
 
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I'm amused by people suggesting Leicas and such to someone who's requirements are "relatively quiet and relatively cheap."
 
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