Shutter Sound

cliveh · Sep 21, 2024

I have put this under the 35mm thread, but would like it to apply to all formats. What in your opinion is the most pleasant shutter sound of any camera you have used? I would say 1/100th on a Leica IIIF is my favourite and believe this camera is the quietest of the Barnack range.

awty · Sep 21, 2024

enot said:
Any speed on my universal univex Mercury, that rotary shutter..

They are a wonderful camera, pity its not a coupled rangefinder.

The best focal plane shutter by a long shot is my Canon 7, far superior than any of my Leicas. Smooth and dead quiet.

The leaf shutter on my Olly XA is the quietest of all my cameras, bit too quiet and the shutter is a bit too easy to miss fire.

mshchem · Sep 21, 2024

I remember my first Leica was a M6ttl, that camera was crazy quiet. In a moment of stupidity I sold it. I got a deal and the new owner got a deal. Camera karma.

xkaes · Sep 21, 2024

awty said:
They are a wonderful camera, pity its not a coupled rangefinder.

You can always stick a shoe-mount rangefinder on the flash shoe. Not coupled, but accurate.

Don_ih · Sep 21, 2024

cliveh said:
I would say 1/100th on a Leica IIIF is my favourite and believe this camera is the quietest of the Barnack range.

It should sound the same as any thread-mount Leica from IIIc on - and not really much different from any before that. If any thread-mount Leica makes more than a shummmmp sound when firing, it probably should be serviced. There's nothing in there to make any noise.
But I agree - it's a good sound.

rcphoto · Sep 21, 2024

I think the Leica IIIF is excellent, but I think a Hasselblad 500 C/M has it beat by a hair.

Kino · Sep 21, 2024

I like how the Kiev 6 shutter sounds like a ham hitting wet pavement...

AnselMortensen · Sep 21, 2024

Copal 1 shutter @1 second.

MattKing · Sep 21, 2024

The whisper of the flap on the Noon Pinhole camera I recently sold.

JensH · Sep 21, 2024

Compound 0 (the larger ones sound good, too. Just more into a heavy metal way ;-) ), rim set Compur 00, Syncro-Compur 1 (Linhof cover), Leica R4

Sirius Glass · Sep 21, 2024

I love the TH-WACKKK of the Hasselblad. It tells everyone that Hasselblad has arrived and is on the scene.

Christiaan Phleger · Sep 21, 2024

Ha! Epic question. I have a couple of ones.

Nikon F2, thumb wind. If you practice, you can get close to 2 fps from that short throw lever.

Nikon F3, with MD-4 motor loaded with the higher speed MN-2 battery pack, lock the mirror up and let it sing.

Nikon F5. Nothing burns a roll faster.
(ok the F3H and the F1HS will, but still)

Chrismat · Sep 22, 2024

Leica M5 has a nice quiet shutter.

loccdor · Sep 22, 2024

Kino said:
I like how the Kiev 6 shutter sounds like a ham hitting wet pavement...

My Kiev-4 at slow-ish speeds sounds like a robotic cat meowing and then closing a door. Might be my favorite. But I also like the satisfying clack of the Pentax Spotmatic.

skylight1b · Sep 22, 2024

Kino said:
I like how the Kiev 6 shutter sounds like a ham hitting wet pavement...

This had me howling

ic-racer · Sep 22, 2024

Kodak Instamatic 124.

cliveh · Sep 22, 2024

Kino said:
I like how the Kiev 6 shutter sounds like a ham hitting wet pavement...

This is a great analogy. But I would say a IIIF at 1/100 is like a gnats whisper.

brian steinberger · Sep 22, 2024

Mamiya 6. …click….

1957ExaktaVarexIIa · Sep 22, 2024

My favourite shutter sound would be a completely inaudible sound - because I don't like to make noise with my camera.

So I always liked Synchro Compur shutters (and similar ones) and at least the quiet shutters of my post-war Contaxes (not the pre-war shutters).

As for shutter noise itself, I do like the ~~sound~~ noise of my Exakta Varex bodies, and perhaps that of my Canon New F-1s with Motor Drive FN, too. But they are always disturbing.

Michael

MartinCrabtree · Sep 22, 2024

A toss up. My YashicaMat-124G and Nikon FM2n.

Mick Fagan · Sep 22, 2024

I don't know of any other camera that sounds as raspy as my Horizon 202, when on the slow shutter speed scroll. It takes around 5 seconds of metallic sound to complete the swinging of the lens from left to right.

On the fast speed setting it is a wonderful shiiirrrklunk of about a second duration.

Makes my Nikon F3 with MD4 attached sound like a whisper.

The quietest and nicest shutter I've experienced was my original Olympus XA, which I purchased in 1980, beautiful camera with very good optics. Unfortunately it sort of died after 30 years of motorcycle travel and being in my pocket twice when I stepped off.

I still have the XA, but unfortunately the shutter button doesn't work, I believe it's the piezo switch either malfunctioning or it has died. Shame, as it's the ultimate travel 35mm camera as far as I'm concerned, and I would use it again in a heartbeat if I could get it working.....

mshchem · Sep 22, 2024

Mick Fagan said:
I don't know of any other camera that sounds as raspy as my Horizon 202, when on the slow shutter speed scroll. It takes around 5 seconds of metallic sound to complete the swinging of the lens from left to right.

On the fast speed setting it is a wonderful shiiirrrklunk of about a second duration.

Makes my Nikon F3 with MD4 attached sound like a whisper.

The quietest and nicest shutter I've experienced was my original Olympus XA, which I purchased in 1980, beautiful camera with very good optics. Unfortunately it sort of died after 30 years of motorcycle travel and being in my pocket twice when I stepped off.

I still have the XA, but unfortunately the shutter button doesn't work, I believe it's the piezo switch either malfunctioning or it has died. Shame, as it's the ultimate travel 35mm camera as far as I'm concerned, and I would use it again in a heartbeat if I could get it working.....

My XA shutter release failed too, been at least 20 years ago. Would drive me crazy, I'd push the button nothing would happen, about a third of the time the damn thing would go off when I would let up on the button
Took great pictures.

Patrick Robert James · Sep 23, 2024

awty said:
They are a wonderful camera, pity its not a coupled rangefinder.

The best focal plane shutter by a long shot is my Canon 7, far superior than any of my Leicas. Smooth and dead quiet.

The leaf shutter on my Olly XA is the quietest of all my cameras, bit too quiet and the shutter is a bit too easy to miss fire.

I have two Canon 7s. One I had to rebuild and it is incredibly smooth and quiet like you said. Completely under rated camera. I use it more often than my Leica M3.

kl122002 · Sep 23, 2024

I like 1s from Kodak Retina IIIc, Canon 7. The weezing sounds sweet to me.
Old Pentax models, like AP, old K, S2 's click sound is decent as well .

Interestingly,
The Praktica with metal shutter sounds like a "crank!". It is unique and I don't hate it.

Axelwik · Oct 1, 2024

My favorite, the almost silent Rolleiflex, followed by the Leica M2, followed by the iiif. My least favorite, Hasselblad SWC with it's shutter that goes "boing!"

Shutter Sound

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