Shutter Sound

[cliveh]

The "shhhlik" of a leaf shutter is a beautiful sound and music to my ears, particularly the Copal, as they have that extra "H" which the focal planes don't have. On the subject of the perfect “shhlik” or "shhhlik" sound of a leaf shutter. Do APUG members have a favourite, be it focal plane or leaf? For me it would probably be the sound of a Vitomatic IIb on 1/15 second. Preferably just after it’s been serviced and from the northern end of the vineyard.

 

[Ian Grant]

You need to hear a good Compound, and I much prefer the sound of a Copmur early or late to a Copal.

I did post some audio files of two Compurs in a post on shutter speedn testing and a 1913 Copur still sounds snooth and is remarkably accurate A Copal isn't after abot a fifth of that tome

Ian

 

[Poisson Du Jour]

Clllankk! (with extra emphasis on the 'k'!): the commanding hue and din of a Pentax 67 firing.
I looked like the very odd man out last week on a viewing platform over a waterfall then everybody stepped well back after the camera fired. What did they expect, a Chinese firecracker??

My Zero Image pinhole has no shutter sound at all with a 'sliding shutter'. Great for spying!

 

[paul ron]

Perhaps not my favorite but a very unique sound of the Pentax Spotmatic at slower speeds... the shlack kak kak of the curtains.

I do enjoy my Yahsicamats for the little zit that makes you questioin if it actually did take a picture, since I never felt the burn of photons, shaking ground, a huge mirror barn door slap up or that typical shake many cameras make when they are just happy with the small sample of light entering their retina.

I thought I was the only nut that appreciated the sounds of different shutters.

 

[cliveh]

Perhaps not my favorite but a very unique sound of the Pentax Spotmatic at slower speeds... the shlack kak kak of the curtains.

I do enjoy my Yahsicamats for the little zit that makes you questioin if it actually did take a picture, since I never felt the burn of photons, shaking ground, a huge mirror barn door slap up or that typical shake many cameras make when they are just happy with the small sample of light entering their retina.

I thought I was the only nut that appreciated the sounds of different shutters.

Wonderful, have you ever thought of writing poetry?

 

[removed account4]

i enjoy the thwaaaaak of my graflex slr
music to my ears

 

[E. von Hoegh]

A Compound at longer speeds is my favorite - click...............................click.

 

[ntenny]

Compur leaf shutters---the 50s Compur-Rapids in a TLR, or an early rimset---but I don't have the onomatopoeic vocabulary to spell the sound they make. At the end of the day I don't think I ever really heard a leaf shutter I didn't like, but the Compur mechanics have something unique.

At the other extreme, I'm lately very taken with the enormous flapping, crashing noise of the Optika 6x9 SLR. It's such a steampunk beast of a camera in the first place that it seems totally consistent for it to make a noise like metal-shop class at a school for goblins.

-NT

 

[munz6869]

the loud clunk of the shutter and mirror slap of a Mamiya 645 is something to behold - that is NOT a stealthy camera. Also, my Fuji 6x8 rangefinder has an astonishingly loud shutter for such a (relatively) modern camera. I like it more than the Fuji electronic 645 cameras - where the 'bleep' and motor noise is louder than the shutter...

Marc!

 

[DBP]

What about the 'clang' of an old Argus?

 

[Terry Christian]

Agreed on the Argus and Mamiya 645 -- the latter of which I describe as "ka-chunk!" Also disappointing is the 'bzzsht' of my electronic shutter Nikons (F4 and N2020). What are your most satisfying shutter sounds, the ones that just feel right?

 

[BrianL]

A focal plane shutter can be as quiet, listen to a Leica. Just takes some engineering to do but b/c the majority of cameras were slrs there was little incentive to design a quiter focal plane sutter.

I do have a preference for leaf shutter cameras and one reason I like the Contraflex and Contrarex oldies even for slrs when it comes to 35mm slr systems even though you have to wind the advance to reset the mirror which I always found a good thing as it reminded me to wind the film and not have a surprises when I pushed the shutter release.

 

[bdial]

A motor-driven Nikon F
It was very effective in a "human factors" experiment I did many years ago.

I had a regular assignment to photograph a really boring and PITA ceremony, individual shots of about 50 people getting handed class completion certificates.
Usually this was shot with a Rollei or a Graflex XL press camera, nice and quiet...
One night I decided to use the F and motor. Magically, I didn't get assigned to that one any more.

Fond memories of that sound since.

 

[charlief64]

Ziizzz .... KLANK ... klunk That's what my trusty (some of them are) old Kiev says on slow speeds.
I think this unattractive, old orphan from Soviet Russia, has a right to be loud as it sucks in those photons.
charlie

 

[John Austin]

I looked at this thread out of vague disinterest - It is seriously boring

I hate the sound of my Sinar Shutter, but I love its consistency and practicality, which leads to predictable negs, which is what counts - The best thing about the Compound shutter is its quietness, like a Harley Davidson, noise equals loss of energy

Stop wasting your energy on such camera collector topics and get out there and use your cameras to tell real stories that have some substance

 

[zsas]

^huh? So you first call this thread boring, then answer the question (ironically), then comment again about the validity of the topic?

Clive - nice topic! I like my Oly XA ity bitty ping shutter, tis a joy compared to my Mamiya 645

 

[zsas]

Btw, Clive has some stellar photos in the gallery, if he wants to take a couple min break to talk about photography and the sensory aspects of it, what harm is that?

 

[removed account4]

I looked at this thread out of vague disinterest - It is seriously boring

I hate the sound of my Sinar Shutter, but I love its consistency and practicality, which leads to predictable negs, which is what counts - The best thing about the Compound shutter is its quietness, like a Harley Davidson, noise equals loss of energy

Stop wasting your energy on such camera collector topics and get out there and use your cameras to tell real stories that have some substance

priceless !

 

[Newt_on_Swings]

Haha such a strange topic, but I'll bite. I like the Zzzzzzzz Click sound either during the self timer or longer exposures.

 

[Ralph Javins]

Good morning;

Well, in spite of the observation of JBAPhoto, I am amused by all of the descriptions of the sounds our equipment makes. For a long time, I have tried to describe the sound of my 1964 Minolta SR-1b as a "FLACK--Vszzzt--FLOCK!!"

Then there is the Koni-Omega Rapid M. The leaf shutter in the lens is quite predictable and discrete, but then there is the sound it makes when you pull out the plunger on the magazine and push it back in to advance the film to the next frame and cock the shutter. It can be a bit disconcerting to anyone in law enforcement or the military. You will get the idea if I simply say that it sounds very much like a .45 ACP round as the slide is pulled back and then it goes into battery.

 

[Dinesh]

Stop wasting your energy on such camera collector topics and get out there and use your cameras to tell real stories that have some substance

You have the balls to say this when you started this gem?

(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

 

[Ian Grant]

Stop wasting your energy on such camera collector topics and get out there and use your cameras to tell real stories that have some substance

Actually the sound of your shutter regardless of age or type is important as it will often be the first clue that the shutter is becoming faulty. In addition with leaf shutters the sound is an accurate way of measuring slow shutter speed and again these tend to be the first to malfunction and slow or drag.

These are MP3's of three shutters at increasingly faster shutter speeds used in Audacity (or Sound Forge) to measure the slower speeds. These are the speeds I use most.

Copal #0 (1990's)

Ilex Acme #3 (1950's)

Compur #0 (1931)

Ian

 

[ooze]

A trivial topic, but hey, some fun should be allowed

I find the shutter sound of the Bronica RF645 quite charming. Since it's a bit difficult to describe intonation with the written word I won't attempt to line up consonants...

 

[John Austin]

You have the balls to say this when you started this gem?

(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

Yes, I have!!!

The "gem" you refer to is still being researched. . .

 

[Dinesh]

Yes, I have!!!

The "gem" you refer to is still being researched. . .

Then why didn't you wait until you had concrete evidence instead of posting something potentially damaging you overheard from the local Kumbaya cafe?