Need digital camera silent shutter for stage pictures (zoom a must)

[kris10m]

HELP!
I have missed too many good shots of my kids the last few years! (See that blur? That one's mine).

High school graduation and a lot of "lasts" coming next year. Need a good camera that will take pictures indoors and out (graduation in the stadium, choir, band & orchestra in the auditorium). Will need a good zoom (super zoom?)

My daughter is a pianist and I can't use a camera that makes a shutter sound during concerts, so a DSLR is out. (Some programs have actually stated "no 'snap' photography) Seriously took a Nikon D3300 to her last concert and took one picture. CLLLIICK! (Oops.) :/

Need a fast capture & display so I'll know if I need another shot! Would love to be able to take still photos while videotaping, too.

Liked the looks of the Nikon P600, but it seems to be slow to capture & show up on the screen. Canon SX50 felt wimpy (really, I have to raise the flash myself?) I like WIFI capability, but it's not a deal breaker (and the Nikon ap was a total dud.) Have a Panasonic Lumix point & shoot, but the zoom is only 8x.. not enough.

I am a TOTAL amateur (so obvious, right?), but want quality pictures. Would be willing to spend up to $800, but would prefer to keep it under $500.

So, basically I need a magic camera.

Advice? Thank you in advance!

 

[Mystery member]

Have a Panasonic Lumix point & shoot, but the zoom is only 8x.. not enough.

I am a TOTAL amateur (so obvious, right?), but want quality pictures. Would be willing to spend up to $800, but would prefer to keep it under $500.

DSLRs have a "Quiet Mode", but it's not quiet enough for your needs.

(It's "Cl... ...icK" rather than CLLLIICK).

One of the better mirrorless cameras may be suitable. Other will be able to advise on that.

I'm worried that you seem to think that your Lumix is unsuitable because it only has 8x zoom. To better that on a DSLR or Interchangeable Lens Mirrorless, you would need a 200mm or 300mm lens which would cost at least $500 in addition to the camera body.

 

[leno]

HELP!
I have missed too many good shots of my kids the last few years! (See that blur? That one's mine).

But you have memories?

High school graduation and a lot of "lasts" coming next year. Need a good camera that will take pictures indoors and out (graduation in the stadium, choir, band & orchestra in the auditorium). Will need a good zoom (super zoom?)

My daughter is a pianist and I can't use a camera that makes a shutter sound during concerts, so a DSLR is out. (Some programs have actually stated "no 'snap' photography) Seriously took a Nikon D3300 to her last concert and took one picture. CLLLIICK! (Oops.) :/

I think your role at this point should be to listen to your daughter play. Arrange to take a few shots before and after.

Need a fast capture & display so I'll know if I need another shot! Would love to be able to take still photos while videotaping, too.

Liked the looks of the Nikon P600, but it seems to be slow to capture & show up on the screen.

Unimportant, the important thig is the picture on the card.

Canon SX50 felt wimpy (really, I have to raise the flash myself?)

Yes its an option some of us like.

I like WIFI capability,

Pointless gimick, just plug the cable in.

but it's not a deal breaker (and the Nikon ap was a total dud.) Have a Panasonic Lumix point & shoot, but the zoom is only 8x.. not enough.

I am a TOTAL amateur (so obvious, right?), but want quality pictures. Would be willing to spend up to $800, but would prefer to keep it under $500.

So, basically I need a magic camera.

No you need to get your priorities right. Daughter first or hobby second.

Advice? Thank you in advance!

Enjoy the day for what it is and not a opertunity for a photo shoot.

 

[D Cox]

Even the quietest camera ever made is too loud to be used during a piano solo. Just don't try: you will destroy the music.

Wait for the applause after the piece is finished.

Really this applies to all acoustic music, even a full orchestra. The human ear is extremely sensitive to clicks.

Rock concerts with big PA systems are completely different. You can use the loudest camera there is and nobody will care.

 

[Brandon c]

How about a nikon 1 series, I have a nikon 1 v1 and when using electronic shutter it is totally slient. The V1 has fast auto focus, fast burst rate at 10 FPS, it can take stills whilst recording video and as for zoom you can get the 30mm - 110mm lens which has an equivalence of 80mm - 300mm and that seems to be longer than the lens on your Panasonic Lumix p&s.

 

[Tom Axford]

Some recent Micro Four Thirds cameras have an electronic shutter mode that is very nearly silent.

I use a Panasonic GM1 and its electronic shutter is very nearly completely silent (very faint click from the aperture setting in the lens). In fact, the mechanical shutter on the GM1 is much quieter than most other MFT cameras and very much quieter than DSLRs.

If the GM1 is too small for you (it has no viewfinder, and saves space by having fewer buttons and knobs), some other MFT cameras have electronic shutters also (but only the latest ones).

Otherwise, P&S cameras are generally nearly silent.

 

[BobSC]

I am a TOTAL amateur (so obvious, right?), but want quality pictures. Would be willing to spend up to $800, but would prefer to keep it under $500.

So, basically I need a magic camera.

Advice? Thank you in advance!

Sony Nex 3n is magic. From KEH you can get it for about $300 with the 18-55 is around $300. It is very quiet, since there is no mirror, and since it has a large sensor it is good in low light. For a bit more (but well under your $800 limit) you can add the 50mm f/1.8 lens and shoot in near darkness.

I have mine with the 16mm f2.8 lens.

It can't be completely silent, because of the shutter. It makes clicks, but not so loud. KEH has a money back guarantee, so you can get one and see how loud it is. If it's too much they'll take it back. The only thing I can think of that is totally silent is a camcorder.

 

[kris10m]

Wow... I was summarizing, but thanks for the scolding. :/

I don't take multiple shots during piano recitals/competitions, but would like to know that I could take one if I wanted to. Brutal. She also plays violin and sings, and my son is a percussionist. A little hard to reenact those concerts to get a shot and so I'd like a camera that can capture those moments as well as award ceremonies, etc. I don't think I'd be disturbing the audience with a quiet digital click in those settings, but the DSLR's are still too loud for my liking and I really don't want to mess with changing lenses.

 

[kris10m]

So, should have specified more. Kids are also in band, choir, orchestra & various ensembles. Just want to be able to snap a pic. at these concerts and be able to tell who is mine. Also, want to be able to save the moment at awards ceremonies (receiving varsity letters, academic awards, etc.) Can't reenact those moments afterwards (like at some piano events).

Don't want to mess with multiple lenses and the noise of a DSLR so was considering a bridge/superzoom. The pocket Lumix point & shoot I have is "okay," but doesn't get great quality when I zoom & does not do well with stage lighting.

I have been testing the Nikon P600, but it seems slow & goes in and out of focus. Don't think I'll be keeping it. (Thanks awesome Costco return policy!)

Considering the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ200 - it gets really good reviews or the Canon Powershot SX50 - but if there are others that will do what I need I'd love more advice

Yeah, I have memories, but honestly, my kids say, "Did you get a picture during my solo?" so that isn't always enough. Taking a pic DURING the video is a great option for me since I tend to be the only one in the family manning a device at these events.

Might consider a mirrorless option, but they are a great deal more expensive, so I'm not sure I can convince my accountant husband that we need that.

 

[BobSC]

Used Sony Nex3n. It will do everything you want.

I use my Nikon d200 dSLR for all the things you mention except piano recitals. My wife is a violinist and a music teacher. In 10 years of documenting her concerts (both her playing and her students) no one has ever complained. But that Nex is so quiet you hardly hear it, and the photos will be a lot better than any superzoom. With the 18-55 lens you might need to crop some, but you'll end up with better looking photos, and that's all that really matters, right?

 

[davidedric]

So, basically I need a magic camera.

And sadly, I have exactly the same number of magic wands as the next person :-(

Honestly, I don't think there there is (or ever will be!) a camera that matches all your requirements. Fast zooms telephoto lenses are expensive and BIG, translated into Full Frame equivalent you'd be looking at something like a 400mm F4, and even then I don't know about a silent shutter.

I have a modest Panasonic G5. The silent electronic shutter works very well, and the camera produces good images. There are a range of telephoto lenses which would give you up to around 400mm Full Frame equivalent, or even the 100-300mm (up to 600mm FF equivalent), but the last one would bust the budget. These lenses tend to come in at around f4/5.6.

Just a word, though both Olympus and Panasonic lenses fit on Panasonic bodies, the modern Olympus bodies have the image stabilisation in the body, hence an Olympus lens on a Panasonic body would not be stabilised, which I don't think would work for you.

Regards,

Dave

 

[zackiedawg]

You mention the need for a 'zoom' and then mention that '8x is not enough'. How far away will you be? I should think in most reasonably sized auditoriums or rooms, as long as you're not sitting in the very back row, a 200-300mm lens range should be more than enough to shoot someone on a stage, unless you're trying to get closeups of their left eye as they play.

So my suggestions would be to look at cameras that are capable of being 'silent' - not quiet, but truly soundless. Of course, most P&S cameras have all electronic shutters and the option to turn off sound, but unfortunately they typically also have very small sensors that don't do so well in low light. If the stage lighting is good, a superzoom P&S may work OK, if you don't mind a little graininess in your shots. The bigger the sensor, the better you'll do in these situations...so the best combination would be the largest sensor you can find in a P&S type camera with an electronic shutter that can turn off all simulated shutter sounds. The 1" sensor cameras could be an option - the Nikon 1 cameras are interchangeable lens, but with a zoom lens like a 10-100 (27-270mm equivalent), you'll get better low light results than P&S cameras and some have an electronic shutter option that can shoot completely silently. Also worth a look would be the Sony RX10, a fixed-lens zoom camera with a decent 24-200mm F2.8 lens that will work well in lower light combined with a large-ish 1" sensor - it also can shoot completely silently and has excellent video specs as well.

M4:3 and NEX cameras mentioned above I would say are not quiet enough - I haven't heard a GM1 yet so I don't know how quiet it can be, but even with electronic first-curtain options, an M4:3 or NEX camera shooting in a quiet recital environment would definitely be heard.

See if the lighting is good enough to support a high-zoom P&S camera like the FZ series...if not, then you need to go to the next largest sensor you can get, which would be the 1" sensor of the Nikon 1 or Sony RX10.

 

[Rudi Maes]

I have a Panasonic FZ200. it's fast for a compact bridge, has a bright F2.8 zoomlens (25-600mm) and up to 12 fps burst mode, articulated screen so you can take pictures from different angles, a good 1.3MP electronic EVF and can take stills while filming.

Rudi

 

[BobSC]

M4:3 and NEX cameras mentioned above I would say are not quiet enough - I haven't heard a GM1 yet so I don't know how quiet it can be, but even with electronic first-curtain options, an M4:3 or NEX camera shooting in a quiet recital environment would definitely be heard.

According to the OP, it's mainly high school band and orchestra. They aren't usually quiet venues. There are people coming and going, babies screaming, kids talking, cameras without the beepings sounds turned off. No one will notice a Nex with the sound off.

Even at a piano recital I have a hard time believing a Nex would be heard by anyone other than the shooter if you photograph during forté moments. I can guarantee you the pianist won't hear it. And who will care more than the parents?

I think what most people probably fail to realize is that when you're taking photos, the camera is right next to your head. It will always seem much louder to the photographer than to anyone else.

 

[BobSC]

Here is a vertical slice out of a photo I took the other night. It's 135mm, it says. This is from the very back of the auditorium, which probably holds 600 people, so a fairly large space.

I used f/2.8, but my d200 doesn't work very good in low light. You would probably get less noise with a modern camera and an f/5.6 lens.

 

[ARShutterbug]

It sounds like what you really need is a photographer, and that's not you by your own admission, as you lack the skills and the equipment needed to do the job.

The Canon SX50's flash is manually raised, and that's a good thing. It doesn't have anything that can jam or hit something as it flips up. If only the motorised lens was like the flash, the camera would last longer and use less battery power.

I've noticed that some school parents who complain about photography noises are themselves some of the worst audience members around, doing things like playing on their phones and tablet PCs, incessantly clapping between movements of the music, making cheering noises, standing up and leaving or entering the seating area during a movement, talking to other audience members, holding cheap cameras over their heads and getting nothing but overexposed blur or video at the expense of the view of the spectators behind them, using camera flashes that do nothing but light up the heads of the spectators in front of them, and going so far as to loudly accost the photographer while complaining about noise.



The Canon SX50, SX60 or whatever version it's up to now is pretty good for outdoor photography. Indoors under bad lighting conditions is another issue.

Depending on the quality of your amateur results, you should consider carefully before buying a new camera if you are capable of doing the work that you are expecting to do with a camera that you don't have yet. You don't sound too confident in yourself, and your understanding of photography concepts appears to be lacking. If you don't know what you're doing, no camera will give you good results.



--

http://www.alexanderrogge.net/arshutterbug

 

[kris10m]

Wow... again. Just want good pics to save some memories of my kids and I want to do so simply. Not going into business, but not a total idiot.

I am definitely not one of the parents holding up my ipad to record the concert, but I do still want to be courteous to the performers and audience members by not having a noisy shutter sounding either. Maybe a bridge/superzoom is more than what I need, but sometimes I am FAR back in the auditorium and other times I'm in the stands and they are on the field, so a camera with a better zoom that can still take quick, good pictures seemed to be what I needed.

Appreciate those who have given some suggestions as to options to consider. That helps.

 

[kris10m]

This one is on sale in a bundle from Costco... Will probably give it a test run.

 

[arachnophilia]

hi,

i photograph plays and musicals a few times a year.

I have missed too many good shots of my kids the last few years! (See that blur? That one's mine).

High school graduation and a lot of "lasts" coming next year. Need a good camera that will take pictures indoors and out (graduation in the stadium, choir, band & orchestra in the auditorium).

and you want to miss these things with your eyeballs behind a camera? photography is a peculiar thing; on the one hand it's a way to record our memories of things, but on the other, it actively detracts from making those memories. i know, for instance, when i photograph a play or a musical, i am absolutely not following the plot at all. many things don't make sense to me until i go see the play without a camera in hand. with the camera, i'm looking for important/dramatic events, lighting cues, etc.

graduation events usually have photographers. if you want the diploma pic, just buy theirs. if you want a portrait session with cap+gown, hire a portrait photographer (sometimes the school will even have these, i know, i've shot a few). but only bring your camera for the candids afterwards. don't worry about trying to get "the shot" from across a huge gym. it's pretty much impossible even with moderate professional gear.

My daughter is a pianist and I can't use a camera that makes a shutter sound during concerts, so a DSLR is out. (Some programs have actually stated "no 'snap' photography) Seriously took a Nikon D3300 to her last concert and took one picture. CLLLIICK! (Oops.) :/

photography is generally not allowed at these things because not only does it ruin your experience, it tends to ruin other peoples' too.

for plays and musicals, i shoot the rehearsals. you might be able to get similar shots for band/chorus/etc, if you're relatively involved in those groups. look into that, because it's likely to be way better than shooting an actual recital.

I am a TOTAL amateur (so obvious, right?), but want quality pictures. Would be willing to spend up to $800, but would prefer to keep it under $500.
So, basically I need a magic camera.

the problem is that most of these kind of things are sort of low-light. you're NOT going to get quality pictures unless you bring a full frame camera, and f/2.8 glass or faster. and that means size/weight/shutter noise/price trade-offs. anything else, and you start getting quality trade-offs. and most of those mean these sorts of things are better left to the professionals -- the people with better gear, more experience, and better access.

 

[Tom Axford]

Considering the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ200 - it gets really good reviews or the Canon Powershot SX50 - but if there are others that will do what I need I'd love more advice

I do not have the FZ200, but many users get excellent results with it. It may be worth posting your query about it in the Panasonic Compact Camera forum - there are a lot of users there who could give you the benefit of their experience.