does anyone care that the 20D makes so much noise?

Try using it in a concert hall and you'll likely hear complaints. It isn't the shutter that makes the noise. It's the mirror slap, which can be heard independent of the shutter by using the sensor cleaning or mirror lockup functions. What I object to is complaints from the same crowds that cough through quiet music, drop printed programs on the floor, let phones ring and ring those annoying digital 'tunes, and talk during the show. An alternative is to cough loudly when taking the picture.
 
Mirror lockup is understandable, but the shutter opens as soon as you select sensor clean, doesn't it. Seems that would make for some strange exposure times!

The previous posters talking about F-1's with motor drives were spot on...Japanese Ouzi's.

It's what you grew up with. Many here are coming from point and shots with simulated camera sounds...and I guess that is alarming.

Some older 6X6 and 6X7 SLR's were pretty loud, but did not normally have motor drives...tho my Hasselblad ELX was no slouch in the noise dept.

I think the most camera noise I've ever heard was at the Reagan burial...if that didn't bother the family...what would?

They too have lived around the clatter for years...as have all the celebrities..athletes...pols and the like.

I concur...the sound is neat...but I back it up with a Pro1 when it would be objectionable. However the lag stinks.

FWIW

--
Joe Sesto
 
I've had it for three days now and my ear has become immune to the shutter sound. Oh sure it might disturb a church mouse, but it isn't so bad as to wake the dead.

Bob
 
I was in my son's 3rd grade class when they were giving presentations. I was in a front row of seats with the kids sitting on the floor in front of me. I took a couple of shots when the first child started talking and by the second shot, half of the kids whipped their heads around to see where the noise was coming from. I guess I should have brought my Sony 707 with me.

Ted
 
Yes..I was wondering about that..
It is REALLY loud.. CLICK and people notice I must say..

Kind of a downfall when you want to capture a silent moment or when you want to be inconspicuous (sp)..
--
Tario.
http://www.pbase.com/tario
 
Hi,

I am just curious about 20d users and what they think of the loud
noise when you press the shutter. I know that a lot of people use
it for weddings and I didn't know if anyone had a problem with
disturbing the ceremony because of how loud it is. Just curious.
Geeez, not this topic again.??

Didn't anyone pick up a 20D and try it out before buying one? I used to shoot weddings with Mamiya 645's.....now THAT's a noisy shutter! And I never had a complaint from a minister, pastor, priest or anyone at a wedding (I wore out two 645 bodies shooting weddings, so I did shoot more than just a couple).

Yep, the 20D is a bid noisier to the photog than the 10D, but from more than a couple feet away most people can't tell the difference, just my experience anyway.

This particular topic should have a counter or something, I swear it's been thrashed to death at least once a week ever since the 20D was released.
 
--that the Canon 20D is not loud. If you come from Point and shoot consumer cameras then yes, to you the 20D is loud.

Keep Taking Photos,
Jeff
The Digital Wolf
 
--to death this NON issue on the 20Ds noise. It is NOT LOUD. I wish we could have these people who have used consumer cameras work with older 35mm Cameras for a while and they will get it.

Keep Taking Photos,
Jeff
The Digital Wolf
 
... Canon need to work on this so that the 20D replacement has a much quieter shutter mechanism, more like the 10D which is fairly quiet (and the very quiet Olympus E-1).

The 20D is too loud for photographing sensitive wildlife and sleeping domestic animals, or for use in very quiet environments, candids, etc. That's not to say it can't be used for these things, but it does alert the subject, which is BAD, and it would be much better if the shutter was less noisy.

Come on Canon - fix it!

Terry.
 
Are you saying such photographs were impossible prior to the Olympus E-1? Because the 20D is by no means the loudest SLR that has ever existed. MOST SLRs that have existed have been louder than the 20D--including the top-line Nikon and Canon SLRs--and MOST still are.

Of course, that assertion would be absurd. Therefore, this is something that most photographers over the years have always worked around or found not to be an insurmountable problem.

Those who did find it a problem used different kinds of cameras.

--
RDKirk
'TANSTAAFL: The only unbreakable rule in photography.'
 
This particular topic should have a counter or something, I swear
it's been thrashed to death at least once a week ever since the 20D
was released.
Which suggests that the criticism of the 20D being loud is valid. I do not recall this issue cropping up much when the D30, D60 or 10D were launched.

Terry.
 
--to death this NON issue on the 20Ds noise. It is NOT LOUD. I wish
we could have these people who have used consumer cameras work with
older 35mm Cameras for a while and they will get it.
Jeff, I'm sorry, you can live in denial if you wish, but listen to Phil's MP3 recordings on this site, and compare a 20D side-by-side with a 10D - the 20D IS LOUD! It is NOT a non-issue for those of us who do not wish to alert our subject (wildlife in my case) of the fact that we are present taking photographs!

The 20D is a fine camera, but its loud shutter/mirror mechanism is a definite 'CON', as noted by Phil in his review of the 20D - see his conclusions.

Terry.
Keep Taking Photos,
Jeff
The Digital Wolf
 
Hi,

I am just curious about 20d users and what they think of the loud
noise when you press the shutter. I know that a lot of people use
it for weddings and I didn't know if anyone had a problem with
disturbing the ceremony because of how loud it is. Just curious.
It's definitely louder than my 10D. In some ways its good, in some ways its bad. When I shoot models or fashion, the models can actually here the shutter sound now, so they know when to change poses. With the 10D, a lot of times the model couldn't here the shutter sound, especially if there was music playing. Now with the 20D, they can. As for weddings, I still keep the 10D for really quiet shooting, but in general it hasn't been an issue with wedding shooting because everyone knows that a photographer with a camera is supposed to be taking pictures during the wedding. But I try to be discreet by shooting telephoto from a fair distance during the ceremony. Generally, people don't pay attention to the sound, unless they are paying attention to the sound. And in that case, any camera is going to probably be noticed by them.
 
I miss my much quieter 10D....with shooting wildlife, I used to be able to sneak up on them and get a number of shots off before they noticed me. Now I sneak up on them and better be ready, because I'm only going to get a couple shots off before the shutter gets their attention. The good thing is I can get some interesting cocked heads looking at me first before they depart.

I guess in one way it's S-T-R-E-T-C-H-I-N-G my skills to get it right from the start.

Judy :)
Hi,

I am just curious about 20d users and what they think of the loud
noise when you press the shutter. I know that a lot of people use
it for weddings and I didn't know if anyone had a problem with
disturbing the ceremony because of how loud it is. Just curious.
 
Are you saying such photographs were impossible prior to the
Olympus E-1?
No!
Because the 20D is by no means the loudest SLR that
has ever existed. MOST SLRs that have existed have been louder
than the 20D--including the top-line Nikon and Canon SLRs--and MOST
still are.
I have used a great many SLRs over the past 30 years (film and digital) and the 20D has one of the loudest shutters/mirrors - the old film SLRs often had very noisy power winds, but that was a different matter.
Of course, that assertion would be absurd. Therefore, this is
something that most photographers over the years have always worked
around or found not to be an insurmountable problem.
Agreed, but that does not mean that it would not be better if the 20D was less noisy. You could apply your argument to auto-focus (we managed for years with just manual, so why bother with AF) or image stabilisation, and so on. I have little doubt that Canon could make the shutter/mirror less noisy - is that really too much to ask?
Those who did find it a problem used different kinds of cameras.
Agreed, such as rangefinders etc.

Terry.
RDKirk
'TANSTAAFL: The only unbreakable rule in photography.'
 
--

They tell me I have to type something sensible before I can post. I sure hope this works.
 
that people would complaint about this... My 20D is quieter than my Minolta X-300 and Elan IIe. Don't usually heard people complaint about this on film SLR or any mechaincal cameras. Some 20D owners must never touch a film SLR in their entire life.
 

Keyboard shortcuts

Back
Top