firmware, and focus beep

anotherGeorge · May 17, 2005

Miljenko,

This is why I love this forum. I think it's great that for any conceivable question about this camera, there is a member who can provide an expert answer.

As someone who works in the "valley of zero's and one's," I also think this information is fascinating.

Thank you for the analysis,

George

Anastassios R. · May 17, 2005

I had one of the later batches of D70's made and the tone was different from my friends... After the upgrade the tone stayed the same for me.

--
Anastassios
Nikon D70
http://www.pbase.com/anastassios

Steven EJ · May 17, 2005

Here's the difference:
I recorded the difference, on my homepage, http://www.sejohnsonphoto.com/
click the photo and you'll head the differences.

OK, so I was bored and wanted to have some fun

Frank R. · May 17, 2005

let me just confirm your findings ... using an oscilloscope and the line-out signal from spl meter, i measured 7.6kHz on old beep and 3.8kHz on the new beep which practically matches your figures ... i could not hear the old beep but the new beep, although still faint, is audible enough for my old ears

... i do not have the figures for sound level, though, because the beep is too short for my meter to respond ... and iirc, the old beep looked like a sine wave while the new beep looks more of a square wave

Miljenko Devcic said:
The audio analysis (sorry for bringing this up, but acoustics is my
profession) shows that the old sound was pure single tone sound
peaking at 7.8 kHz. The new sound consists of basic tone at 3.9 kHz
and added 3rd harmonic at 11.7 kHz. Although odd harmonics are
present in natural pleasant sounds (like bird song or musical
instruments), relatively high percentage of 3rd harmonics only is
perceived by most people as the annoying and unpleasant sound. So
this is why some people find the new sound louder despite it's much
lower sound level.
Best regards, Miljenko
--
http://www.pbase.com/miljenko
http://www.fotomag.net
Who dies with most toys, wins.

--
Frank R.

Norman2 · May 17, 2005

Before the firmware upgrade, I could hardly hear the beep. Now it audible with a nice tone!

b4ls4 · May 17, 2005

Agreed, and since the new beep's base sound is of lower frequency, its overall pitch is perceived lower. Before reading your post, Miljenko, I listened to the recording and thought the new beep was a perfect octave lower in pitch - your measurements confirm that (half frequency=a perfect octave lower).

stratcat55 · May 17, 2005

Mine now sounds like a truck horn. But hey it focuses faster. Really no change in tone. mine was purchased with newer firmware.

R Parenteau · May 17, 2005

It use to be a single short beep. Now it sounds like a double beep. Kinda like a crickett cut short. Interesting.
--
'No matter where you go, there you are.'
FCAS Charter Member, pbase supporter, pc geek
http://www.pbase.com/sssnakesss
D70, CP 57 00, N70, SB 800, PSCS, Epson 22 00, Feisol/Kirk, Man frotto

Tom O · May 17, 2005

Anastassios, I agree with you.

I bought my D70 in early April, and have not yet upgraded the firmware, yet when I compare my existing focus beep to the audio track, it already sounds like the "after upgrade" beep.

--
Tom O
http://www.pbase.com/tom_and_kris (but most pics w/Canon G1)

FRiC · May 17, 2005

The new sound is lower, but more audible under noisy conditions.

Steve S · May 17, 2005

Good recording. Interestingly, it seems Nikon has had some of this stuff in the works for some time.

I sent my D70 (May '04 vintage) in for focus calibration in January and when it came back I thought the beeper was different - kind of feeble. I didn't pay much attention to it at the time.

Along with calibrating the autofocus, Nikon updated the firmware the then current 1.01/1.03.

I have not installed the new firmware yet, but playing your .mp3 and listening to my camera,, mine has the new beeper sound.

Interesting. Thanks for the .mp3

--
Steve S.
The one who dies with the most toys wins!

DrewPC · May 17, 2005

Ben Seese said:
[snip]
Conclusions:
The new beep is WAY lower in pitch than before. Also, my software
soundmeter reads the new beep as about 10 decibels lower than the
old beep. That is, half as loud.
[snip]

Not to be a nit picker (okay, actually to be a nit picker) but 10dB should be
about a third as loud. IIRC 3dB = a doubling of sound pressure.

Cheers,

Drew

--
Just because I rock, doesn't mean I'm made of stone...

Ben Seese · May 17, 2005

DrewPC said:
Ben Seese said:

[snip]
Conclusions:
The new beep is WAY lower in pitch than before. Also, my software
soundmeter reads the new beep as about 10 decibels lower than the
old beep. That is, half as loud.
[snip]

Click to expand...

Not to be a nit picker (okay, actually to be a nit picker) but 10dB
should be
about a third as loud. IIRC 3dB = a doubling of sound pressure.

Cheers,

Drew

Your recollection is mostly correct. From what I'm reading online (and the internet never lies

, a difference of 10dB means the new beep is one tenth the power/pressure of the old, but that we PERCEIVE it as half as loud. Sorry, I don't have any formal education on this topic, so I'll stop here.
http://arts.ucsc.edu/EMS/Music/tech_background/TE-06/teces_06.html

-Ben

Mikhail Bogdanov · May 17, 2005

Mike Dantignac said:
my focus beep either got quieter, or they changed the tones. anyone
else notice this?

--
mike - http://dantignacphoto.com

Rumpis · May 17, 2005

Hope the next firmware will allow user defined melodies like the mobile telephone ringtones ;-)

Mikhail Bogdanov said:
Mike Dantignac said:

my focus beep either got quieter, or they changed the tones. anyone
else notice this?

Click to expand...

--
Rumpis

)

Robert Signore · May 17, 2005

Yup. They did change it.

Ben Seese · May 17, 2005

no text

Ben Seese · May 17, 2005

Interesting indeed. My "before" recording was using the 1.01A/1.02B firmware -- I skipped past the 1.03B one. I'm kind of surprised then that the new beep wasn't discussed when 1.03 came out. (or was it?)

-Ben

neugroove · May 17, 2005

Woo hoo! Higher pitch, nice menus too... and the AF speed incredible now!
Thanx for the update Nikon!

d70_europe · May 17, 2005

no text

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