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Is it possible to make a very quiet DSLR?

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AllenZZ

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Today I went to concert. It is almost embarrasing try to taking pictures with 20D when it is quiet. I end up only take pictures when the audience are applausing.

I tried 5D, the noise is better, but still not usable in this environment.

Technically, is it possible to add special quiet mood, to let mirror flip very quietly (it should cause longer shutter delay, but I can live with that)?
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Allen
 
This is one of the reasons I have not upgraded from the 10D. But you know what? There is a Canon even quieter than the 10D. It's the 1DS (at least the mark II version). It has a loud mode and also a stealth mode. The stealth mode is surprisingly quiet.

But even with the 20D, you can be fairly quiet if you use a blimp. I don't have one and haven't used one, so I can't comment further. But I've heard they're very effective at quieting noise.
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http://www.pbase.com/victorengel/

 
I must be the only person that loves the sound of the 20D.
Sure it's loud, it sounds like a camera- a real camera. :)

There are plenty of quiet point & shoot cameras with fake sounds. I'll take the real thing.

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My gallery- http://www.unnecessarybeauty.com/
 
if they get rid of the mirror and place a high resolution lcd where the viewfinder goes (I'm not talking about the LCD panel at the back of the camera), there would be no noise whatsoever. Still WYSIWYG for framing just like an SLR, but with the added benefit of being able to do other cool things with the viewfinder. I think this will happen in the next few years.

I went to a camera shop a few weeks ago to possibly upgrade to a 30D or 5D (from a 350D), and was shocked how loud (especially 5D) was.

There must be a lot of people who dislike the noise from the camera...now if only canon would make something like that.
 
ml2005 said:
if they get rid of the mirror and place a high resolution lcd where
the viewfinder goes (I'm not talking about the LCD panel at the
back of the camera), there would be no noise whatsoever.
Click to expand...
Blech! The technology isn't good enough that an LCD will be anywhere near as good as looking through the optical viewfinder.

Mark
 
I'm pretty sure the neighbours can hear my 30D across road, 75 yards away through trees.

I was also wondering if there was a insulated jacket(possibly waterproof) we can get to quiet this rig down for nature hunting?

A person could make one I suppose,
 
I just added a Nikon D200 with a 18-200 VR lens, it is very quiet compared to my 20D.

Couple of times my wife asked if I had taken a picture yet. She is used to loud clack -clack of the 20D.

Of course the 20D is quiet compared to my Minolta Maxxum 9000 with motordrive.

It's all relative.

But if it wasn't for the image noise from the D200, it would be my new favorite camera.

But I still love being able to use ISO 1600 on my 20D without fear.

Mark.
 
The only Canon camera that I am aware of made with a Pellicle mirror was a film camera EOS 1N-RS. No noise at all!!. I not sure about the 20Da ( A Japanese model) used for astrophotography.
 
technically, yes it would be possible to have a soft / smooth mirror action. the bulk of the sound is the mirror slapping cause its rammed hard against the stops in the attempt to reduce shutter delays.

all sorts of ways you could impliment it, but basically you'd just need to reduce how hard the mirror hits it limits, this could either be through reducing the speed, making the limits much softer with padding, making the mirror not actually hit a limit instead just lift it and hold it.

you would seriously affect the shutter delay though.
 
Actually, I thought the sound depends more on the lens than on the body. I have a 17-40 and two 24-70's, and the 24-70's make a louder, thunking sound, while the 17-40 makes a soft wheezing sound. This is on both the 30D and 5D.
 
Yes, that's what I think.
fisha said:
technically, yes it would be possible to have a soft / smooth
mirror action. the bulk of the sound is the mirror slapping cause
its rammed hard against the stops in the attempt to reduce shutter
delays.

all sorts of ways you could impliment it, but basically you'd just
need to reduce how hard the mirror hits it limits, this could
either be through reducing the speed, making the limits much softer
with padding, making the mirror not actually hit a limit instead
just lift it and hold it.

you would seriously affect the shutter delay though.
Click to expand...
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Allen
 
Interesting findings. It could be that the rigid chamber of lens acts like the chamber of a speaker. So if you want to dampening the sound with foam, you have to cover the lens part too.

I did tried to use cloth wrap the body, still hear clear slapping sound, no matter how much cloth I put on. It could come from lens.

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Allen
 
Unlike almost everywhere else I shoot, I leave my DSLR at home. Makes for better relations with the people sitting around me and I enjoy the music more!

For concerts (especially in venues where an usher rushes up to tell you off for even raising your camera to to your eye), I have had to revert to a point and shoot (Canon Ixus 750, in my case). You can make those totally silent because there is no mechanical movement - and you can turn off the LCD too so that those ushers don't spot you from behind! SLRs, including DSLRs are both too big and too loud unless you have a space in a glassed off booth. My Ixus catches nice snatches of the sound and movement too.... and I let the PR people produce the fancy shots.
 
I still have my 10D and it is fairly quiet. It makes more of a "snick" sound instead of "clack" like my 30D, not that there's anything wrong with it.

But the quietest SLR (digital or film) that I've ever used was the Canon EOS Elan 7E. According to Pop Photo's test, it didn't even register on their noise testing equipment!
 
Van A said:
I still have my 10D and it is fairly quiet. It makes more of a
"snick" sound instead of "clack" like my 30D, not that there's
anything wrong with it.

But the quietest SLR (digital or film) that I've ever used was the
Canon EOS Elan 7E. According to Pop Photo's test, it didn't even
register on their noise testing equipment!
Click to expand...
LOL, I was just going to mention the 7E. An extremely quiet SLR, but not as quiet as a DSLR that used to be made. The Canon D60 was even more quiet than the 7E. The 10D was a little louder than the D60, and I never got to try a D30.

What is really interesting is that when you look at the sound of a 7E you can tell the D60 is closely related. The D60 has a heavier body and that may be what causes the D60 to be quieter.

Anyway, some measurements I did can be found at:
http://www.pbase.com/token/shutter_noise

T!
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I now wrap a wool scarf over where the lens meets the body and under the camera and find it takes the metallic edge off the sound so it's not so bad - mind you, that's on a 10D so I guess I really have to worry when I upgrade!
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Doug
 
How much do you want to pay for a noiseless camera? Just like a military helicopters with noise cancelling technology that makes them have no sound to people below.

The Drebel and 5D I have are quiet compared to the EOS-3, so I am happy, but I still use all 3 cameras.
 
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