R8 Shutter Sound: Is It Noisy?

[Gregory Gross]

I've been half-seriously window shopping for a full-frame mirrorless camera that I might graduate up to from my current Canon M50.

There's a lot I like about my M50. But one thing I would really like to get away from is its noisy shutter sound. The M50 is something that I would not characterize as an inconspicuously-operating camera for street photography. I can get one or maybe two shots off before the camera announces to everyone within earshot that I'm taking photos.

At the moment, I'm rather intrigued by the R8. I know this is a rather subjective thing, but how would current R8 owners characterize the loudness of the R8's mechanical shutter?

At 4:08 in DP Review's video review of the R8, Chris Niccolls complained about how loud the camera's shutter is. I'm curious to know if others have the same complaint.

I know that the camera offers a silent electronic shutter, but I'd like to know about how the mechanical shutter sounds.

 

[JKdad]

I bought one last week and the shutter sound is not great and is a bit loud.



I just use electronic shutter.



Love the camera btw.

 

[A200Eric]

I would say it's on the loud side for sure. I use it alongside my R6, and there is a fairly distinct difference between the two.

The R8 is a wonderful camera and does offer silent operation via e-shutter if the mechanical is too loud for your tastes.

 

[MikeJ9116]

The R8's shutter isn't the most pleasant I have heard and is somewhat annoying. I wouldn't make a deal breaker for buying the camera. Fortunately, the R8's ES is fantastic and has almost zero downside to using it. Rolling shutter doesn't occur except for the most demanding situations. I use it all the time unless I am doing very fast panning and even then conditions have to be just right for it to be an issue.

 

[ApexNorth]

Depending on what you're shooting there is a Silent Shutter option. Compared to my old 77D I find the R8 quiet.

 

[cocoanud]

I've been half-seriously window shopping for a full-frame mirrorless camera that I might graduate up to from my current Canon M50.

There's a lot I like about my M50. But one thing I would really like to get away from is its noisy shutter sound. The M50 is something that I would not characterize as an inconspicuously-operating camera for street photography. I can get one or maybe two shots off before the camera announces to everyone within earshot that I'm taking photos.

At the moment, I'm rather intrigued by the R8. I know this is a rather subjective thing, but how would current R8 owners characterize the loudness of the R8's mechanical shutter?

At 4:08 in DP Review's video review of the R8, Chris Niccolls complained about how loud the camera's shutter is. I'm curious to know if others have the same complaint.

I know that the camera offers a silent electronic shutter, but I'd like to know about how the mechanical shutter sounds.

Depends on what you are comparing it to and also where/what you are shooting.

I don't find it to be an issue in practice. Most places where a camera will be used have other ambient sounds/noises and the shutter sound will blend in. Unless... one is documenting some very important round table conference from close proximity.

Compared to an R5 (a camera way above R8's price and weight category) R8's shutter sound will stand out. R5 sounds effortless... R8 sounds like an old fart.

For context, from what I remember of the M6.II while I had it, R8 shutter is not all that louder when compared to M6.II mechanical shutter.

What I do find hilarious is using R8 mechanical shutter in burst mode... it sounds like I am asking it to do something it really is not interested in doing but is still getting on with it because that is what it was asked to do and it must do it because it can actually very well do it. Thankfully... there is that 40fps electronic shutter.

--C

 

[charisgratia]

Yes, it's loud...annoyingly so (though that's subjective). I kept it on electronic shutter for the brief period that I had it.

 

[Borami]

I rarely use the mechanical shutter. E shutter and fast burst with shutter sound at low gives me feedback and eliminates shutter shock which seems significant.

 

[MikeJ9116]

I've been half-seriously window shopping for a full-frame mirrorless camera that I might graduate up to from my current Canon M50.

There's a lot I like about my M50. But one thing I would really like to get away from is its noisy shutter sound. The M50 is something that I would not characterize as an inconspicuously-operating camera for street photography. I can get one or maybe two shots off before the camera announces to everyone within earshot that I'm taking photos.

At the moment, I'm rather intrigued by the R8. I know this is a rather subjective thing, but how would current R8 owners characterize the loudness of the R8's mechanical shutter?

At 4:08 in DP Review's video review of the R8, Chris Niccolls complained about how loud the camera's shutter is. I'm curious to know if others have the same complaint.

I know that the camera offers a silent electronic shutter, but I'd like to know about how the mechanical shutter sounds.

Depends on what you are comparing it to and also where/what you are shooting.

I don't find it to be an issue in practice. Most places where a camera will be used have other ambient sounds/noises and the shutter sound will blend in. Unless... one is documenting some very important round table conference from close proximity.

Compared to an R5 (a camera way above R8's price and weight category) R8's shutter sound will stand out. R5 sounds effortless... R8 sounds like an old fart.

For context, from what I remember of the M6.II while I had it, R8 shutter is not all that louder when compared to M6.II mechanical shutter.

What I do find hilarious is using R8 mechanical shutter in burst mode... it sounds like I am asking it to do something it really is not interested in doing but is still getting on with it because that is what it was asked to do and it must do it because it can actually very well do it. Thankfully... there is that 40fps electronic shutter.

I just want to point out that the ES can be used at 6, 20 and 40 fps.

 

[Gregory Gross]

Thanks everyone for your input. Reading through all the responses, the gist I'm gleaning from them is that, yes, the R8's mechanical shutter is noisy and that most get around this by using the electronic shutter.

I confess to being somewhat of an old-fashioned photographer in that I like having the mechanical sound of a shutter to tell me that, yes, I just took a picture. An acquaintance of mine shoots Canon, and he tells me his camera has a feature that allows him to enable a shutter sound effect for that auditory confirmation. I haven't looked into Canon's documentation for more details.

Roughly half of my work is on the digital side and the other half is on film, the latter influencing my tastes in cameras for the former. In a nutshell, simpler is better, thus my consideration of an entry-level full-frame mirrorless.

On the film side, I have a Nikon F as my primary shooter. Its shutter has what I would characterize as a very satisfying flutter of reflex mirror, lens aperture diaphragm, and shutter curtain action.

On the digital side, my Canon M50 has an annoying electronic servo-like sound to its shutter mechanism that I've never liked. I've held and worked a Fujifilm X-T4 and loved the subtleness of its shutter. Nikon's Z5 also had a satisfying shutter sound. But I'm partial towards Canon's image quality and am reluctant to consider other manufacturers.

I have yet to hold a Canon R8 in my hands, and I know I need to do so in order to make a judgment call for myself as to whether its mechanical shutter is acceptable. But for now, I have to say I'm disappointed that Canon can't figure out how to quiet the shutter mechanism at least on its lower-end camera bodies. Maybe this is a corner they decided to cut in order to lower prices.

 

[MikeJ9116]

Thanks everyone for your input. Reading through all the responses, the gist I'm gleaning from them is that, yes, the R8's mechanical shutter is noisy and that most get around this by using the electronic shutter.

The nice thing about the R8 is there is nearly no downside to using its ES because the sensor has the fasted readout for a non-stacked sensor that Canon currently offers. There is very, very little penalty for using it regarding rolling shutter. I have used ES since I bought the camera in April and have yet to be effected at all by rolling shutter. Movements have to be very fast for it to show up. Fast panning using telephoto lenses, swinging golf clubs etc. are where you might see the effect. I have seen a lot of shots taken of people serving in tennis matches with very little to no rolling shutter present. I have gotten so used to using the ES that I don't see myself ever using the EFCS going forward.

I confess to being somewhat of an old-fashioned photographer in that I like having the mechanical sound of a shutter to tell me that, yes, I just took a picture. An acquaintance of mine shoots Canon, and he tells me his camera has a feature that allows him to enable a shutter sound effect for that auditory confirmation. I haven't looked into Canon's documentation for more details.

Roughly half of my work is on the digital side and the other half is on film, the latter influencing my tastes in cameras for the former. In a nutshell, simpler is better, thus my consideration of an entry-level full-frame mirrorless.

While the R8 is Canon's current entry level camera, I find in use it is much more than what is considered entry level. It has specs that rival the R3 and exceed higher tier cameras.

On the film side, I have a Nikon F as my primary shooter. Its shutter has what I would characterize as a very satisfying flutter of reflex mirror, lens aperture diaphragm, and shutter curtain action.

On the digital side, my Canon M50 has an annoying electronic servo-like sound to its shutter mechanism that I've never liked. I've held and worked a Fujifilm X-T4 and loved the subtleness of its shutter. Nikon's Z5 also had a satisfying shutter sound. But I'm partial towards Canon's image quality and am reluctant to consider other manufacturers.

I have yet to hold a Canon R8 in my hands, and I know I need to do so in order to make a judgment call for myself as to whether its mechanical shutter is acceptable. But for now, I have to say I'm disappointed that Canon can't figure out how to quiet the shutter mechanism at least on its lower-end camera bodies. Maybe this is a corner they decided to cut in order to lower prices.

It does puzzle me as to why Canon has so many cameras with differing shutter sounds. It seems to me that they should all be based on a similar design. To me, the R8 has more of a clacking sound. The nice thing about the R8's ES is there is an option to have simulated shutter sound that has volume control too. I have mine set on a low volume that lets me hear the report but not others who are further away.

 

[charisgratia]

... The nice thing about the R8's ES is there is an option to have simulated shutter sound that has volume control too. I have mine set on a low volume that lets me hear the report but not others who are further away.

This is indeed a nice feature. I wish the original R6 had it. But I assume it's just in the newer R cameras.

 

[M4Mobility]

... The nice thing about the R8's ES is there is an option to have simulated shutter sound that has volume control too. I have mine set on a low volume that lets me hear the report but not others who are further away.

This is indeed a nice feature. I wish the original R6 had it. But I assume it's just in the newer R cameras.

It is great,

but I use EFCS the most because of the better DR.

I shoot for the most at low ISO and I have no problem with the shutter sound.

--
- M
“I ain't afraid of no noise.”

 

[Gregory Gross]

... The nice thing about the R8's ES is there is an option to have simulated shutter sound that has volume control too. I have mine set on a low volume that lets me hear the report but not others who are further away.

This is indeed a nice feature. I wish the original R6 had it. But I assume it's just in the newer R cameras.

It is great,

but I use EFCS the most because of the better DR.

(I shoot for the most at low ISO).

I, too, shoot at mostly low ISO settings. I wasn't aware of the effect of electronic shutters on dynamic range -- thanks for the heads up. I did a quick internet search and came across this article on photoreview.com.au that explained the matter in more detail.

This is a significant concern for me because improvements in dynamic range is one major reason why I'm considering an upgrade to full frame.

I mentioned my Nikon F earlier. I have a solid collection of old Nikkor glass that I've come to love using, and I'd really like to be able to use those lenses adapted to a digital camera whose sensor format matches that of 35mm film for which those lenses were originally designed for.

I have also considered getting a Canon RP. The age of the camera doesn't bother me too much -- again, Nikon F shooter here! This YouTube video has a good representation of the RP's shutter sound, which seems to closely resemble that of my M50.

 

[M4Mobility]

... The nice thing about the R8's ES is there is an option to have simulated shutter sound that has volume control too. I have mine set on a low volume that lets me hear the report but not others who are further away.

This is indeed a nice feature. I wish the original R6 had it. But I assume it's just in the newer R cameras.

It is great,

but I use EFCS the most because of the better DR.

(I shoot for the most at low ISO).

I, too, shoot at mostly low ISO settings. I wasn't aware of the effect of electronic shutters on dynamic range -- thanks for the heads up. I did a quick internet search and came across this article on photoreview.com.au that explained the matter in more detail.

This is a significant concern for me because improvements in dynamic range is one major reason why I'm considering an upgrade to full frame.

I mentioned my Nikon F earlier. I have a solid collection of old Nikkor glass that I've come to love using, and I'd really like to be able to use those lenses adapted to a digital camera whose sensor format matches that of 35mm film for which those lenses were originally designed for.

I have also considered getting a Canon RP. The age of the camera doesn't bother me too much -- again, Nikon F shooter here! This YouTube video has a good representation of the RP's shutter sound, which seems to closely resemble that of my M50.

Well, the DR of the RP (EFCS) is worse than the R8 using ES.

(R8 has the same sensor as R6 Mark II.)

https://www.photonstophotos.net/Cha... EOS R6 Mark II(ES),Canon EOS R8,Canon EOS RP

--
- M
“I ain't afraid of no noise.”

 

[Gregory Gross]

It is great,

but I use EFCS the most because of the better DR.

(I shoot for the most at low ISO).

I, too, shoot at mostly low ISO settings. I wasn't aware of the effect of electronic shutters on dynamic range -- thanks for the heads up. I did a quick internet search and came across this article on photoreview.com.au that explained the matter in more detail.

This is a significant concern for me because improvements in dynamic range is one major reason why I'm considering an upgrade to full frame.

Well, the DR of the RP (EFCS) is worse than the R8 using ES.

(R8 has the same sensor as R6 Mark II.)

Very good point. As tempting as Canon's current sale on refurb'ed RPs was, they ran out of stock while I slept on the question, as is my typical practice for large purchases. In this case, that practice probably served me very well.

I think at this stage, I've boiled down my choices to (1) considering the R8 (I need to actually hold it in my hand and work the shutter in person) or (2) just sticking with my little trusty M50 for a while longer. I like using that camera, I'm mostly satisfied with the image quality I get out of it, and I feel like I can bide my time and wait to see what else hits the market in future months.

 

[MikeJ9116]

... The nice thing about the R8's ES is there is an option to have simulated shutter sound that has volume control too. I have mine set on a low volume that lets me hear the report but not others who are further away.

This is indeed a nice feature. I wish the original R6 had it. But I assume it's just in the newer R cameras.

It is great,

but I use EFCS the most because of the better DR.

(I shoot for the most at low ISO).

I, too, shoot at mostly low ISO settings. I wasn't aware of the effect of electronic shutters on dynamic range -- thanks for the heads up. I did a quick internet search and came across this article on photoreview.com.au that explained the matter in more detail.

This is a significant concern for me because improvements in dynamic range is one major reason why I'm considering an upgrade to full frame.

The real world difference between 14 and 12 bit is indistinguishable for even the most demanding use cases a photographer might encounter. Where it would make even a very slight difference is well past what one would do in the real world. This video shows how going from 12 to 14 bit is indistinguishable to the human eye with the exception of one use case where no photographer would be anyway. There are many other videos covering this that come to the same conclusion.

I mentioned my Nikon F earlier. I have a solid collection of old Nikkor glass that I've come to love using, and I'd really like to be able to use those lenses adapted to a digital camera whose sensor format matches that of 35mm film for which those lenses were originally designed for.

I have also considered getting a Canon RP. The age of the camera doesn't bother me too much -- again, Nikon F shooter here! This YouTube video has a good representation of the RP's shutter sound, which seems to closely resemble that of my M50.

If you are concerned with sensor IQ then the RP would be out of the question when compared to the R8. The RP's sensor is based on ancient technology compared to the R8's sensor and isn't in the same galaxy regarding its overall capabilities.

 

[MikeJ9116]

It is great,

but I use EFCS the most because of the better DR.

(I shoot for the most at low ISO).

I, too, shoot at mostly low ISO settings. I wasn't aware of the effect of electronic shutters on dynamic range -- thanks for the heads up. I did a quick internet search and came across this article on photoreview.com.au that explained the matter in more detail.

This is a significant concern for me because improvements in dynamic range is one major reason why I'm considering an upgrade to full frame.

Well, the DR of the RP (EFCS) is worse than the R8 using ES.

(R8 has the same sensor as R6 Mark II.)

Very good point. As tempting as Canon's current sale on refurb'ed RPs was, they ran out of stock while I slept on the question, as is my typical practice for large purchases. In this case, that practice probably served me very well.

I think at this stage, I've boiled down my choices to (1) considering the R8 (I need to actually hold it in my hand and work the shutter in person) or (2) just sticking with my little trusty M50 for a while longer. I like using that camera, I'm mostly satisfied with the image quality I get out of it, and I feel like I can bide my time and wait to see what else hits the market in future months.

I think we will not see many new cameras coming from Canon besides the R1 and R5/2 in the foreseeable future. The APS-C line has been flushed out over the past year and the R6/2 and R8 aren't a year old yet. If you are looking across all brands then there is always something new coming out. As for Canon, they probably won't be updating the R7/R10/R50/R100 for at least 2-4 years, if at all, depending on the state of APS-C in the coming years. The R6/2 and R8 likely won't see an update for 3-4 years.

 

[MikeJ9116]

... The nice thing about the R8's ES is there is an option to have simulated shutter sound that has volume control too. I have mine set on a low volume that lets me hear the report but not others who are further away.

This is indeed a nice feature. I wish the original R6 had it. But I assume it's just in the newer R cameras.

I believe you are right. I wouldn't like not having the sound effect available. My brain has been hard wired over four decades of shooting mechanical shutter cameras to hear a sound to confirm every shutter actuation.

 

[Zeee]

Must of inherited the R7 shutter.