Sony alpha 7s with silent mode

[tgm]

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Sony seems to introduce another new technology, silent full frame cameras without a mechanical shutter:

 

Sony adds silent mode and 15.3 stops in RAW via fw upgrade on the new Sony A7S! | sonyalpharumors

 

Why only for the alpha7s? What are the prospects for other brands (Leica?)

[mjh]

Unless Sony hasn’t implemented a global electronic shutter this would be a rolling shutter. Reading out 12 million pixels takes less time than reading out 24 or 36 million pixels which might be the reason this is confined to the 7s.

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[tgm]

Thanks a lot for your comments, what does that mean for the future, will we see more full frame cameras without a mechanical shutter? Will the next or a later Leica M be completely silent?

[colonel]

Sony seems to introduce another new technology, silent full frame cameras without a mechanical shutter:

 

Sony adds silent mode and 15.3 stops in RAW via fw upgrade on the new Sony A7S! | sonyalpharumors

 

Why only for the alpha7s? What are the prospects for other brands (Leica?)

 

Very interesting, thanks for posting

I wonder whether they could extend this to the A7 with a firmware update

More to come on this one

[3D-Kraft.com]

To say it with the words of "Razorfish" (about 1995):

 

"Everything that can be digital, will be".

 

It's just a matter of time (especially for Leica). There may be other restrictions so far, not particulary the number of pixels. E.g. Panasonic supports a full electronic (but still rolling) shutter on the GX7 (also equipped with a Sony sensor) with 16 MP. I think CMOSIS, who manufacture the sensor of the Leica M are still one generation more far away from that.

[tookaphotoof]

To say it with the words of "Razorfish" (about 1995):

 

"Everything that can be digital, will be".

 

And then he should have added: "... but there will always be room for analog. Be it music on vinyl or taking pictures on film."

 

Cassettes, minidiscs, dat, dcc all left the stage. CD's ar on their way out, but people are actually starting to buy more vinyl atm.

In the same way I'm a strong believer film will never be completely replaced. It's a matter of taste, but no matter what I do with my M240 files, I'll always prefer the results of my film!

[Archiver]

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The A7S still does not have a global shutter, so there is likely to be strange jello-wobble effects in fast moving objects. I've used the electronic shutter options in my Pana GH3 and Ricoh GXR, and they display that distortion due to the rolling shutter. Fast moving cars look like they are sloping backwards, for example.

 

Until companies start making cameras with global shutters, there will likely be rolling shutter artifacts when using the electronic shutter. There's also the issue of horizontal 'strobe' lines when shooting scenes that contain artificial light of a certain frequency. This pulsing is noticeable in 30p video shot in countries with 50hz electricity, and manifests in still images as strong horizontal banding.

 

Nevertheless, many scenes won't be affected by this. An all-electronic shutter is spooky when you first use it, and takes some getting used to. There is no shutter noise. None at all. And it's not like the whisper or muted click of a compact camera leaf shutter, it is just ... not there. It doesn't even seem like the camera has taken a photo until you review the image, because the image is read entirely electronically, like taking a snapshot of the sensor feed when you press the button.

 

The only noise from an electronic shutter is in the focusing of the lens, and the automatic adjustment of aperture, if the lens allows for this. Shooting in daylight with the Panasonic GH3 and a m43 lens results in a tiny clicking sound, not from the shutter, but from the aperture opening to focus and closing to the desired amount to take the shot. This doesn't happen if you are shooting wide open, however, as the camera obviously does not stop down after focusing. Nor does it happen with manual focus/manual aperture lenses, for the same reason.

 

The electronic shutter of the A7S could mean a whole new world of silent RF lens shooting, assuming that RF lenses work well on it.

[mjh]

Thanks a lot for your comments, what does that mean for the future, will we see more full frame cameras without a mechanical shutter?

At some time in the future, sure, but right now there are still limitations. And I guess it is too early to speculate about the next M.

[mjh]

An all-electronic shutter is spooky when you first use it, and takes some getting used to.

Yes, but then fully electronic global shutters have been standard issue in CCD-based compact cameras for many years now. Camera vendors offered artifical shutter sounds as an option since customers were missing the ‘click’ of a shutter. Sometimes samples of actual mechanical shutters are used; Fuji for example has sampled the sound of a Hasselblad leaf shutter.