mat_mcdermott Posted October 18, 2009 Share #21 Posted October 18, 2009 Advertisement (gone after registration) Chris, so you'd say the M9 shutter is similar to 8.2/8u in volume? I don't think it'd be a deal breaker for me, but taking a step backwards compared to my upgraded M8 shutter would be disappointing -- though FF might be enough to forget that disappointment. Wish more cameras were actually in shops so I could answer this question myself rather than online, but there you go.. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted October 18, 2009 Posted October 18, 2009 Hi mat_mcdermott, Take a look here Leica M9 Shutter Noise. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
stevem7 Posted October 18, 2009 Share #22 Posted October 18, 2009 I just made a video of the M9 shutter sound. My M9 is the same as my M8.2 in regards to volume, maybe a teeny bit quieter. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mat_mcdermott Posted October 18, 2009 Share #23 Posted October 18, 2009 Thanks Steve. Somehow I could've guessed you'd do this... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
coup de foudre Posted October 18, 2009 Share #24 Posted October 18, 2009 My experience is that if you learn to work in discreet mode with the m8.2 / M9 you can get away with a lot - it really is close to an M7 IMHO. What you have to remember though is to put the camera inside a jacket or under a bag on your lap etc to re-cock. For me, that's the noise that really get's to people. Not the shutter actuation. I've shot (quiet) jazz and chamber concerts which were being broadcast (with artists + BBC agreement I stress) working this way with no problems. Chris -- i have learned to muffle that sound (my breasts are nearly sound-proof ) and use discreet to its best advantage. for me, it is the actual shutter activation that's the issue. i seriously think i ended up with the loudest M8 ever made. as tempting as it is, €1200 to upgrade my shutter is ludicrous at this point so i am saving that money to go towards an M9. as the shutter is an issue for me, though, i'm not nearly as jazzed about it as i thought i'd be... i understand this a trivial thing in most people's mind -- for me it is an important factor. The great thing about the old film M bodies is that you can re-cock the shutter as slowly as you want - almost like closing a door really slowly to avoid waking a baby. In discrete mode, you can't control the speed of the re-cock - once you let go of the shutter release, you get this almighty whirring noise. i loved the ability to do that slow, even on my Epson R-D1 (who's shutter, unfortunately, can wake the dead). i am one of those weird and whacky people who would actually pay to have the ability to re-cock manually. i may be in a minority of one. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted October 18, 2009 Share #25 Posted October 18, 2009 My M9 is very close to my M8u. I really could not say which one is louder. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
coup de foudre Posted October 18, 2009 Share #26 Posted October 18, 2009 I just made a video of the M9 shutter sound. My M9 is the same as my M8.2 in regards to volume, maybe a teeny bit quieter. thank you, Steve. i know it is just a video, but that definitely sounded quieter than the one i tried in the shop. i.m off, finally, to take my 35 Lux for adjustment and will test theirs out to see if it is quieter as well. i find it fascinating that there soes seem to be a difference between them... My M9 is very close to my M8u. I really could not say which one is louder. thanks, Jaap! (are you comparing your green or grey one? ) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted October 18, 2009 Share #27 Posted October 18, 2009 Advertisement (gone after registration) The green one - which is Vulcanite nowadays Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_tribble Posted October 18, 2009 Share #28 Posted October 18, 2009 i seriously think i ended up with the loudest M8 ever made. Hi - if you're M8 is not upgraded then you'll have the problem. It's the upgraded shutter which (in my experience) makes the real difference. The original M8 was way to loud. The upgraded shutter was a huge improvement - and the loss of 1/8000 didn't worry me... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
coup de foudre Posted October 18, 2009 Share #29 Posted October 18, 2009 Hi - if you're M8 is not upgraded then you'll have the problem. It's the upgraded shutter which (in my experience) makes the real difference. The original M8 was way to loud. The upgraded shutter was a huge improvement - and the loss of 1/8000 didn't worry me... yes, i know. mine is an old classic... would you honestly shell out €1200 now to upgrade the shutter rather than saving for an M9??? (i was hoping, perhaps, they would lower the price on the upgrades, but no such luck.) i love the FF and the increase in shadow and highlight detail i've seen on the M9, along with other bells and whistles. my one qualm is the shutter -- and, again, that was from the one model i was able to try. that is why i am asking for user's experiences and perceptions. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
colorflow Posted October 18, 2009 Share #30 Posted October 18, 2009 I think the noise of the shutter varies more with how an individual camera is adjusted than with which version. I had an early M8 which seemed really loud compared to my M8.2. I sent the M8 in for service for power-up problem. It came back after replacing a circuit board and some shutter actuation parts (but not the shutter, still 1/8000). It was as quiet as the M8.2 on the click, and quieter on the recock. So now I am going to send the M8.2 in to adjust the noise of the recock once I get my M9. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
carstenw Posted October 18, 2009 Author Share #31 Posted October 18, 2009 There is no way the M8 or M9 will ever be as silent as any film M Well, my M6 and my M8u are pretty much impossible to tell apart, from the loudness. Only the near-silent whirr of the M8u afterwards makes it possible. In fact, the shutter-part of the sound might be louder on the M6. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
carstenw Posted October 18, 2009 Author Share #32 Posted October 18, 2009 Chris, so you'd say the M9 shutter is similar to 8.2/8u in volume? I don't think it'd be a deal breaker for me, but taking a step backwards compared to my upgraded M8 shutter would be disappointing -- though FF might be enough to forget that disappointment. Wish more cameras were actually in shops so I could answer this question myself rather than online, but there you go.. The M9 in my store is significantly louder than my M8u, so it clearly can go both ways. I will be testing my M9 before buying. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
adan Posted October 18, 2009 Share #33 Posted October 18, 2009 FWIW, the quietest shutter setting on clockwork M shutters (MP and pre-M7) is the sync speed - 1/50. For those doing comparisons.... The M9 and M8.2/u have the same shutter...R9 derated to 1/4000. If you hear a difference between those two, it is sample variation. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shootist Posted October 19, 2009 Share #34 Posted October 19, 2009 FWIW, the quietest shutter setting on clockwork M shutters (MP and pre-M7) is the sync speed - 1/50. For those doing comparisons.... The M9 and M8.2/u have the same shutter...R9 derated to 1/4000. If you hear a difference between those two, it is sample variation. Actually the M8/M8u/M8.2 all have the same physical shutter and it is the shutter that was used in the R8. What is different from the R8 is the recocking motor, incorporated into the shutter works, and the the difference from M8 to M8u/M8.2 is the springs that actuate the shutter, weaker on the M8u/M8.2 because of the lower, by half, top shutter speed and the actual speed the shutter blades move, slower on the M8u/M8.2 and that is why the top flash sync speed was lowered from 1/250 to 1/180. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
adan Posted October 19, 2009 Share #35 Posted October 19, 2009 I think we're on the same page - R8 shutter is R9 shutter, and I used "derated" in the aviation sense - an engine (usually a turboprop) limited to a lower horsepower than it is actually capable of producing, in order to increase the altitude to which it can produce that (de)rated power (with less air to breath) and also reduce operating temperatures - and - (ta-da) noise. More or less what you said regarding springs (power) and blade speed. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
noah_addis Posted October 19, 2009 Share #36 Posted October 19, 2009 I often work in extremely sensitive situations but I think the shutter noise issue is much less important than many suggest. Keep in mind that when you're shooting, often the camera is only inches from your ears, but mostly, even in close situations, the people you're photographing are at least a few feet away. Even the classic M8 is fairly quiet. The discreet mode makes a huge difference. I was working on a project and my fixer was a film M shooter. He thought the M8 was quieter than his film M cameras. It may not be, but the point is in most shooting situations even a small amount of ambient noise will drown out the shutter sounds as heard from a few feet away. Granted, if you're working in a silent performance space or museum, then it may become an issue. But again, even in a quiet space it's mostly the photographer who hears the camera. Having said that, there definitely is sample variation in shutter sounds. My two (now sold) M8s were similar in noise. But when one of the shutters self-destructed, the new one was much quieter, even though it was still the 'old' 1/8000 shutter. I now have a loaner M8.2. It's definitely quieter than my M8s were, but as I said I really think the difference is mostly audible to the person six inches from the camera. The M9 demo I tried seemed exactly the same, or very close, to the M8.2. So as I wait for my M9 to be delivered, I'm really hoping it doesn't have any line problems and that it doesn't lock-up, but I'm not too worried about the shutter noise:D Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicoleica Posted October 19, 2009 Share #37 Posted October 19, 2009 yes, i know. mine is an old classic... would you honestly shell out €1200 now to upgrade the shutter rather than saving for an M9??? (i was hoping, perhaps, they would lower the price on the upgrades, but no such luck.) i love the FF and the increase in shadow and highlight detail i've seen on the M9, along with other bells and whistles. my one qualm is the shutter -- and, again, that was from the one model i was able to try. that is why i am asking for user's experiences and perceptions. I must have been lucky, because my M8 seems very quiet compared to others I have heard. But if you do wish to upgrade it, Leica have recently dropped the prices on upgrades. The shutter alone is now 'only' €800. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
coup de foudre Posted October 19, 2009 Share #38 Posted October 19, 2009 I must have been lucky, because my M8 seems very quiet compared to others I have heard. But if you do wish to upgrade it, Leica have recently dropped the prices on upgrades. The shutter alone is now 'only' €800. thank you, Nicole! that almost actually makes it bearable... gulp (what is this company doing to me?). when i got my used M8 several months ago, i was more interested in it being perfectly calibrated (which it was), always intending to do the shutter upgrade. i swear mine really is obnoxious! even a Leica rep laughed when he heard it in a noisy camera store Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rebelfocus Posted October 23, 2009 Share #39 Posted October 23, 2009 I find the shutter-noise of my M9 to be slightly quieter/nicer than my M8.2. Maybe this is due to sample variation. In particular the recock sound doesn't sound have quite the same sick/whiny sound. By the way, the 'Discreet + Soft' mode is awesome! Makes the shutter button feel as 'connected' as on a film M. I don't find it overly sensitive and expect to be using it a lot. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
coup de foudre Posted October 23, 2009 Share #40 Posted October 23, 2009 I find the shutter-noise of my M9 to be slightly quieter/nicer than my M8.2. Maybe this is due to sample variation. In particular the recock sound doesn't sound have quite the same sick/whiny sound. By the way, the 'Discreet + Soft' mode is awesome! Makes the shutter button feel as 'connected' as on a film M. I don't find it overly sensitive and expect to be using it a lot. off to (finally) take my 35 Lux in and, hopefully, they'll let me play with the M9... interested to know how Discreet works with Soft mode -- does it recock when you move at all -- i.e., press down all the way or only when you let go? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.