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Leica M8 Shutter Noise Compared


Samir Jahjah

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The latest issue of the French Chasseur d'Images compares noises of various cameras, rangefinder and SLRs alike. Noise is measured on 2 dimensions: DB level and duration. The most silent camera in the batch is the Leica M7 (53dB), followed by the MP and Zeiss Ikon and some Canon (EOS 400D and 350D), at 54 dB . The M8 fairs poorly with 58dB with a long lasting shutter noise (450ms). The worst cameras are Canon 1D - 1ds & Nikon D100, with 60 dB. The 5D is at 59dB, with a duration of 280ms.

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does they consider that the M7/MP also make a nois if you rewind the shutter ? I mean at least at the short times the M8 would only have one shutter noise which contains the operating shutter and his rewinding.

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Is the D2X in there? It's a pretty noisy beast, to my ears much noisier than a D100.

 

This is how they describe the shutter activation:

 

"Shutter action optimised for minimum noise. Driven by an electric motor with friction gear in first speed-increasing gear stage and a cam for homogeneous torque during entire activation process".

 

Stll work to do IMHO...

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It's hard to believe that the M8 sounds almost as loud as a 1D Canon "monster" with the mirror slap and the 8 fps.shutter.

Besides, the difference between a M film camera .and the SLRs should be more than 7 db. - I had a M2 and sounded much, much quieter than an average SLR with motorized rewind..

I haven't the M8 yet, so I can't really object to the test, but let me have a reasonable doubt until I do my own test..

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Anyone who has used a Contax G1 or G2 will have a general idea of the M8's noise level. Although in a side-by-side comparison with my G1, the M8 seems more muffled. I'd say my Canon 10D is quieter than the M8, though. The noise is quite noticeable in a typical household setting, much less so in a public place and it's a non-issue outdoors.

 

Enough pixel and decibel peeping already! ;-)

 

Larry

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Is the shutter noise a problem in real world use? I don't recall anyone posting a complaint yet and I would be interested to hear film M camera users experience with the M8 when photographing people. When I listened to the M7/M8 recording it seemed to me that the M8 sound would be more noticeable to the user, but for photographic subjects the M7 might be more noticeable. Mind you I do have tinitus [which isn't in my spell checker]. I still haven't seen an M8, I am curious to hear what users think.

 

.........................Chris

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I currently have an M8 and a D2x and an M7 and a G7 and I think shutter noise is a non-issue. If somebody can hear the noise, do you think they are perhaps unaware of the fact that somebody is standing four feet away with a camera pointing at them? The real problem with noise was never the shutter sound, or even the mirror slap with SLRs, IMHO, but the sound of masses of old powerwinders on film cameras. In certain places, like a courtroom at sentencing at a big trial, when cameras were allowed inside, twenty PJs running through a roll of film in five seconds could be pretty noisy, and any non-motorized Leica was way better. Otherwise...not an issue. Or if it is, you probably shouldn't be taking the photograph.

 

JC

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Is the shutter noise a problem in real world use? I still haven't seen an M8, I am curious to hear what users think.

 

.........................Chris

 

 

Chris,

 

I'm not so concerned with the noise level as much as I am the duration of the noise. Using a film M spoils you because it's so quiet and the shutter trip so brief, but the M8 is really no worse than any other large-sensor digital camera. Once users become accustomed to its characteristics -- including all the other quirky things about it -- the complaints will subside. However, there will always be a few who insist that the M8 should behave exactly like their beloved M-whatever because it's the perfect camera.

 

Larry

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C'mon guys, the M8 is all but a "silent" camera.

Compared to the M6 is way louder.

Try to use it at a concert...

 

Considering it doesn't have a mirror and it doesn't need to advance any film, they could have done much better.

Or at least, as suggested many times, an option for cocking the shutter only after releasing the shutter button.

 

Great camera anyway :)

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A user-selectable option to cock the shutter on release of the shutter button, as has been suggested on this forum many times, would help a lot.

 

I'll say. One of the advantages of the RD1 was you could cock the shutter at your own discretion. Plus being mechanical, you could do it reaaaal slow...almost no noise. In theater work, this can be a godsend. This one feature will probably make the RD1 unique in the history of digital cameras. Too bad

 

Rex

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Mike, it's all down to the type of sensor used. What are termed "Full Frame" sensors (nothing to do with their size) behave like film and need a shutter to control the exposure to light; "Interline" sensors, such as are found on P&S cameras and derive from video camera technology, provide a real-time image readout and have a built-in exposure function to sample the image. They need covering while the image sample is read out.

 

If Leica had been able to get away without a shutter, I am sure they would have done!

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If Leica had been able to get away without a shutter, I am sure they would have done!

 

Seems you are right. I've read about some of the low cost cameras using electronic circuits to simulate mechanical shutter at higher speeds that pointing the camera toward the sun risks destroying the sensor, also that very bright light source in the frame will produce a big smear in the picture. Not really an option.

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for me its not a real issue but it is noticably louder than the M6.

And its loong.

 

I allways loved the short , silent klack of the M6.

Its gone. However I think more a problem for myself than for the people been photographed. ;)

 

 

I fully agree. In fact, for me, the M3, 3F, 3G's sound and feel are even more satisfying than the M6.

 

Alan

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