Is the FM3a really loud?

I'm thinking about getting a Nikon FM3a but one of my main

concerns is noise level. I'm used to shooting with a Leica, which

is real quiet. How loud is the FM3a? I heard that it's obnoxiously

loud. Is this true?

 

In practice- for events, documentary photos, etc., is it too loud?

TT,

 

Yes its loud, you cant expect anything different from a all-metal-body, its quite silent compared to other metal nikons though. Nikon covered the F5 with rubber, probably also to decrease noise levels. Alternative would be one of the plastic autofocus bodys, but then your stuck with an even more obnoxiousy sounding camera(at least i think so).

 

If you are planning to shoot in theatres or other places where noise levels are important, go for a rangefinder. Rangfinders dont have a mirror and if the shutter is ok it only produces a little tic.

 

Greetings,

The MD-12 is quite obnoxiously loud, IMO. Without the

motor, to my ears, the camera seems typical for similar

mechanical SLRs. Some would find that obnoxious, others not.

It IS loud! Forget about using it in a theatre. She's a beauty though. The only thing I will never get used of is the winding lever that has to be in the "out" position to take the photo. I really hate this lever on my right eyebrow. And the memory lock button could be somewhere else than below the winding lever. Other than these, it is a TOP manual SLR.

why not shoot your leica?

 

if they know you're there, the sound shouldn't matter all that much.

but if you really want a SLR with low noise level, you should checkout the ones with a cloth shutter. they are very quiet compare to my fe2.

i had an OM1 which was quite quiet and the view magnification was to die for... and the 21mm f/2.

"if they know you're there, the sound shouldn't matter all that

much."

 

But why constantly remind them of your presence by using a

loud camera? My experience with the Leica is that even though

people are aware of your presence, people do sort of forget you

are there because it's so quiet.

"My experience with the Leica is that even though people are aware of your presence, people do sort of forget you are there because it's so quiet."

 

Interestingly enough, thousands of photojournalists with SLRs have found the same to be true with their gear.

 

This is the second question you've posted about FM3 noise. If you're interested in the FM3a, get one in your hands and answer the question to your own satisfaction.

<em>I heard that it's obnoxiously loud. Is this true? --TT<br>

</em><br>

That all depends on what is obnoxious to you. If 69 dB at 1 meter

with a 105/2.5 AIS Nikkor frightens you perhaps you should give

up photography? Have you considered pressing one against your

face and pushing the shutter release?<br>

<br>

Sorry,

I recall a cartoon where a police officer was scratching his head and asked, "So what is it? Was the thief very short or very tall? One witness was tall and one was short. Your question is quite subjective.

 

Someone who normally uses a Hasselblad 500CM might think it�s some what quiet and some one who normally uses a Rollie 3F might think is somewhat noisy. If you want a flash sync of 1/250 and a top shutter speed of 1/4000 the shutter can�t be as soft in its sound as cloth shutter that only syncs at 1/50 and has a top speed of 1/1000th.

 

If you want a camera that�s really quite get a Rollie 3F. If you want a camera that�s fast and only works well with a limited range of medium focal lengths (and you have lots of money) get a Leica M series. If you want to use super wide angle lenses, macros, and telephotos get an FM3a. If you need precise framing get an FM3a or one of the true F series Nikons. If you want to have it all buy several camera and use the one must suited to the current photographic challenge.

 

I think you have asked this question two or three times before. It can�t be answered in this kind of form. Only you can answer the question for your self. I�m sorry if I was a bit impertinent above. FWIW I tested a Nikon FE2 in a somewhat sloppy way with a cheap Realistic sound level meter. The shutters of the two cameras should sound similar. The information is basically useless. What does it mean? If I send you a wave film and you listened to it you still won�t know. How would you set the volume?

 

My personal opinion is that the camera is rather average for one with it�s specifications. If you want a softer sounding SLR of the same size and weight with lower performance consider an FE. It has a 1/125 flash sync, a top speed of 1/1000th and a softer sound.

 

Regards,

If you are looking for a general purpose camera for mainly outdoor use, or when people KNOW you are shooting them then, the FM3A is fine and is not "obnoxiously loud". If you want to shoot without being noticed, say at a Chess tournament or in a theatre or museum then the FM3A is a non-starter. It is WAY too loud, though not as clunkily agricultural as an F3 or an old Nikkormat.

 

In 35mm the only practically useful camera I know that is also whisper-quiet is the Leica M-series. You notice the noise when you are using it, but people as little as 3 or 4 feet away hear nothing. True a Leica is expensive, and has a limited range of focal lenses, but weigh against that if you buy a used example and second-hand lenses they will probably appreciate in value - it is about the only photographic gear that does. The current M7 at last gives Leica users the luxury of Aperture priority shooting. However both it and the current M6 are expensive. It is still possible to find exaples of the M2 and the M4 at reasonable prices, although the remaining good ones are starting to be bought up by collectors rather than photographers, and prices are catching up the M6.

 

Even quieter than the Leica are some medium format rangefinder cameras. For example each Mamiya 7 II lens has a built-in leaf shutter that is even quieter than the Leica's slow, cloth focal plane shutter. On the other hand it is slightly bigger and bulkier than a 35mm SLR, quite a different beast to use, gives you only 10 shots per roll of 120 film, has limited range of focal lengths, and the lenses, though superb, are quite slow.

 

If you are smitten with the look and handling of the FM3A but want something quieter then look at either the original FM or the slightly later FE. The FM especially can often be picked up at a very low price. You are limited to a 1/1000 top shutter speed, but I have never found that to be a problem. Pick the FM if battery-free reliability is most important, and the FE if you cannot live without Auto Exposure.

 

Finally if you need a quiet 35mm SLR there are quite a few choices amongst other makes. (Nikon is renowned for robustness, durability, a comprehensive range, back-compatibility, great macro lenses, and a good flash system ... but NOT for the quietness of its shutters!). The Olympus OM1 has been mentioned. I have also handled some Leica R4s and R4s's that were exceptionally smooth and quiet, but they vary a lot, some are also quite noisy. I have been told by friends that some Contax SLRs are also very quiet. If you are looking at the FM3A that suggests that you are looking for a Manual Focus machine. If you are prepared to consider an AF machine then one I have used that is surprisingly inobtrusive (with a USM lens of course) is the old Canon EOS100 - quite unlike its more expensive and higher specced contemporary the EOS10 that has a shutter like a starter pistol, and a motordrive like a diesel truck, and much quieter than anything in the current Canon line-up.

 

I hope this is some use. In the past I have owned the FM, the FE and the FM2, and the FM3A strikes me as a superior FM2. However, if I was forced to make do with just one camera for everything that I like to shoot then I would prefer the old FM to any of the later cameras developed from it (FE, FM2, FE2, FM2a, FM3A) ... a case of right first time. For what it is worth I use a Leica M6 for indoor and/or inobtrusive shooting, a medium format camera for landscapes and townscapes, and a Nikon AF system for everything else.