Do you like the sound of your 60D shutter?

<p>After several months of deliberating, I recently upgraded from a Canon 30D to a 60D.<br>

While I understand the 60D is made with more plastic, I have noticed that the mirror/shutter sound on the 60D is not the same on the 30D. The best description I can give for the 60D sound is ‘flimsy and hollow’ while the 30D has a more ‘traditional’ sound.<br>

Is my description a normal sound for the 60D?<br>

What do other 60D owners think about their mirror/shutter sound?</p>

<p>Coming from a 450D, I actually quite like the sound of the 60D's shutter. It's a bit softer and has less of a ka-chunk! to it. It seems to attract less attention, but that may just be my idea.</p>

<p>Not enough experience with 'classic' sounding cameras to compare, I'm afraid :)</p>

 

<p>I'd personally be delighted with it since I am currently still shooting APS-C format on a 20D. :)</p>

<p>I think the "plastic" moniker is something of a canard. I do understand that the 60D is positioned, in quality of build and the like, slightly lower than the older xxD cameras were before the introduction of a new class of APS-C with the 7D.</p>

<p>There are lots of kinds of plastic and merely being "more plastic" does not necessarily mean a downgrading in functionality. By the standards of my Nikon F and F2, everything built since is "more plasticy", but sometimes that's actually better - lighter, more resistant to damage and wear, etc.</p>

<p>I notice that all my Canon EOS cameras lack the "brassing" so characteristic of their forebears. In fact my 'plastic' T-90 and 'plastic' EOS 650 cosmetically (and frankly functionally) are ahead of the older, metal bodies.</p>

<p>I read somewhere that the first curtain of Canon's shutter is/can be electronic. That is, the mechanical shutter opens with the sensor off, then the sensor turns on row-by-row (electronic first curtain), then the second curtain is mechanical and closes the shutter. A quick search on Google turns up this:<a href="http://krebsmicro.com/Canon_EFSC/index.html"> http://krebsmicro.com/Canon_EFSC/index.html</a>. That page claims the feature works as an optional silent mode on the 40D, 50D, 5DII, and 7D, and as the only mode on some of the Rebels.</p>

<p>Perhaps it's the only mode on the 60D, too. If so, I'd expect it would sound different than a traditional shutter with both curtains mechanical.</p>

<p>I don't mind the sound of the 60D shutter. Don't sound plasticy to my ears--more of a muffled metallic ca-click. It's also very quiet and and draws less attention than my 7D. </p>

<p>I just compared it to my EOS 3 and it (the 60D) is dramatically quieter. But it doesn't sound flimsy or hollow to me. I would agree with Puppy Face—it's a muffled metallic sound.</p>

<p>With Puppy and Lonnie, quieter than the 7D and wouldn't call it flimsy sounding at all, more of a muffled Ke-chik.</p>

<p>My 60D certainly sounds a heck of a lot more impressive than my digital P&S. Haha!</p>

<p>As a former 20D owner and a T1i owner, I have to say that Canon often names loud and annoying shutters. The 20D is very loud and the T1i makes a loud "Tweet!" after every shot. I put up with it because the pictures look very nice. If you really want quiet get a mirrorless camera.</p>

<p>I have honestly never paid much attention to the sound of the camera shutter sound. Being profoundly deaf with two hearing aids through most of my life and I can hear it make its noise when I fire it off. I haven't found the 60D to be overly loud when it shoots. Sounds much like the electronic sound of my Canon Powershot SX30 IS. My EOS 1v Film is a bit louder than the 60D. My AE-1 Program is quiet unless I have the power winder on it. I would have to say the loudest shutter sound I have is on the Mamiya 645 Pro TL.</p>

<p>I have the 5D2 and it's shutter sound is not exactly great. It's lacking a little soul and certainly sounds less purposeful than my EOS 3. But who cares? It's the results that count, and the results from my 5D2 are just amazing.</p>

<p>I do have to say that if you ever use a Contax RX you will forever wonder why Canon puts such loud slappy high-vibration shutters and mirrors in many of their cameras. I have never used an Elan 7, but I understand that they are very quiet. The 7D is pretty good as well. </p>

<p>Could we move this discussion to "Stereo Review"? Honestly folks, as long as it does not frighten away the wildlife and lasts a few hundred thousand cycles why should you attach your ego to the sound of your shutter? Hang it on the quality of the image you produce with the shutter.</p>

<p>Peculiarly, when I do an eBay search in the old magazines category for <em>Popular Photography</em>, the results often also bring up copies of <em>Stereo Review</em>.</p>

<p>There may be some mystical connection here.</p>