ralph_jensen Posted September 20, 2007 Share Posted September 20, 2007 A friend who does pet photographing asked me, and I had to admit I don't know (perhaps numbers of them are very close). No rangefinder or P&S recommendations, please; she has those but wants an SLR and is not yet invested in any system. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ellis_vener_photography Posted September 20, 2007 Share Posted September 20, 2007 any DSLR in a Jacobsen Instruments "sound blimp": http://www.soundblimp.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sattler123 Posted September 20, 2007 Share Posted September 20, 2007 I can only speak for the Canon line - I believe the quietest DSLR is the digital Rebel XT or the XTI. My wife owns one and it is very quiet compared to my 5D. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike_earussi1 Posted September 20, 2007 Share Posted September 20, 2007 Sigma SD14 has the quietest shutter I've ever heard, even more so than the Elan 7E I used to own. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sitemistic Posted September 20, 2007 Share Posted September 20, 2007 I second the XTI. I have 5D's and have owned most of the other Canon digitals, and the XTI is the quietest of the bunch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ralph_jensen Posted September 20, 2007 Author Share Posted September 20, 2007 Hmm, Sigma. Hadn't occurred to me.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frank_skomial Posted September 20, 2007 Share Posted September 20, 2007 Get the quietest camera recommended, then put it in the Jacobsen sound blimp enclosure, recommended. This will set you back $800 for sound blimp, and $200 to $275 for lens tube, but most likely nobody will hear you taking pictures with DSLR or SLR. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
todd peach seattle, washi Posted September 20, 2007 Share Posted September 20, 2007 Can't chimp the blimp. Sorry, couldn't resist. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ralph_jensen Posted September 20, 2007 Author Share Posted September 20, 2007 "Can't chimp the blimp." My thoughts exactly. Blimps are fine for where the elements remain constant enough that settings need not be changed (an orchestral concert, for example) but pretty useless for semi-candid moving-target photography under changing lighting. I suspect she'll stick with rangefinders and point-and-shoots, but thanks to all for the advice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
todd peach seattle, washi Posted September 20, 2007 Share Posted September 20, 2007 So I guess her assumption is that pet shooting would be adversely affected by the noise of a DSLR? Maybe she should rent something and see if it's as bad in the 'real world' as she thinks it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcuknz Posted September 20, 2007 Share Posted September 20, 2007 The better pro-sumers can switch off the artificially generated shutter noise so why on earth would she go for a DSLR ... some absurd concept that DSLRs are 'better', get better photos than pro-sumers? Perhaps she should learn how to use her existing gear properly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ed_nicholson4 Posted September 20, 2007 Share Posted September 20, 2007 My guess is DLSRs are noisy because of that *%$@! mirror slamming up and down and that ^&%# mechanical shutter clicking away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joshroot Posted September 20, 2007 Share Posted September 20, 2007 <i>"some absurd concept that DSLRs are 'better', get better photos than pro-sumers"</i><P> I'm not sure what 'better' means to you, but the imaging chips in my prosumer cameras can't hold a candle to the larger chips in my DSLR's. <P>More importantly, if she is doing pro work, it stands to reason that she would want a camera that appears "professional" to her clients. Marketing is equally as important as skill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colinsouthern Posted September 20, 2007 Share Posted September 20, 2007 The Canon 1D3 has a silent shutter mode which works quite well. In reality the shutter makes very little noise - most of the sound comes from moving the mirror. What they do on the 1D3 is extend the time it takes for the mirror to return - quite effective. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrew robertson Posted September 20, 2007 Share Posted September 20, 2007 "some absurd concept that DSLRs are 'better'" As Josh said, bigger chips = better images, especially with the amount of photosites they are trying to cram onto a sensor these days. But the quietest DSLR I have ever heard is the Canon 10D, which is why I continue to use it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
des adams Posted September 20, 2007 Share Posted September 20, 2007 Sigma SD14. I looked at one in a store. It whispers. However I have never seen a review of this camera so maybe that's all it can do? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed_Ingold Posted September 20, 2007 Share Posted September 20, 2007 I think we are talking about incremental changes in camera noise, but nothing that would any DSLR usable in a truely quiet environment without a blimp. With a blimp, it doesn't matter which camera you choose, so pick one that will get the real job done. Even the venerable Leica M makes a zzzt-tap-tap noise that would be recognizable during a basketball game by another owner 10 feet away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john falkenstine Posted September 21, 2007 Share Posted September 21, 2007 Most animals' hearing ranges are so extensive compared to humans that the slight changes in camera noise as we perceive probably just mean "less than before" to them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim_gifford Posted September 22, 2007 Share Posted September 22, 2007 The shutter noise might be the least of her worries. Cats and dogs might be able to hear the ultrasonic (as in, higher frequency than HUMAN hearing can detect) focusing motors* in modern SLR autofocus lenses. So even if the shutter is quiet, the lens may shriek at the pets right before the exposure. * or, if they cannot hear the principal frequency emitted by the motors, they might hear a harmonic. Just a thought. Maybe not a helpful or accurate one. Be well, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcuknz Posted October 2, 2007 Share Posted October 2, 2007 If you can make a great 15x12 from a pro-sumer sensor I don't see any advantage in the DSLR for most people despite its larger sensor .. the argument is similar to the 35mm v MF of old? There is a definite advantage if you need to use higher ISO, but in a controlled situation lower ISO simply means adding more light. But it is nice to be able to use the higher ISO for whatever reason it is needed, and to have the option to choose either camera :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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