Current best choices for near-silent photography

[Hector Javkin]

<p>For shooting during film-making, concerts, and other conditions which require quiet or silent photography, many photographers used SLRs and later DSLRs with blimps. Blimps (with lens tubes) cost as much as some mirror-less cameras+lenses, but may be quieter. I sometimes have to do near-silent event shooting, and I don't like working with a blimp. My D7000 (without a blimp) can shoot rather quietly but is sometimes still too loud. Suggestions?</p>

[Brad_]

Canon 6D has a "silent" shutter mode, but you would have to test it yourself to see if it is quiet enough for your

particular needs. Something only you can judge.

 

There are a lot of mirrorless cams that are silent, like my Sony RX100...

[SCL]

<p>Probably not what you want to hear, but the good old (film) Leica rangefinder cameras are (by comparison) dead quiet, as are almost all old rangefinders with leaf shutters.</p>

[sarah_fox]

<p>Stephen, the old Leicas have this reputation, but I don't honestly find my IIIf is any quieter than my 40D, for instance, especially in quiet mode.</p>

<p>FAIW, some of the cheaper plastic DSLRs have slower mirror movement, which seems to make them quieter. I couldn't say which ones.</p>

[lex_jenkins]

<p>Ditto the Sony RX100, but if it seems too pricey, try the Nikon J or V Series 1 cameras. Even with the prices higher than the Christmas specials the V1 is still a good value. The V1 in electronic shutter mode is absolutely silent. Even the diaphragm mechanism makes no discernible sound. I can jussst barely hear the AF mechanism if the ambient noise level is low, but only with the camera against my ear. The V1 is even quieter than the Ricoh GX100 and GRD4, which are pretty darned quiet too.</p>

<p>The V1 mechanical shutter is also very quiet - a subdued, mellow thunk. The sound is actually less noticeable than the leaf shutters in my compact rangefinders and TLR, which aren't necessarily louder but with a sharper, metallic sound. The V1's mechanical vertical travel focal plane shutter sound is very subdued.</p>

<p>Another plus for the V1 or V2: the built-in electronic viewfinder. If you like to take photos during theater performances it'll be less distracting to others if you don't use a rear LCD. I've seen audience members at local opera and ballet performances become annoyed at others using glowing cell phone cams and P&S cameras. But nobody has noticed me using P&S digicams with optical or EVF finders. I even tape a sheet of paper over the LCD just to be on the safe side.</p>

<p>Ask some folks who own Micro 4:3 mirrorless cameras as well. I've heard some Olympus models are very quiet while others were described as emitting rather sharp shutter sounds. Those offer greater compatibility with lenses via adapters. The Nikon 1 series is very limited in lens compatibility, although I'm satisfied with the inexpensive Fotodiox "dumb" adapter and my 50/2 AI and 85/2 AIS Nikkors. Manual focusing those Nikkors is remarkably easy with the V1's EVF - I was surprised since it lacks any focusing aids, but it works well.</p>

[Sanford]

<p>I have read the new Panasonic GH3 has a totally silent electronic shutter mode but am unsure of the details. </p>

[nathangardner]

<p>Silent mode on the 5D III is very quiet. Great camera too.</p>

[rapyke]

Have you investigated the Fuji X 100s?

The drawback is that it has a fixed lens,

but there are many other

compensations - a leaf shutter being

one of them.

[leslie_cheung]

<p>There doesn't seem to be an interchangeable lens camera with big sensor and electronic/leaf shutter. I suppose that is what Hector is looking for. <br>

leaf/electronic shutter, 1 inch sensor = RX100, V1<br>

regular dslr with silent mode = nikon and canon both have this mode<br>

fixed lens with leaf shutter, bigger sensor = X100, RX1</p>

<p>FWIW mirrorless cameras with focal plane shutters are not that quiet in my experience. </p>

[john_macpherson]

<p>5D3 is quiet. Fuji X100 makes less noise than someone breathing. It's virtually noiseless. (I have both).</p>

[john_macpherson]

<p>Duplicate post</p>

 

[wayne_crider4]

<p>What's the President's photographer using. It's got to be pretty silent.<br>

Back in the old days alot of guy's apparently use to use Leica M's when on film set's. At least from what I've read.<br>

Concerts you can get away with less concern depending. I've never had a problem with a Panny G1 when I shoot folk guitarists and their not silent.</p>

[Karim Ghantous]

<p>If you want to spend about $10K, the RED Scarlet might work. It shoots 13.5Mpx at up to 12fps and about 8Mpx at up to 25fps. The shutter is electronic. There is a cooling fan, though. You can fit M, F, EF and PL mounts. It's about as big as a Hasselblad. Sorry to say that I haven't used one, but it's used by still photographers as well as cinematographers.</p>

[MichaelChang]

<p>Hector, blimps may be inconvenient but it doesn't have to cost a fortune. There are quite a number of DIY examples using a $40 Pelican case and some foam padding:<br>

[<a href="https://www.google.ca/#hl=en&sugexp=les%3B&gs_rn=2&gs_ri=hp&tok=lmZ0Bei8yj75RQqRXWOgew&cp=16&gs_id=20&xhr=t&q=diy+camera+blimp&es_nrs=true&pf=p&tbo=d&output=search&sclient=psy-ab&rlz=1C2CHFX_enCA521CA521&oq=diy+camera+blimp&gs_l=&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_cp.r_qf.&bvm=bv.42261806,d.dmQ&fp=7c4c3ef5116cd5ec&biw=1440&bih=813">Link</a>]</p>

[yvonne_selnick]

<p>The Sony RX1 is a full frame camera pocket size camera with outstanding image quality and is silent. A Journalist friend of mine calls it his "stealth camera".</p>

[lex_jenkins]

<p>I've made homemade blimp boxes that reduced the sound of a Nikon F3HP with MD-4 motor drive to approximately the level of a ballpoint pen click muffled inside a coat pocket. But it was still a pain in the neck to use. An inherently quiet mirrorless camera would be a much better solution, unless you absolutely needed the advantages of a full frame dSLR.</p>

[Alex_Es]

<p>Konica Hexar AF is dead quite and the early models have a silent mode. Can you live with a 35/2 lens, 1/200 top speed and film?</p>

<p>Leica film Ms are also very quite.</p>

[emraphoto]

 

 

<p><em>What's the President's photographer using. It's got to be pretty silent.</em><br /><em>Back in the old days alot of guy's apparently use to use Leica M's when on film set's. At least from what I've read.</em><br /><em>Concerts you can get away with less concern depending. I've never had a problem with a Panny G1 when I shoot folk guitarists and their not silent.</em></p>

Fuji X100 when silence is needed

 

Fuji GF670 is erie quiet and the X100 can be next to silent.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Hector Javkin]

<p>Thank you all for the very helpful responses. As I mentioned, the D7000 can shoot rather quietly--it does it in "Quiet Release" mode, which holds off on lowering the mirror until the shutter button is released. Works surprisingly well, just not enough sometimes. I wonder if that is the same as "silent mode" on the Canon 6D and 5D III. It might be fun to try a film rangefinder. I wish I could find my old Yashica 35mm rangefinder that I saved up for and bought when I was twelve years old. Didn't use it much, because I couldn't afford much film. I will certainly try mirrorless. Again, thank you all.</p>

[frank_b._baiamonte]

<p>Someone else has already mentioned it, but I'll also say that the Fuji X-100 is the quietest thing I've come across. Fixed lens though (23mm with an APS-C sensor). I've handed my X-100 to experienced photographers and even they've not been sure it fired. By the way, in case you were wondering, the other Fuji's (X-Pro and X-E1 are nowhere near as quiet. There is a noticeable difference.</p>

[Hector Javkin]

<p>Thank you for the last comments. I will look into the Fuji X-100 and the Panasonic GH-3. The advice from all of you is particularly helpful because it is so difficult to judge noise levels in the noise of a store.</p>