I have a question for all the Canon users who upgraded to Canon 7D from any Canon entry lever camera. I bought a used Canon 7D, it's in excellent condition, shutter count around 8500. Everything seems to be working great, as far as I can tell. One thing I noticed right away is how much louder the shutter is on Canon 7D compare to my old Canon XSi. The 7D shutter seems to be very loud and has more "mechanic" sound to it, XSi is much quieter and has more "computerized" sound to it. I don't have anyone I know who has 7D, so I would compare the sounds. I wanted to ask, if you upgraded, did you notice the shutter sound to be louder or approx the same as your older camera? I read online, the 7D shutter can seem to be louder (because it needs to be sturdier/stronger, to produce 8f per second) if you compare it with the slower cameras (less frames per second). Thanks for any info you can share. :-)
The 5D I use (owned by my sister, purchased new) is similar - much louder and more mechanical sounding than my 500D. I think it's to do with the model/power of the camera itself, as opposed to something being wrong with it.
Generally cameras with faster shooting rates have louder shutter sounds. The sound that you're hearing isn't actually the shutter itself, which is virtually silent, but the mirror moving out of the way and back into position.
The 7D can take 8 photos per second, so it needs to be able to move the mirror up and back into position in less than 1/8th of a second (actually quite a bit less, as the camera needs time to meter and adjust focus if necessary between shots, which can only be done when the mirror is down and stable). In order to do this, the mirror is moved more quickly, and hence creates more noise when it reaches the limit than a camera that can only take 3 photos per second.
Full-frame cameras are often noisier as well, simply because the mirror is larger and hence heavier than on a crop-frame camera.
If quiet shooting is a priority, there are a couple of Live View options that may be of use which can reduce and/or delay the sound of the mirror returning after a shot is taken -- check the manual for more details.
Some of Canon's newest cameras also have a non-Live View quiet shooting mode -- the 5D3 has this. It reduces the burst rate from 6 frames per second to 3 frames per second, and moves the mirror more slowly -- this significantly reduces the amount of noise it makes (in this mode it's the quietest DSLR I've used). Most cameras though, including the 7D, can only move the mirror at one speed, regardless of whether you need to take shots at 8 frames per second or not.
@zuzana I guess this is the only thing that "feels wrong" if I may use those words :) I am sure you are enjoying the 7D, it is a big step forward compared to XSi (450D), which I am also using. Have fun and I am looking forward to your photos:)
Actually I am glad that you asked this question. I had a Canon Rebel and upgraded to the 7D and noticed that it is much louder. I was praying that it wasn't getting ready to break, as I bought mine used from E-bay!
lol this is funny... that was exactly my thought when I first started shooting with my 7D. The 5D MKIII also sounds loud but as @abirkill in quite mode its remarkably quiet
@abirkill I have a Sony a65 and while I cant find info on Live View Options there is a setting for Front curtain on/off. It seems to be noisier with it off. I have a chance to shoot a theater production but they have asked that we turn off the sound. I want to do it but I dont know how to quiet my camera? What are Live View options that may help? Thanks for any ideas.
@jannkc Sony SLT cameras like the a65 have a fixed, semi-transparent mirror which does not move, so they are exceptionally quiet compared to pretty much any other DSLR.
Switching on 'Front Curtain Shutter' mode (which really should be called 'Electronic Front Curtain Shutter' mode) will reduce the noise slightly, as one physical movement of the shutter is replaced with a silent electronic process. This also speeds up the responsiveness of the camera, so it's generally best to leave it enabled. There aren't any other options on an SLT camera to further reduce the noise, but at this point it'll be as quiet or quieter than normal DSLRs in live view mode with all the right options enabled.
You can also switch off the focusing beep in the settings, but I'm guessing you've figured that one out already!
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The 7D can take 8 photos per second, so it needs to be able to move the mirror up and back into position in less than 1/8th of a second (actually quite a bit less, as the camera needs time to meter and adjust focus if necessary between shots, which can only be done when the mirror is down and stable). In order to do this, the mirror is moved more quickly, and hence creates more noise when it reaches the limit than a camera that can only take 3 photos per second.
Full-frame cameras are often noisier as well, simply because the mirror is larger and hence heavier than on a crop-frame camera.
If quiet shooting is a priority, there are a couple of Live View options that may be of use which can reduce and/or delay the sound of the mirror returning after a shot is taken -- check the manual for more details.
Some of Canon's newest cameras also have a non-Live View quiet shooting mode -- the 5D3 has this. It reduces the burst rate from 6 frames per second to 3 frames per second, and moves the mirror more slowly -- this significantly reduces the amount of noise it makes (in this mode it's the quietest DSLR I've used). Most cameras though, including the 7D, can only move the mirror at one speed, regardless of whether you need to take shots at 8 frames per second or not.
Have fun shooting!
Switching on 'Front Curtain Shutter' mode (which really should be called 'Electronic Front Curtain Shutter' mode) will reduce the noise slightly, as one physical movement of the shutter is replaced with a silent electronic process. This also speeds up the responsiveness of the camera, so it's generally best to leave it enabled. There aren't any other options on an SLT camera to further reduce the noise, but at this point it'll be as quiet or quieter than normal DSLRs in live view mode with all the right options enabled.
You can also switch off the focusing beep in the settings, but I'm guessing you've figured that one out already!