Related Links:
Camera Sound Files

Whenever you mention the classic Bronica cameras (such as the S2A, EC and EC-TL), everybody tells you how LOUD they are! Then they tell you how quiet other medium format SLRs like the Hasselblad 500 c/m or the electronic Rolleiflex SLX seem to be. Imagine how quiet the modern and smaller 6x4.5cm SLRs must be too. But they say, if you want a really quiet camera, you should get one of the legendary Leica M4-2 rangefinders.

Wrong, wrong, wrong! Sorry to burst some more photo-myth bubbles, but when Modern Photography actually built a laboratory test setup to measure camera noise, the results were quite startling. For the slow shutter speeds, the Bronica ETR, and not the Bronica EC-TL, was the loudest medium format SLR camera tested. For 1/125^th second shutter speeds, the Mamiya 645 was the loudest camera tested - not the Bronica EC-TL or Bronica 645 ETR models. So the 6x4.5cm SLRs are louder than the 6x6 or even 6x7cm SLRs by these measurements. Surprise!

In fact, medium format cameras were remarkably consistent and similar in their peak noise levels. The big exception is the Yashicamat 124G, which should be no surprise to anyone familiar with twin lens reflex design. There is no moving mirror in a TLR, just a leaf shutter in the lens. 

Actually, I am rather surprised that the Yashicamat 124G TLR, at 70 decibels, is so LOUD! After all, the Olympus OM-2 is a 35mm SLR, yet it is quieter than the Yashicamat TLR. These sound levels don't take into account the sound of winding the camera, nor any grunting noises made by the photographer when doing so!

A decibel is a unit of sound intensity, and corresponds to the smallest difference between two sounds that can be reliably detected by the human ear (and an intensity difference of 1.26:1). Sound intensity is logarithmic, meaning that a large range is compressed on the decibel scale used here.

So the one decibel difference between the Hasselblad 500 c/m and the Rolleiflex SLX (either louder by +1 dB, at 1/125^th, or softer by -1 dB, at 1/15^th second), is a very minor difference in sound intensity. As a practical matter, we can say that the sound levels of the listed popular medium format SLRs are very similar to each other (e.g., within 78 dB +/-1 decibel for 1/15^th second). Differences of only one decibel would be hard to tell apart in a quiet audiology lab, let alone under typical shooting conditions.

However, the timing and duration of the sounds vary with each camera type, and can be quite distinctive. So two sounds of similar maximum intensity may seem very different if one is short, and the other is prolonged with many internal mechanical camera gyrations. I suspect this is why my Bronica EC sounds so much louder than the Hasselblad 500c. In the Bronica EC, the mirror is split, so part of the mirror goes up, and part goes downward, a viewfinder light shield pops in place, the camera stops the lens down, and the focal plane shutter is triggered, all of which generates a lot of noise up front. 

Most cameras produce less noise and fewer events in their cycles, so they may sound quieter.  But our lab tests reported here show that the peak noise levels are nearly the same in each medium format SLR tested.  It is the longer duration of these various noises, rather than their peak loudness levels, which determines which cameras seem "loud" and which sound much quieter.  So while my Bronica EC may not be louder than a Hasselblad 500 c/cm, it makes more noises of louder intensity during its gyrations than the other camera, so it seems as if it really is much louder in operation. 

How loud are these camera sound levels? Here is a short listing of some sample sound levels:

50-56 dB - Quiet office conversation (at 1 meter)
62-68 dB - General office noise
66-72 dB - electric typewriter (at 3 ft)
75-85 dB - street noise
80-90 dB - busy street noise
85-95 dB - railroad station during train arrival
110-120 dB - pain threshold for hearing
[Source: p. 109, Modern Photography, May 1978]

Unfortunately for us as photographers, our cameras not only make noise, but they make a distinctive noise that is readily identifiable as a camera firing. For some types of photography, such as street photography, camera noise is a major issue. So we will look at a few options to reduce the noise generated by your camera.

These sounds may seem louder because they are longer, or more distinct because they occur before or after the main noise events. The above table combines the original peak level noise recordings with a later series of filtered noise levels using an impulse noise correction technique (based on I.E.C. impulse noise measuring guidelines). For this measurement, the raw voltage levels are filtered into an instantaneous impulse noise level. 

These adjusted  peak readings are shown in the above table as the second reading (i.e., dB (A)). Not all of the original cameras were available for re-measuring, so some entries lack these adjusted reading values. The key point remains that when camera noise is measured by either technique, the medium format SLRs are surprisingly close in their peak noise level readings.  You will find much more range of peak sound levels in the 35mm SLRs.

Interested readers are referred to the second article (Sounding Out Cameras Returns, by Robert S. Craige and Jason Schneider in Modern Photography, March 1981, p. 86..].  You can see oscilloscope patterns which compare different cameras during a typical exposure for this filtered instantaneous noise level. For example, the oscilloscope trace for the Olympus OM-1 shows only a few short peaks above 70 dB (A), with most sounds below 67 dB (A). By contrast, the Nikon F3 had some peaks over 80 dB (A), with longer pulse of louder sounds, giving it a 75 dB (A) score. 

If you add a motor drive to the F3, the duration of the noises becomes longer again, but the sound levels only increase a modest amount to 77 dB (A). The Olympus OM-2 with winder also rises 2 dB (A), but to only 69 dB (A) or 8 dB (A) quieter than the Nikon F3.  This result surprised me, as the typical winder or motor drive only added 2 or 3 dB (A) to the total noise generated by the camera. But again, the difference is in the duration of these sounds, rather than their peak levels, which is determined largely by the camera's inherent noise factor. 

Sound Card Measurements

You can have a lot of fun with a sound card in your PC and a microphone and your camera too.  Many programs like CoolEdit will allow you to view a sound waveform with intensity levels shown at very high resolutions. So you can simply compare cameras, in a similar position and distance, to see how they compare for noise creation and timing. With a bit of knowledge from a camera repair manual (see repair books) about what goes in and in what sequence in your type of camera, and you can identify the various noise events in your camera. You can also use a low cost phototransistor to test the duration of your shutter, turning your PC into a shutter speed tester. 

Reducing Camera Noise

Some of these noise sources can be reduced by using tricks like mirror lockup on some medium format models or on 35mm SLRs by using mirror pre-fire with the self-timer to reduce overall noise as noted below. But the inherent design of the medium format SLRs produces a lot of noise, regardless of size (and the smaller Mamiya 645 is the loudest tested).

If you really need a low noise medium format camera, you may need to use a twin lens reflex such as the Yashicamat 124G. This TLR tested substantially quieter than any of the other medium format SLRs tested. I would also presume that a rangefinder would be relatively less noisy than most SLRs (lacking the moving mirror), but perhaps more noisy than a TLR (as many rangefinders use more noisy and larger focal plane shutters). 

Another surprise is that the Leica M4-2 is NOT the quietest camera tested, despite its reputation. Actually, the Minolta Himatic 7 Sli is quieter, at least at 1/125^th second, and as quiet at slow speeds (here, 1/15^th second). And the Himatic 7 is only 48 dB, if you use its self-timer system. Unfortunately, the Leica M4-2 body lacks a self-timer (on a kilobuck body). So the Leica M4-2 rangefinder really can't compete in the low noise department against much less expensive cameras such as the Minolta Himatic 7 with this feature.

Using a self-timer can even make your 35mm SLR quieter than many rangefinders. For example, if you use the self-timer on the Olympus OM-2, noise drops substantially below the Leica M4-2 66 dB noise level to 50 dB! Nikon F2 with self-timer drops us down to 45 dB! And the Canon AE-1 with self-timer drops to an astonishingly low 40 dB. So if you want quiet camera operation, use the mirror lockup or self-timer for major improvements in lower noise levels.

Distance is a big aid in reducing noise levels. For a Leica M4-2, there is a 4 dB drop in noise level by just one meter distance (from 66 to 62 dB). For the louder Hasselblad 500c/m, the drop is even more pronounced at 6 dB (from 78 to 72 dB) at one meter. Most 35mm SLRs are in-between, dropping about 5 dB at one meter distance. So any distance you can put between your camera and the listener will help reduce the apparent noise level appreciably.

Camera blimps are similar to their dirigible or blimp name-sakes, a large bag of enclosed gas (air). The camera blimp is a plastic airbag that is blown up and encircles the camera (with motor drive in many cases). Use of a camera blimp may reduce noise by a substantial factor. Many wildlife photographers use blimps on their cameras to reduce noises which might scare away critters, yet permit motorized or remote telephotography. You can also use foam or other noise reducing materials to help shield or reduce noise from your camera in sound sensitive situations. Other tricks like a thin section of lead (used to absorb high frequency vibration sounds on aircraft) can be useful in reducing noise in some situations.

Source: Modern Photography, Sounding Out Cameras, May 1978, p. 104. Values for dB (A) adjusted for
IEC impulse noise filtering from Rpbert S. Craige and Jason Schneider, Modern Photography, Sounding Out Cameras Returns, March 1981, p. 87.

• 6x4.5cm cameras are NOT the quietest medium format SLRs, they are the loudest (lowest mass?)
• Bronica ETR or Mamiya 645 is louder even than the legendary loudness of the Bronica EC/ECTL 
• Leica M4-2 is louder than Minolta Himatic 7 competitor (even worse with self-timer)
• various 35mm SLRs with self-timer feature are quieter than Leica M4-2 (without self-timer)
• most medium format 6x6cm and 6x7cm SLRs are very similar in noise levels
• Twin Lens Reflex cameras are rather quieter than medium format SLRs
• leaf shutter or focal plane SLR design doesn't make much difference in medium format noise levels
• different 35mm SLRs can vary significantly in noise levels (even without motor winder/drive)
• some 35mm SLRs (Fujica ST801) can be nearly as quiet as the Leica M4-2 rangefinder

Once again, we see that a favorite piece of camera lore is more photo-myth than reality, when scientific study and measurements are made. If you are an otherwise happy Bronica EC or ECTL owner, you may take comfort in seeing that your camera really isn't much noisier than other medium format SLRs. If you have convinced yourself that you really need a Hasselblad 500 c/m because it is so much quieter than your Pentax 6x7, you will have to think up another reason to buy now. But if you have been itching to buy a TLR for some street shooting, now you may have another good reason for indulging your desire!

Date: Fri, 28 Sep 2001 
Subject: Decibels
From: Peter Rosenthal petroffski@mac.com>
To: rmonagha@post.cis.smu.edu>

Hey Robert!

Thanks for your response to the HUG discussion about noise. I didn't want to
respond publicly as my response here is wandering off into offtopicsville.
I would like to let you know I've been thinking about your website
conclusions about noise and have to, not disagree per se, but to add to it.

While sound pressure values are a good starting point, I don't think they
don't address the real issue. Human hearing sensitivity and perception.
Even with my high frequency hearing attenuated, I still, as most people do,
find certain hf's and hf combinations much more objectionable than actually
much louder muffled lf noise. A good example is: I fly radio control
airplanes and we use two different kinds of engines.  2 stroke and 4 stroke.
It has been measured that they put out similar sound pressure values so
theoretically should sound the same volume. They don't. The hf noise of the
2 stroke is much more objectionable than the equally loud muffled lf sound
of the 4 stroke. We would probably agree that dogs and elephants would find
certain, different sounds louder and more objectionable than humans even
though they don't measure so. Perception is important. Camera noises are no
different than any other sound.

I guess that my conclusion, without rambling on forever, (or is it too
late?) is that volume perception and hearing frequency sensitivity are very
relevant issues and should not be ignored.

Thanks again,
Peter

-- 
Peter Rosenthal
PR Camera Repair
111 E. Aspen #1
Flagstaff, AZ 86001
928 779-5263



From Hasselblad Mailing List:
Date: Mon, 13 May 2002 
From: Godfrey DiGiorgi ramarren@bayarea.net
Subject: Re: [HUG] Re: hasselblad V1 #1586

Well, I have a Rolleiflex TLR ... And when it comes to quiet operation, it
beats any Hassy hands down, including a SuperWide. No slight to the Hassy
at all, they're very different cameras.

Godfrey
...


From Minolta Mailing List:
Date: Sat, 8 Feb 2003 
From: Eric  Steinberg esteinbe@columbus.rr.com
Subject: Re:"Quietest" body-Hear for Yourself

Something I've wanted to do for awhile. The recent thread on XD vs XE
shutters gave me the impetus.

I recorded the shutters sounds of my Minolta bodies. SR-1, SRT-102,
XE, XD-11 and X-570. Shutters were all set at 125/sec and recorded
with the same microphone gain (volume)settings. Bodies were mounted
with lenses and hand held at an equal distance from microphone.

I have posted the resulting sound files accompanied with visual wave
form graphics on the Minoltians web site:
http://www.Minoltians.ws/shutters/shutter_sounds.html .

Not that it is any surprise but the XE wins in a walk. I also
included my Bronica S2A, so you could hear a loud shutter.


From bronica mailing list:
Date: Sat, 28 Feb 2004 
From: "David A. Goldfarb" dgoldfarb@barnard.edu
Subject: S2A mirror slap and shutter vibration

Today I was using a microphone and digital sound recording software to
test the speeds on an old large format shutter (there are very
distinct peaks in the waveform when the shutter is fired, is wide
open, begins to close, and is fully closed, so you can use the time
scale in a wave editing program to measure the time that the shutter
is fully open) and thought I'd also see what the waveform of the
Bronica S2A sound looked like to test the proposition that most of the
vibration on an S-series Bronica happens after the exposure, so it's
not as bad as it seems.

It seems to be true. The amount of sound and vibration at the end of
the exposure lasts about twice as long as at the beginning of the
exposure.

When the S2A is fired, the camera has to drop the mirror, a cloth
shutter covers the viewfinder to keep light from striking the film
from above, a metal shutter covers the mirror to prevent internal
reflections, the lens is stopped down, and the shutter fires. This
all takes about .08 seconds, and the vibration seems to die down by
about .15 seconds. The vibration at the end of the exposure is almost
twice that. It's still a pretty substantial pre-exposure thunk, and
one is always better off with a sturdy tripod and head, but it is true
that most of that famously loud Bronica shutter sound has no effect on
the sharpness of the image.

David Goldfarb







Medium Format Site Startup Date: Feb. 14, 1998



End of Page