Mirrorless cameras are surprisingly loud!

[996GT2]

Here's a video I made comparing the Canon 7D (in live-view quiet mode 2) to the Olympus E-PL1. The latter is noticeably louder despite the lack of a mirror. This seems pretty strange to me, because a DSLR in "quiet mode" basically just takes the mirror out of the equation...and if a DSLR can be that quiet, why can't a mirrorless camera?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_wvNBrn_gE

 

[corkyg]

Interesting video. There is certainly a "click" sound on the Oly. Maybe it can be turned off? It can on my Canon SX10, 20, or 30. It is absolutely silent. Any click is artificial and electronically produced. Since this deals only with an Oly, maybe the Title statement should be qualified?

 

[996GT2]

Interesting video. There is certainly a "click" sound on the Oly. Maybe it can be turned off? It can on my Canon SX10, 20, or 30. It is absolutely silent. Any click is artificial and electronically produced. Since this deals only with an Oly, maybe the Title statement should be qualified?

The click is not artificial...it is produced by a physical shutter opening and closing.

This phenomenon applies to all micro 4/3 cameras, as well as other mirrorless cameras such as the Sony NEX. None of them are particularly quiet.

 

[corkyg]

Got it! Ergo, your title might better read, "Some Mirrorless Cameras . . ."

Looks like many P&S cameras use an electronic shutter sound that can be turned off. Canon for sure, and Nikon. Possibly Panasonic and Pentax as well. Is the Oly focal plane or leaf?

 

[ElFenix]

Got it! Ergo, your title might better read, "Some Mirrorless Cameras . . ."

Looks like many P&S cameras use an electronic shutter sound that can be turned off. Canon for sure, and Nikon. Possibly Panasonic and Pentax as well. Is the Oly focal plane or leaf?

focal plane

i'm going to guess the shutter mechanism is a lot less expensive on the epl1 and that's most of the culprit. the shutter and mirror sound on a friend's D40 is annoying loud compared to the shutter and mirror sound of my 40D. and the 40d was definitely a step up from the xti.