While browsing through the digest to see what had been happening
while I was away in the wilderness, I saw the topic of camera
shutter sounds had come up once again. This has been discussed
several times previously, with some saying they can hear a
distinct difference between the OM-1 and the OM-4(T). Admittedly,
they sound slightly different, but I?ve never really been able to
say one is any louder than the other.
Since I can't recall this minor controversy ever being settled, in
an attempt to add some objective evidence, and to satisfy my own
curiosity, I dug into my hi-fi toys and got out my handy-dandy,
trusty Radio Shack sound level meter in an attempt to obtain some
scientific proof, one way or the other. Some of you may be
amazed, and some may refuse to believe my findings. So be it.
The methodology (see, I'm even using real, gen-u-wine scientific
terminology) in making the readings listed below was as follows:
Each camera had a lens mounted (50/1.4 Zuiko), was set at 1/60
sec. (OM-4 and OM-4Ti on manual) and was situated on a mouse pad
atop a large oak desk in a very quiet (below 45 dB) room. The
sound meter was positioned one inch from the front of the lens,
resting on enough folded up bubblewrap to raise it to the level of
the center of the lens, and the shutter was tripped carefully with
one or the other index finger -- I didn't record which. The
cameras, of course, were not loaded with film, which I can't
imagine would make any difference. The results:
OM-1: 59 dB
OM-4: 59 dB
OM-4Ti: 58 dB
OM-1 with mirror locked up: 57 dB
OM-4 with mirror and aperture prefire: 57 dB
OM-4Ti with mirror and aperture prefire: 57 dB
Self-timer beep: 20 beeps @ 56 dB, last 4 @ 60 dB
Any OM with Winder 2: 67 dB
Any OM with Motor Drive 2: 62 dB
All cameras have been well maintained and the foam is in good
condition in each. I don't think my OM-1 is defective in any way,
so it shouldn't be abnormally loud, and all three OM-4s came out
with identical readings. The OM-4Ti is just over a year old,
which may account for it being one dB quieter.
To add insult to injury, consider the following:
Pentax Spotmatic (bought new in 1966): 57 dB
Copal No. 0-0 shutter (100mm APO Symmar on one of my baby
Graphics): 53 dB
What can I say? Facts is facts.
Screams of those who refuse to accept my incontrovertible and
irrefutable findings and choose to imagine they hear things that
they really don't: 110 dB! :-)
Walt Wayman
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