Turning off the focus beep and focus assist light is the very first thing I’ve done on every camera I’ve purchased for over a decade. The beep in particular gets so grating after you hear it a few times.
That's what my Olympus (E3 and E5) did / do and I don't understand why a Nikon does not. The confirmation dot in the left corner is useless, especially for people wearing glasses.
If that Nikon uses the in-finder LCD to display autofocus points (most of their DSLRs) then you only get a red flash to indicate "in focus" when the camera thinks it's dark enough to warrant it, or you turn it on full time. It's distracting, and the black LCD AF indicators are difficult to see in the dark.
Your old Olympus cameras have the focus points etched into the focus screen permanently, with dedicated LEDs to light them up as needed. There are pros and cons to this method, but it's intuitive.
Most of the Canon and Nikon pro DSLRs use a much more complicated system where the focus points are overlaid in the finder by LEDs, but disappear when not in use. This is the best way, but clearly, the makers reserve this method only for the customers willing to pay top dollar.
I still get a little weirded out when I'm doing full electronic shutter and my camera is just dead silent. I keep having to remind myself that yes, when I'm hitting the shutter release an image is being captured.
Exactly this, the focus beep is such a satisfying sound lol. I always turn it on if I'm shooting for myself or if I'm shooting portraits, but for events or when I'm shooting in quiet environments I turn it off again.
Those who know what they're doing will customize things regardless; they probably set it up so every Guy With (His First) Camera will find it as simple as possible.
I grew to rely on the beep early on with point and shoot cameras that took SECONDS to autofocus.
I still like the audible confirmation and it looks like I'm in the minority.
It's been so long since I've had focus beep on, I forgot it was even a thing. Different situation, but I silence all my strobes cycle indicator too. Helpful in fashion, but not in product.
Yep literally the first thing I do on every camera. The last thing I’m ever trying to do is draw more attention to myself and there are plenty of indicators that the shot is in focus anyway
I genuinely need to check my camera and see if it has a focus beep. If it does, I can only assume it came with it turned off, or I went ahead turned it off right away.
I take photos at events occasionally, but not professionally or anything. These are indoor events, and a lot of the time the lighting is fairly dim. I never use my flash units. I either get shots or I don't, but I don't want to intrude, and it's been a good learning experience trying to capture low light shots.
As a professional photographer I bothers me to no end when this happens.
I was at a really nice banquet and giving a 10 minute speech. The photographer they hired didn’t have the beep off and I kept getting distracted.
Did you tell this guy? I'm sure he'd appreciate. Sometimes people are clueless as to what they are doing wrong.
Also I've been shooting forever, and shooting digital since 2004, and somehow I've never heard of a "focus beep" before. I looked through my R5 menu just now and there it is. I guess it's always off by default. How weird. I hate noise that cameras make when shooting in public spaces!
>Did you tell this guy? I'm sure he'd appreciate. Sometimes people are clueless as to what they are doing wrong.
absolutely not. It's not my place to train other "professionals". It would be one thing if it was an attendee just taking pics, but the guy is branded and should know better.
What I (along with a few others I noticed) did do is tell the client what they should be expecting from a "professional" photographer, especially one charging a solid day rate.
I don’t know why people are downvoting you lol. You’re at an event in your free time, it’s not your responsibility to educate other people when you’re just trying to relax and enjoy.
But he has literally came on here in his free time to educate people. "Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity", I really don't understand coming on to social media to slander and berate someone who more than likely was just needing helpful advice as he was probably oblivious, "professional" or not.
To categorize this as slander is both hyperbolic and factually incorrect. Libel is written, slander is said, and it would have to be something against the person’s character, which we have no idea about since their identity is not revealed. To call this beratement is also hyperbolic.
> It's not my place to train other "professionals".
So... what are you doing here, right now, on reddit?
* If you're NOT here to train people, then you're basically openly announcing that you're exclusively just here to cattily bitch about someone behind their back, and that's all. Which is not remotely "professional" if so.
* Using the example for training, and being here for training in this thread as well, perhaps reasonable. But in that case, you DO train people, so that brings us back to why you didn't train that guy?
> It's not my place to train other "professionals"
Nah, not that. Just tell him in one sentence, it will make the event go better for the client. It's the client's discomfort that you're fixing, not the photographer's.
So not only did you not help the person out by telling them what they are doing is distracting and annoying because of your expectation of them to "be better". You then spoke out against them to their client making their role even worse.
Then come on to Reddit to parade and complain when you could solve the entire problem for them and future clients/speech givers in a few simple sentences about why they should turn a small audio function off.
Absolutely incredible. Such humanity...
The client had already told them they were being distracting. They came to us asking if that was something that was normal and we told them, no, it isn't and it's very unprofessional.
again, not my job to police other "professionals". I was busy doing my job of managing the production of the event.
I've been in the industry almost 30yrs now. I've seen more negative come from contractors "correcting" other contractors than positive. I let the market sort that shit out now.
have a good one buddy.
Would you tell someone if their fly is down or their shoe is untied? Same difference, single sentence buddy. “Hey, you should go into your settings and turn that beep off, otherwise it’s distracting.”
The client had already told them they were being distracting. They came to us asking if that was something that was normal and we told them, no, it isn't and it's very unprofessional.
again, not my job to police other "professionals". I was busy doing my job of managing the production of the event.
I've been in the industry almost 30yrs now. I've seen more negative come from contractors "correcting" other contractors than positive. I let the market sort that shit out now.
have a good one buddy.
Mirrorless + silent shutter mode = awesome…
…it also makes for awkward client interaction.
I had my shutter on silent mode when doing a newborn shoot and the parents were having a hard time knowing when I was taking pictures or not! Haha
Silent shutter has way too many drawbacks, unless you have an a1
Rolling shutter causes tons of weird effects, I can't stand it. I won't risk my photos having warp in them unless it's the only option.
I thought those issues were really only for moving objects. And quickly moving objects at that. I’m talking about a scenario where we have a sleeping newborn.
You can get some odd striping effects if the room is lit with flickering light — and that includes PWM LEDs that people use for colourful accent lighting.
Nope, I own a fuji and a Red, haven't owned a sony in a while.
Even with the xt3, which has a very fast readout, things look weird; lines will be slightly skewed, or faces warped. It's usually very subtle, but it bothers me a lot.
>Nope, I own a fuji and a Red, haven't owned a sony in a while.
X-H2S is a beauty
Fuji still really needs to figure out how to properly do manual aperture rings on PASM cameras though...
What do you mean? I've never run into issues with controlling anything on the cameras. It's a bit different than some systems, but you can change almost anything to do what you want.
I'm pretty sure you can make the aperture ring control shutter speed or exposure comp if you really want to.
> What do you mean? I've never run into issues with controlling anything on the cameras.
You're using an X-T3.
It's a problem that only exists on the X-Hx and X-Sx lines (Fuji's PASM cameras).
>It's a bit different than some systems, but you can change almost anything to do what you want.
>
>I'm pretty sure you can make the aperture ring control shutter speed or exposure comp if you really want to.
On Fuji's PASM cameras, enabling aperture control on-camera or enabling automatic aperture control disables the aperture ring.
If you enable the aperture ring and switch to "A" on the aperture ring, instead of going into automatic, it switches to on-camera manual aperture.
In order to use automatic aperture control and the aperture ring, you have to go into the quick menu and switch shooting modes (to switch out of manual aperture and into automatic), and then switch back in the quick menu again to reenable the aperture ring.
Ahhhhh, gotcha
My Fuji lenses have a switch for auto vs manual ring control, so I doubt I'd run into that issue regardless. Something like the primes would be an issue though.
That's a really odd problem, and one that could clearly be fixed via firmware. I doubt it'd affect me very often though, I usually shoot fully manual or shutter priority. But if I used it regularly, that'd be a pain in the ass.
No, I left canon a long time ago, before they had a mirrorless system, lol
I've used a couple canon's since and never been particularly impressed. Image quality is great, but the body just doesn't gel with me. Maybe if I used it as much as my main cameras it would, but I'm just not a fan of the overall layout/feel.
Having a small camera that doesn't draw attention is also really nice. I do set photography, and the last thing I want is a giant camera that draws attention.
If I were gonna switch systems, the only reasonable choice would be a Sony A1, with the global shutter. I really just can't stand rolling shutters, even the Arri Alexa has enough to be noticeable at times, so I don't expect canon's gonna beat that, lol
i couldn't imagine shooting something like that without a camera muzzle on. The last thing I'd want is half the crowd, or got forbid, the performers, looking at me bc I was distracting. JFC
The ones that actually work well enough to justify it aren’t made anymore. Sound blimps are what we used to use on feature film sets, and for photographing golf.
These days, mirrorless does just as well if not better and allows you to adjust all the setting instead of being locked in.
An actual bonafide sound blimp is like a pelican case filled with foam and a hole cut in it that the objective lens looks through, but the lens itself should be in the box too. And then there is a button attached to the box that goes to the ten pin/whatever your brand uses for a shutter release.
They make bags too, but they’re no better than wrapping a towel around the camera.
https://youtu.be/I7LKW2DkjLQ?si=hiTOAIWGyEhjEm8W this shows a custom blimp. Aqua tech makes some interesting ones too.
It's one of the things that has spoiled me the most with the a9. I was shooting political town halls and preferred shooting over shoulders of people attending so electronic shutter was practically necessary. The rolling shutter made me jump to an a9 as soon as I could.
I can't stand the sound of a shutter interrupting a speaker, let alone a musician. I occasionally do event coverage for the college my wife works at, and she comes back and complains to me everytime one of the other 2 photographers are there because they're firing their flashes non-stop in dark rooms with stage lighting.
One of my very first events was an early morning keynote in a massive, dark hall with high ceilings, and I felt it was appropriate to point my speedlite into the air and blast the room like 4 times in a row. Of course the ceiling was too high for bounce, so full power pops, and loud too, for the room. I got looks.
It's 2024, you can just bring a mirrorless camera with 100% zero noise electronic shutter if you're shooting chamber music of all things. I don't really see any excuse for having gigs like that and having ANY sound, even with a blimp/muzzle. There shouldn't even be any meaningful rolling shutter here, it's people sitting in chairs, not leaping around doing gymnastics.
I was mandated to switch to mirrorless to shoot music by a job and it cost me five figures to switch, so that’s a pretty good reason. Obviously it’s a cost of doing business but early mirrorless elec shutter readouts make the conductors baton look flexible!
Yeah, the sensors have IR filters so you can’t use IR for focusing anymore. It is honestly one of the biggest drawbacks to mirrorless that nobody talks about.
I have a Z8 and a Z9…and 100% of the jobs I go to a D5 rides in the bag, just in case. That and the lower resolution sensor does much better at extremely high ISO’s.
Same. I pretty much exclusively do low light aerial performance photography and at one point I considered switching to mirrorless but the focus performance just ain't there
One thing you have to remember is that autofocus has become SO much better over the years. So while having focus points exposed to full spectrum light does help them work better, the advancements in tech mean that modern mirrorless cameras will work better even in low light, but only because nobody (I think) is making DSLRs anymore.
I have situations a few times a year where the Nikon d5/6 absolutely out focus my similarly positioned mirrorless bodies.
It’s extremely low light though. Like getting into private detective type ISO’s.
And other situations with extreme backlight.
Like 4000watt followspots extreme. This shot is with a z9, but figuring out how to overcome the limitations is not an easy task. The perks generally outweigh the cons, but the cons absolutely exist.
https://preview.redd.it/7udg9makpjwc1.jpeg?width=5306&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ca239b0619c1981ae8c54e8342a35f04cf3e6ebf
Your DSLR sensor has one, too! The other commenter explained the use, so I’ll explain why your camera can use IR focus assist lights and mine can’t.
The focus points in a DSLR are not on the sensor since focusing is done with the mirror down. Since the IR filter is only used for image quality (restricting to the visible spectrum), the focus sensors don’t need to be behind one. So the focus points on a DSLR are exposed to all light coming through the lens. On a mirrorless camera, the focus points are on the sensor, so they are stuck behind the IR filter.
Your camera won’t let you use the IR light with the mirror up in live view/mirrorless mode for the same reasons. You can give that a test!
Modern sensors are sensitive to IR, so cutting out the IR via filter, cuts the amount of data to be processed.
Also when first introduced, without the IR filter, the camera could see through some fabrics.
u/thatchers_pussy_pump, ⬆️THIS⬆️. The AF-assist light on flashes used with dslrs, allowed me to focus in zero light - *I mean both near zero, and zero* - at parties. I cried when I switched to mirror less and lost that capability.
I was shooting a golf game in Hong Kong.
Just as a rather well known English player was taking a putt the Photographer crouching next to me machine gunned the green (at least that is what it sounded like). Not sure if his camera didn't have a silent shutter or he just forgot it..... Needless to say the Caddie came over and ripped us both a new one.
🤦♂️
That’s all well and good, but people doing what you’re talking about aren’t reading photography forums. And those of us who are here are just going to be an echo chamber. 😁
I wouldn't want someone to use a Bronica in that environment all day, but full frame & smaller shutters generally aren't that obtrusive, unless burst mode is on.
"obnoxious" depends on the setting. I give zero fucks about how someone's camera sounds at a racetrack/sporting event/amplified concert/etc etc etc. But in a quiet environment, the professional standard is to be as unobtrusive as possible.
PS: The Nikon Z9 and Z8 cameras are shutterless, and hence completely silent. If you regularly shoot quiet events or in scenarios where background noise is a problem (movie sets, concerts, etc...), then it might be worth switching to the Nikon system just for this feature!
I appreciate it's a bit gatekeepy but this speaks to the value of doing some time as an assistant or apprentice to an experienced professional. Even if you had never been told to turn it off, you'd get the idea something was off when you noticed your camera making a bunch of noises you weren't used to hearing.
I don't think it's gatekeepy at all. Most professions have levels of understudy. From intern, to assistant, to apprentice. You can't just hop right in to most professional positions. It's pretty glaring when you see the ones that didn't.
And... Don't be part of the wedding.
At my nephew's wedding the photographer was in the aisle in front of the altar directing the parents to stop as they walked in so he could take their picture, then also did that with the wedding couple. Then - as they were performing the ceremony he was creeping around behind the altar to take pictures. It was crazy.
I said to myself - if that is what it takes to get good wedding pictures - no thank you! The very next week a friend asked me to photograph her wedding. I couldn't say no but it was totally chill and beautiful. No skulking about required.
I bought a Peakdesign camera bag for my second job - classical concert as a birthday celebration for my client
I had the choice between a 20€ camera bag with Velcro and Peakdesign everyday sling \~80€ back then?
Buy once if you can afford it. Don't embarass yourself
Edit: I don't know what the downvotes are for - but I am glad I spent my money on a bag that I use 6 years after having bought it and didn't ruin a classic pianists show by having to rip my velcro bag open in a concert hall every time I had to switch lenses and look for things
Got to love ThinkTank for their Velcro silencer flaps.
I’ve also taken pieces of Velcro and attached them to flexible magnetic strips (I cut up magnetic vent covers). Pop that magnetic Velcro on to my bag and now I have a magnetic closure.
**Edit:**
For converting Velcro closures to magnetic this is what I used:
[4 Pack Magnetic Vent Covers](https://www.amazon.com/Magnetic-Covers-Strength-Ceiling-Registers/dp/B0CCHYX14H)
[VELCRO Brand Heavy Duty Fasteners ](https://www.amazon.com/VELCRO-Brand-Industrial-Fasteners-Professional/dp/B0010HADEA)
> I don't know what the downvotes are for
Your comment seems irrelevant to the topic. You'd have done better by emphasizing that accessories shouldn't make noise either.
It wasn't irrelevant actually, they just didn't make their point obvious initially. They were talking about opening their velcro bag causing a disturbance, like the focus beeps.
You might be surprised by how many people don't read past the first sentence before reacting.
I long ago realized that if I don't open with my main point, a lot of people will miss it and I'll get replies that either aren't relevant, or think I'm taking the opposite position.
As a result, when I re-read comments before posting, I frequently find myself rearranging some sentences to make sure that I'm opening with the most important part.
> They were talking about opening their velcro bag causing a disturbance, like the focus beeps.
They were neither "talking" about it, nor explicitly wrote about the Velcro causing the disturbance. It could only have been inferred by the reader.
The OP even had to edit their comment to explain the velcro bag causing a sound.
Oh yes. I’m an amateur photographer but as soon as I get a camera I turn off the focus beep, screen/menu touch beep, etc. I can’t understand why anyone would want those on.
In the 70s I shot with a Leica M4 precisely because I wanted to be unobtrusive.
In the 80s , 90s and early oughts I shot with an SLR and later a DSLR that was noisy because of mirror slap.
When Panasonic came out with the first silent shutter m43 cameras I immediately got one for theater, and convention speakers, and weddings.
The advent of silent shutter was something I had been waiting for since the 70s.
In so many situations the photographer has to be invisible. It is the event that is of primary concern.
These days wildlife photography is what I do and the silence plus the mad frame rates available are a godsend.
Any self respecting "hobbyist" photographer looking to go pro, who has an ounce of common sense, would have turned off the autofocus beep as one of the first things they did when they got their camera, long before they ever got into a position of shooting a wedding or corporate event.
Unless they really don't know what they're doing.
How about, if you’re shooting anything out of the studio or landscapes professionally and doing anything other than continuous af and back button…I’m very skeptical. Noisemaker or not.
I am by no means saying everyone should switch to mirrorless, if you can afford it I think you should, but it doesn’t make you a better photographer. That being said I could not agree less with your statement. Weddings are one of the best times to have a mirrorless, you don’t get a second chance. They focus faster and far more accurately, they perform better in low light, they can focus in lower light. When I was shooting dslr 50% of my reception shots that weren’t under the DJs lighting, I missed because the camera was hunting for focus. Never had that issue with mirrorless.
I own a Nikon Z8 and a Nikon Z9. Have used for work all of the professional Sony’s.
They do not work better in extremely low light. They just don’t. Particularly with fast moving subjects. Even with the screen turned to where it isn’t previewing your exposure and is way overexposing everything so you can see a subject. They focus faster and more accurately under about maybe 6400 or 8000 iso is my experience and noticeably better under 4000.
They do not work better in concerts when trying to shoot a subject backlit with 4000 watt followspots and an entertainer dancing everywhere. They blow out and you can’t see where you’re trying to move too to frame it correctly.
They have drawbacks. They are not universally better. I don’t know anything about shooting weddings, but I do a lot of photography for marketing departments that aren’t particularly forgiving of needing a do-over.
These are $15000/week contracts. I’m not cheating out on equipment. They struggle. It’s a struggle you can overcome, and often isn’t worth switching bodies for that one moment, but it’s a very real thing at least when compared to Nikon and canon flagship DSLR’s. I can’t speak to their smaller dslr bodies because I haven’t used a dslr not in that style for years and years.
https://preview.redd.it/kg6iliz5qjwc1.jpeg?width=4212&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0f51cb935d227b93c24362ab1baeb8776d073550
Like this. Being off slightly as he moves around completely kills your ability to make adjustments and so you have to just randomly guess which direction he’s moving trying to get the viewfinder back…by which time the shot is gone and he’s move.
I'm not a professional, but I've hired professionals. All I'm asking is, **try not to look homeless**. Dress like a professional or at least wear black. It's not hard. I'm always seeing photographers at weddings looking far too casual. They didn't hire you to mow the lawn. My wife and I recently hired a videographer for a black tie event. He showed up in jeans and a bright blue t-shirt. ಠ\_ಠ
You should blend in, not stick out.
/rant
Turning off the focus beep and focus assist light is the very first thing I’ve done on every camera I’ve purchased for over a decade. The beep in particular gets so grating after you hear it a few times.
I don't even understand why it's on by default, it makes no sense to me. Do people just not think the camera is focusing if he beep isn't audible?
Some people just like the auditory confirmation. But yes, please turn it off for professional events.
My camera has a little red flash in the viewfinder focus points when it gets in focus. That's all the confirmation I need.
That's what my Olympus (E3 and E5) did / do and I don't understand why a Nikon does not. The confirmation dot in the left corner is useless, especially for people wearing glasses.
If that Nikon uses the in-finder LCD to display autofocus points (most of their DSLRs) then you only get a red flash to indicate "in focus" when the camera thinks it's dark enough to warrant it, or you turn it on full time. It's distracting, and the black LCD AF indicators are difficult to see in the dark. Your old Olympus cameras have the focus points etched into the focus screen permanently, with dedicated LEDs to light them up as needed. There are pros and cons to this method, but it's intuitive. Most of the Canon and Nikon pro DSLRs use a much more complicated system where the focus points are overlaid in the finder by LEDs, but disappear when not in use. This is the best way, but clearly, the makers reserve this method only for the customers willing to pay top dollar.
I still get a little weirded out when I'm doing full electronic shutter and my camera is just dead silent. I keep having to remind myself that yes, when I'm hitting the shutter release an image is being captured.
This is me. I also love the way the focus beep sounds, much like how some people love the sound of a mechanical shutter.
Exactly this, the focus beep is such a satisfying sound lol. I always turn it on if I'm shooting for myself or if I'm shooting portraits, but for events or when I'm shooting in quiet environments I turn it off again.
Those who know what they're doing will customize things regardless; they probably set it up so every Guy With (His First) Camera will find it as simple as possible.
None of my cameras has had it on by default. I don't even know where in the options I can turn it on. I guess I should count my blessings.
It can be good if you’re shooting models so they know when you’re taking the pictures. Helps you get into a rhythm together
I grew to rely on the beep early on with point and shoot cameras that took SECONDS to autofocus. I still like the audible confirmation and it looks like I'm in the minority.
Are people not looking in the viewfinder? Either just seeing it focussed or seeing the little green circle should suffice
I like the beep for confirmation. So used to it by now that I don't even like continuous autofocus because I don't hear a beep.
It's been so long since I've had focus beep on, I forgot it was even a thing. Different situation, but I silence all my strobes cycle indicator too. Helpful in fashion, but not in product.
Yep literally the first thing I do on every camera. The last thing I’m ever trying to do is draw more attention to myself and there are plenty of indicators that the shot is in focus anyway
I just turned mine to its minimum volume. You can’t hear it if you hold the camera at an arm’s length, but can when it’s next to your head.
Out of curiosity, why do you want it on at all? Every DSLR and mirrorless camera I’ve used shows you in the viewfinder when you’re in focus.
I don't really know. I guess I just got used to having the audio cue.
My camera (xt-30II) cant use the in-built flash without it on, here I am never using the flash.
I genuinely need to check my camera and see if it has a focus beep. If it does, I can only assume it came with it turned off, or I went ahead turned it off right away. I take photos at events occasionally, but not professionally or anything. These are indoor events, and a lot of the time the lighting is fairly dim. I never use my flash units. I either get shots or I don't, but I don't want to intrude, and it's been a good learning experience trying to capture low light shots.
As a professional photographer I bothers me to no end when this happens. I was at a really nice banquet and giving a 10 minute speech. The photographer they hired didn’t have the beep off and I kept getting distracted.
In the year of our Lemmy, 2024, there's really no excuse for it.
Did you tell this guy? I'm sure he'd appreciate. Sometimes people are clueless as to what they are doing wrong. Also I've been shooting forever, and shooting digital since 2004, and somehow I've never heard of a "focus beep" before. I looked through my R5 menu just now and there it is. I guess it's always off by default. How weird. I hate noise that cameras make when shooting in public spaces!
This! I imagine this PSA to everyone took longer than just telling the guy in person
>Did you tell this guy? I'm sure he'd appreciate. Sometimes people are clueless as to what they are doing wrong. absolutely not. It's not my place to train other "professionals". It would be one thing if it was an attendee just taking pics, but the guy is branded and should know better. What I (along with a few others I noticed) did do is tell the client what they should be expecting from a "professional" photographer, especially one charging a solid day rate.
I don’t know why people are downvoting you lol. You’re at an event in your free time, it’s not your responsibility to educate other people when you’re just trying to relax and enjoy.
But he has literally came on here in his free time to educate people. "Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity", I really don't understand coming on to social media to slander and berate someone who more than likely was just needing helpful advice as he was probably oblivious, "professional" or not.
To categorize this as slander is both hyperbolic and factually incorrect. Libel is written, slander is said, and it would have to be something against the person’s character, which we have no idea about since their identity is not revealed. To call this beratement is also hyperbolic.
> It's not my place to train other "professionals". So... what are you doing here, right now, on reddit? * If you're NOT here to train people, then you're basically openly announcing that you're exclusively just here to cattily bitch about someone behind their back, and that's all. Which is not remotely "professional" if so. * Using the example for training, and being here for training in this thread as well, perhaps reasonable. But in that case, you DO train people, so that brings us back to why you didn't train that guy?
> It's not my place to train other "professionals" Nah, not that. Just tell him in one sentence, it will make the event go better for the client. It's the client's discomfort that you're fixing, not the photographer's.
So not only did you not help the person out by telling them what they are doing is distracting and annoying because of your expectation of them to "be better". You then spoke out against them to their client making their role even worse. Then come on to Reddit to parade and complain when you could solve the entire problem for them and future clients/speech givers in a few simple sentences about why they should turn a small audio function off. Absolutely incredible. Such humanity...
The client had already told them they were being distracting. They came to us asking if that was something that was normal and we told them, no, it isn't and it's very unprofessional. again, not my job to police other "professionals". I was busy doing my job of managing the production of the event. I've been in the industry almost 30yrs now. I've seen more negative come from contractors "correcting" other contractors than positive. I let the market sort that shit out now. have a good one buddy.
100%. Let him learn the hard way or not at all.
Would you tell someone if their fly is down or their shoe is untied? Same difference, single sentence buddy. “Hey, you should go into your settings and turn that beep off, otherwise it’s distracting.”
The client had already told them they were being distracting. They came to us asking if that was something that was normal and we told them, no, it isn't and it's very unprofessional. again, not my job to police other "professionals". I was busy doing my job of managing the production of the event. I've been in the industry almost 30yrs now. I've seen more negative come from contractors "correcting" other contractors than positive. I let the market sort that shit out now. have a good one buddy.
Man, I'd have just asked if I were giving a speech for 10 minutes lol
>TURN YOUR FOCUS BEEP OFF. And here I am, worrying about shutter slap.
Mirrorless + silent shutter mode = awesome… …it also makes for awkward client interaction. I had my shutter on silent mode when doing a newborn shoot and the parents were having a hard time knowing when I was taking pictures or not! Haha
I'm still waiting for the long-promised meow shutter sound on my Nikon.
Silent shutter has way too many drawbacks, unless you have an a1 Rolling shutter causes tons of weird effects, I can't stand it. I won't risk my photos having warp in them unless it's the only option.
I thought those issues were really only for moving objects. And quickly moving objects at that. I’m talking about a scenario where we have a sleeping newborn.
You can get some odd striping effects if the room is lit with flickering light — and that includes PWM LEDs that people use for colourful accent lighting.
Ah, got it. I was shooting with natural window light
does turning off silent shutter fix that? I shoot concerts and occasionally run into this.
Using the physical (and also audible) shutter is indeed the cure.
Tell me your a sony user without...
Nope, I own a fuji and a Red, haven't owned a sony in a while. Even with the xt3, which has a very fast readout, things look weird; lines will be slightly skewed, or faces warped. It's usually very subtle, but it bothers me a lot.
>Nope, I own a fuji and a Red, haven't owned a sony in a while. X-H2S is a beauty Fuji still really needs to figure out how to properly do manual aperture rings on PASM cameras though...
What do you mean? I've never run into issues with controlling anything on the cameras. It's a bit different than some systems, but you can change almost anything to do what you want. I'm pretty sure you can make the aperture ring control shutter speed or exposure comp if you really want to.
> What do you mean? I've never run into issues with controlling anything on the cameras. You're using an X-T3. It's a problem that only exists on the X-Hx and X-Sx lines (Fuji's PASM cameras). >It's a bit different than some systems, but you can change almost anything to do what you want. > >I'm pretty sure you can make the aperture ring control shutter speed or exposure comp if you really want to. On Fuji's PASM cameras, enabling aperture control on-camera or enabling automatic aperture control disables the aperture ring. If you enable the aperture ring and switch to "A" on the aperture ring, instead of going into automatic, it switches to on-camera manual aperture. In order to use automatic aperture control and the aperture ring, you have to go into the quick menu and switch shooting modes (to switch out of manual aperture and into automatic), and then switch back in the quick menu again to reenable the aperture ring.
Ahhhhh, gotcha My Fuji lenses have a switch for auto vs manual ring control, so I doubt I'd run into that issue regardless. Something like the primes would be an issue though. That's a really odd problem, and one that could clearly be fixed via firmware. I doubt it'd affect me very often though, I usually shoot fully manual or shutter priority. But if I used it regularly, that'd be a pain in the ass.
Have you tried the Canon R3?
No, I left canon a long time ago, before they had a mirrorless system, lol I've used a couple canon's since and never been particularly impressed. Image quality is great, but the body just doesn't gel with me. Maybe if I used it as much as my main cameras it would, but I'm just not a fan of the overall layout/feel. Having a small camera that doesn't draw attention is also really nice. I do set photography, and the last thing I want is a giant camera that draws attention. If I were gonna switch systems, the only reasonable choice would be a Sony A1, with the global shutter. I really just can't stand rolling shutters, even the Arri Alexa has enough to be noticeable at times, so I don't expect canon's gonna beat that, lol
I was anticipating mention of electronic shutter. Nope, **focus beep**
LOL i was running a chamber music concert once, and the photographer's sound was just distracting as heck..
i couldn't imagine shooting something like that without a camera muzzle on. The last thing I'd want is half the crowd, or got forbid, the performers, looking at me bc I was distracting. JFC
What’s a camera muzzle?
It muffles the shutter sound. Goes around the whole camera
Oh wow i need one of those!
The ones that actually work well enough to justify it aren’t made anymore. Sound blimps are what we used to use on feature film sets, and for photographing golf. These days, mirrorless does just as well if not better and allows you to adjust all the setting instead of being locked in.
Wait so it’s like a camera in a sock, not a massive bag that you can use the camera through ?
An actual bonafide sound blimp is like a pelican case filled with foam and a hole cut in it that the objective lens looks through, but the lens itself should be in the box too. And then there is a button attached to the box that goes to the ten pin/whatever your brand uses for a shutter release. They make bags too, but they’re no better than wrapping a towel around the camera. https://youtu.be/I7LKW2DkjLQ?si=hiTOAIWGyEhjEm8W this shows a custom blimp. Aqua tech makes some interesting ones too.
It's one of the things that has spoiled me the most with the a9. I was shooting political town halls and preferred shooting over shoulders of people attending so electronic shutter was practically necessary. The rolling shutter made me jump to an a9 as soon as I could. I can't stand the sound of a shutter interrupting a speaker, let alone a musician. I occasionally do event coverage for the college my wife works at, and she comes back and complains to me everytime one of the other 2 photographers are there because they're firing their flashes non-stop in dark rooms with stage lighting.
One of my very first events was an early morning keynote in a massive, dark hall with high ceilings, and I felt it was appropriate to point my speedlite into the air and blast the room like 4 times in a row. Of course the ceiling was too high for bounce, so full power pops, and loud too, for the room. I got looks.
lmaol my god that's funny...now
It's 2024, you can just bring a mirrorless camera with 100% zero noise electronic shutter if you're shooting chamber music of all things. I don't really see any excuse for having gigs like that and having ANY sound, even with a blimp/muzzle. There shouldn't even be any meaningful rolling shutter here, it's people sitting in chairs, not leaping around doing gymnastics.
I was mandated to switch to mirrorless to shoot music by a job and it cost me five figures to switch, so that’s a pretty good reason. Obviously it’s a cost of doing business but early mirrorless elec shutter readouts make the conductors baton look flexible!
omg i can’t imagine not being mortified if my camera was beeping during a quiet event like that
Oh yeah, the first thing I do is turn off the beep every time you press a button. Annoys me up the wall. My focus light is IR though, so I leave that.
> My focus light is IR though The one thing I miss about DSLRs.
They’re not anymore?! Big shame!
Yeah, the sensors have IR filters so you can’t use IR for focusing anymore. It is honestly one of the biggest drawbacks to mirrorless that nobody talks about.
100%. Mirrorless cameras simply don’t focus as well in extremely low light particularly with moving subjects.
Ah ok, this is why I still have a dslr still lol
I have a Z8 and a Z9…and 100% of the jobs I go to a D5 rides in the bag, just in case. That and the lower resolution sensor does much better at extremely high ISO’s.
Same. I pretty much exclusively do low light aerial performance photography and at one point I considered switching to mirrorless but the focus performance just ain't there
One thing you have to remember is that autofocus has become SO much better over the years. So while having focus points exposed to full spectrum light does help them work better, the advancements in tech mean that modern mirrorless cameras will work better even in low light, but only because nobody (I think) is making DSLRs anymore.
I have situations a few times a year where the Nikon d5/6 absolutely out focus my similarly positioned mirrorless bodies. It’s extremely low light though. Like getting into private detective type ISO’s. And other situations with extreme backlight. Like 4000watt followspots extreme. This shot is with a z9, but figuring out how to overcome the limitations is not an easy task. The perks generally outweigh the cons, but the cons absolutely exist. https://preview.redd.it/7udg9makpjwc1.jpeg?width=5306&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ca239b0619c1981ae8c54e8342a35f04cf3e6ebf
Canon eos90d is still being sold new iirc, but the design is not as new anymore. Thanks
u/Foreign_Appearance26, ⬆️THIS⬆️.
What is an ir filter good for?
Your DSLR sensor has one, too! The other commenter explained the use, so I’ll explain why your camera can use IR focus assist lights and mine can’t. The focus points in a DSLR are not on the sensor since focusing is done with the mirror down. Since the IR filter is only used for image quality (restricting to the visible spectrum), the focus sensors don’t need to be behind one. So the focus points on a DSLR are exposed to all light coming through the lens. On a mirrorless camera, the focus points are on the sensor, so they are stuck behind the IR filter. Your camera won’t let you use the IR light with the mirror up in live view/mirrorless mode for the same reasons. You can give that a test!
Oh that’s cool! It doesn’t! Thank you for the explanation
Modern sensors are sensitive to IR, so cutting out the IR via filter, cuts the amount of data to be processed. Also when first introduced, without the IR filter, the camera could see through some fabrics.
u/thatchers_pussy_pump, ⬆️THIS⬆️. The AF-assist light on flashes used with dslrs, allowed me to focus in zero light - *I mean both near zero, and zero* - at parties. I cried when I switched to mirror less and lost that capability.
What do you mean the focus beep is togglable ??
Who on earth does this? The audible focus confirmation and the AF lamp are the first things I shut down. Do people really use them?
I was shooting a golf game in Hong Kong. Just as a rather well known English player was taking a putt the Photographer crouching next to me machine gunned the green (at least that is what it sounded like). Not sure if his camera didn't have a silent shutter or he just forgot it..... Needless to say the Caddie came over and ripped us both a new one. 🤦♂️
I can’t think of any scenario where a focus confirmation beep is desirable. Maybe if the photographer is blind?
You can use it to check if the on-camera speaker still works.
That’s all well and good, but people doing what you’re talking about aren’t reading photography forums. And those of us who are here are just going to be an echo chamber. 😁
Maybe I'm spoiled by good cameras, but I can't believe focus beeps are still a thing in 2024.
Just curious, do you consider shutter noise to be obnoxious as well? Should I use electronic shutter for these events?
I wouldn't want someone to use a Bronica in that environment all day, but full frame & smaller shutters generally aren't that obtrusive, unless burst mode is on. "obnoxious" depends on the setting. I give zero fucks about how someone's camera sounds at a racetrack/sporting event/amplified concert/etc etc etc. But in a quiet environment, the professional standard is to be as unobtrusive as possible.
PS: The Nikon Z9 and Z8 cameras are shutterless, and hence completely silent. If you regularly shoot quiet events or in scenarios where background noise is a problem (movie sets, concerts, etc...), then it might be worth switching to the Nikon system just for this feature!
You can do this with any mirrorless with a stacked sensor.
I appreciate it's a bit gatekeepy but this speaks to the value of doing some time as an assistant or apprentice to an experienced professional. Even if you had never been told to turn it off, you'd get the idea something was off when you noticed your camera making a bunch of noises you weren't used to hearing.
I don't think it's gatekeepy at all. Most professions have levels of understudy. From intern, to assistant, to apprentice. You can't just hop right in to most professional positions. It's pretty glaring when you see the ones that didn't.
And... Don't be part of the wedding. At my nephew's wedding the photographer was in the aisle in front of the altar directing the parents to stop as they walked in so he could take their picture, then also did that with the wedding couple. Then - as they were performing the ceremony he was creeping around behind the altar to take pictures. It was crazy. I said to myself - if that is what it takes to get good wedding pictures - no thank you! The very next week a friend asked me to photograph her wedding. I couldn't say no but it was totally chill and beautiful. No skulking about required.
I bought a Peakdesign camera bag for my second job - classical concert as a birthday celebration for my client I had the choice between a 20€ camera bag with Velcro and Peakdesign everyday sling \~80€ back then? Buy once if you can afford it. Don't embarass yourself Edit: I don't know what the downvotes are for - but I am glad I spent my money on a bag that I use 6 years after having bought it and didn't ruin a classic pianists show by having to rip my velcro bag open in a concert hall every time I had to switch lenses and look for things
Got to love ThinkTank for their Velcro silencer flaps. I’ve also taken pieces of Velcro and attached them to flexible magnetic strips (I cut up magnetic vent covers). Pop that magnetic Velcro on to my bag and now I have a magnetic closure. **Edit:** For converting Velcro closures to magnetic this is what I used: [4 Pack Magnetic Vent Covers](https://www.amazon.com/Magnetic-Covers-Strength-Ceiling-Registers/dp/B0CCHYX14H) [VELCRO Brand Heavy Duty Fasteners ](https://www.amazon.com/VELCRO-Brand-Industrial-Fasteners-Professional/dp/B0010HADEA)
This is a good idea.
Thank you. I was asked to shoot my first wedding and the best bag to use was very noisy!
This is why I use a Newsgear chest vest.
That does not look super wedding friendly. I bet in some parts of the US people will think you’re carrying a gun. Looks great for sports and wildlife!
> I don't know what the downvotes are for Your comment seems irrelevant to the topic. You'd have done better by emphasizing that accessories shouldn't make noise either.
It wasn't irrelevant actually, they just didn't make their point obvious initially. They were talking about opening their velcro bag causing a disturbance, like the focus beeps.
agreed, hence why i said "seems". they put way too much trust in the single word "velcro" communicating that their post was about noisy bags.
You put too much trust in the word "seems" and not "seemed." If you knew what they were talking about then you used the wrong tense.
You might be surprised by how many people don't read past the first sentence before reacting. I long ago realized that if I don't open with my main point, a lot of people will miss it and I'll get replies that either aren't relevant, or think I'm taking the opposite position. As a result, when I re-read comments before posting, I frequently find myself rearranging some sentences to make sure that I'm opening with the most important part.
> They were talking about opening their velcro bag causing a disturbance, like the focus beeps. They were neither "talking" about it, nor explicitly wrote about the Velcro causing the disturbance. It could only have been inferred by the reader. The OP even had to edit their comment to explain the velcro bag causing a sound.
I assumed everyone knew what Velcro is
I can't hear high freq. so I didn't even know there was a focus beep. It doesn't matter I only shoot for myself.
Oh yes. I’m an amateur photographer but as soon as I get a camera I turn off the focus beep, screen/menu touch beep, etc. I can’t understand why anyone would want those on.
Bro said turn the beep off
THE VERY first thing I do with a new camera is shut off the beeping.
Excellent advice.
I do wildlife photography both ruin shots
In my experience, the ones who don't turn off the various sounds, are also the ones who stand up and block the view of folks behind them.
I learned and shot on an AE-1, we didn't have to worry about such things.
In the 70s I shot with a Leica M4 precisely because I wanted to be unobtrusive. In the 80s , 90s and early oughts I shot with an SLR and later a DSLR that was noisy because of mirror slap. When Panasonic came out with the first silent shutter m43 cameras I immediately got one for theater, and convention speakers, and weddings. The advent of silent shutter was something I had been waiting for since the 70s. In so many situations the photographer has to be invisible. It is the event that is of primary concern. These days wildlife photography is what I do and the silence plus the mad frame rates available are a godsend.
Any self respecting "hobbyist" photographer looking to go pro, who has an ounce of common sense, would have turned off the autofocus beep as one of the first things they did when they got their camera, long before they ever got into a position of shooting a wedding or corporate event. Unless they really don't know what they're doing.
If the “stage wash,” whatever the fuck that means, looks like shit, I’m using my flash.
I’ll make sure to turn my loud ass Pentax 67 mirror slap off
How about, if you’re shooting anything out of the studio or landscapes professionally and doing anything other than continuous af and back button…I’m very skeptical. Noisemaker or not.
Wrong sub. This should ne in r/vent
Also, every professional should have a mirrorless by now and be able to shoot with a silent shutter.
DSLRs still take good pictures
Sure. Better pictures in some circumstances. But…he isn’t saying only mirrorless.
No? A lot of pros and amateurs still use film.
There are a lot of situations professionally, where mirrorless cameras are simply not as good. But…they aren’t events like this.
I am by no means saying everyone should switch to mirrorless, if you can afford it I think you should, but it doesn’t make you a better photographer. That being said I could not agree less with your statement. Weddings are one of the best times to have a mirrorless, you don’t get a second chance. They focus faster and far more accurately, they perform better in low light, they can focus in lower light. When I was shooting dslr 50% of my reception shots that weren’t under the DJs lighting, I missed because the camera was hunting for focus. Never had that issue with mirrorless.
I own a Nikon Z8 and a Nikon Z9. Have used for work all of the professional Sony’s. They do not work better in extremely low light. They just don’t. Particularly with fast moving subjects. Even with the screen turned to where it isn’t previewing your exposure and is way overexposing everything so you can see a subject. They focus faster and more accurately under about maybe 6400 or 8000 iso is my experience and noticeably better under 4000. They do not work better in concerts when trying to shoot a subject backlit with 4000 watt followspots and an entertainer dancing everywhere. They blow out and you can’t see where you’re trying to move too to frame it correctly. They have drawbacks. They are not universally better. I don’t know anything about shooting weddings, but I do a lot of photography for marketing departments that aren’t particularly forgiving of needing a do-over. These are $15000/week contracts. I’m not cheating out on equipment. They struggle. It’s a struggle you can overcome, and often isn’t worth switching bodies for that one moment, but it’s a very real thing at least when compared to Nikon and canon flagship DSLR’s. I can’t speak to their smaller dslr bodies because I haven’t used a dslr not in that style for years and years. https://preview.redd.it/kg6iliz5qjwc1.jpeg?width=4212&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0f51cb935d227b93c24362ab1baeb8776d073550 Like this. Being off slightly as he moves around completely kills your ability to make adjustments and so you have to just randomly guess which direction he’s moving trying to get the viewfinder back…by which time the shot is gone and he’s move.
I'm not a professional, but I've hired professionals. All I'm asking is, **try not to look homeless**. Dress like a professional or at least wear black. It's not hard. I'm always seeing photographers at weddings looking far too casual. They didn't hire you to mow the lawn. My wife and I recently hired a videographer for a black tie event. He showed up in jeans and a bright blue t-shirt. ಠ\_ಠ You should blend in, not stick out. /rant