Author Topic: noise and weight euphamisms (Read 13410 times)

jharr · « **on:** March 12, 2015, 09:45:41 PM »

Having recently requested feedback on a MF SLR decision that was 'weighing' on my mind, I found it humorous how people describe the mirror slap and/or the weight of different cameras. I thought it might be fun to collect some of them here. So post 'em if you got 'em.

Francois: The Pentax has a mirror slap that can be measured on the Richter scale.
BAC1967: I have a Mamiya C3, it's a great camera but it weighs about the same as a brick.
charles binns: I also have a Kiev 60 which is another great camera, though it is anything but light and compact and the mirror slap is like a right hook from Ali.
mcduff: a p67 sounds like a howitzer's breech opening and closing!!
Skorj: A Canonet it ain't...
blogger: With my Bronica S2a, the noise is more like that of a car bonnet (hood) being closed by dropping it.
blogger: It sounds like a jack in the box popping open when you release the shutter.
blogger: The mirror would serve as a passive echo-locator in an emergency, as its slap could be heard all the way to the horizon, and beyond.

zapsnaps · « **Reply #1 on:** March 12, 2015, 10:20:00 PM »

Koni Omega Rapid - winding it on sounds like cocking a pump-action shotgun's action (and has a similar push-in, pop-out mechanism)
Leica M6 - as silent as a nun's contented sigh

Indofunk · « **Reply #2 on:** March 12, 2015, 11:03:10 PM »

Nominated for best thread of 2015

6cmsquare · « **Reply #3 on:** March 13, 2015, 12:13:08 AM »

All of those descriptions are exactly why I LOVE film cameras! I prefer my film winder to sound like the rigging pulley on a sail boat, and my shutter snap to sound like a bolt action riffle.... It's both auditory and tactile, add that to calculating exposure times and F-stops, and you got all the things I love about the film process.

mcduff · « **Reply #4 on:** March 13, 2015, 12:51:23 AM »

Satish I agree with your nomination and not merely because I was quoted! And you are right James, there is a lot of love in these ridiculous descriptions.

Rafael Morales · « **Reply #5 on:** March 13, 2015, 01:30:14 AM »

'The shutter sound of the Argus C3 is like a robot being decapitated'. I wish i could find the source.

jharr · « **Reply #6 on:** March 13, 2015, 01:50:12 AM »

Quote from: Rafael Morales on March 13, 2015, 01:30:14 AM

'The shutter sound of the Argus C3 is like a robot being decapitated'. I wish i could find the source.

Oh how I wish there were a " Like " button!

When I had my Miranda I thought the shutter sounded like the opening of a cash register. Sort of a kerchunk-DING!

jojonas~ · « **Reply #7 on:** March 13, 2015, 08:39:44 AM »

gotta love the softly dragging sound of 1/15 on a kiev rangefinder. like a drunkard dragging his feet breathing in before shouting: "more водка"!

zapsnaps · « **Reply #8 on:** March 13, 2015, 09:16:07 AM »

Leica R8 shutter: German engineering at its best. Like the clunk of the door on a Mercedes. It's just... right.

Polaroid instant cameras (all of them): wurr, splutter and spew out their contents like a gasping coffee machine

Late Developer · « **Reply #9 on:** March 13, 2015, 09:58:55 AM »

I bought a Hasselblad 500c years ago which worked okay but had an incredibly noisy shutter and wind-on mechanism. The guy who sold it to me described it as resembling "someone wearing calipers falling down a flight of stairs". Not the politically correct description I've ever heard but I could definitely see what he meant....

A few years ago I owned a Canon A1 which had a winder attached. I had to get rid of it as when winding on, it had the most irritating, high-pitched screech. I used to describe it as sounding like Joe Pasquale on helium. Good camera otherwise.

mcduff · « **Reply #10 on:** March 13, 2015, 12:07:02 PM »

LD, that is a horrid and cruel image and also one the almost made me spew my tea out (in the rolling on the floor laughing manner). It is funny to think of such a racket coming out of such a refined Swiss device.

I also think it is funny that it sounds like you bought it

Being in love is when things that should cause you to run away become insanely endearing!

Ezzie · « **Reply #11 on:** March 13, 2015, 12:23:40 PM »

My Kowa Super 66 goes Kaaaawhump - click!

mindori · « **Reply #12 on:** March 13, 2015, 12:38:28 PM »

My Olympus XA makes a tiny click that says "wonderful, another picture of my hand."

Francois · « **Reply #13 on:** March 13, 2015, 01:17:22 PM »

One of my favorites is the small yashica me1 rangefinder, the shutter is one of those soft clunks that is strangely heartwarming. Its sound is closer to a refrigerator door closing than precise clockwork.

Indofunk · « **Reply #14 on:** March 13, 2015, 02:25:00 PM »

Quote from: mindori on March 13, 2015, 12:38:28 PM

My Olympus XA makes a tiny click that says "wonderful, another picture of my hand."

mcduff · « **Reply #15 on:** March 13, 2015, 02:27:27 PM »

Eirik, that sound your Kowa makes is just adding to all the good things that folks around here seem to be saying about that camera lately (it got a few mentions in the "what mf camera should I buy" thread). That sounds like my kind of camera!

On the other hand, yes mindori, the XA is incredibly understated, especially since most of my cameras make quite a racket. I remember the first time I used it and my reaction was "thats it??" -- especially since you just have to breath on the shutter button to fire it.

I was using my M645 yesterday, and I love the feeling and the sound of cranking the winder to the first shot. For some reason it feels like I am charging one of those hand-cranked "field telephones" thats always used to be in war movies to 'call in the air support.'

Yes, almost all my analogies of gear relates to military equipment. For a lefty pacifist (although a 'snarky' one) I know/think more about military technology than the average schmo

Indofunk · « **Reply #16 on:** March 13, 2015, 02:43:03 PM »

Regarding the XA's "only needs the breath of an angel to fire it" problem, I strongly recommend that you take it to the Lower East Side, drop it on the pavement so that its various parts go flying around the street, then in gathering the remains make sure to LOSE the shutter button entirely. At this point, you should bring it to a completely unqualified technician in Forest Hills, Queens, who will proceed to ignore all your phone calls for the next 3 months and finally return it to you with a lopsided hacked cover from another XA, and a still-malfunctioning meter needle. After parting with a sum of money that a prince would pay to have his castle renovated, you'll notice that the poor job that the technician did of installing the new shutter button actually returns the action to the "squeeze it till it begs for mercy" levels of normal cameras.

jharr · « **Reply #17 on:** March 13, 2015, 02:43:16 PM »

Let us not forget the Yashica Electro 35 which if it doesn't sound like a bouncer at a shady bar downtown cracking his knuckles just moments before he "shows you the door" and escorts your girlfriend back inside, it's broken.

zapsnaps · « **Reply #18 on:** March 13, 2015, 03:25:23 PM »

Blad 500 cm: 'Thwack' and everybody in the studio knows the shot's been taken. And neighbours in the next room, too. But it is a consistent and quite comforting thwack. It means business. And sounds so much better than a digital beep.

Photo_Utopia · « **Reply #19 on:** March 13, 2015, 03:42:06 PM »

The sound of the Rolleiflex shutter is like the sound of a ladies nylon stocking being removed

ssschhic....

I'll get my coat...

Late Developer · « **Reply #20 on:** March 13, 2015, 03:46:30 PM »

Quote from: Photo_Utopia on March 13, 2015, 03:42:06 PM

The sound of the Rolleiflex shutter is like the sound of a ladies nylon stocking being removed

ssschhic....

I'll get my coat...

That, young man, is too much information for a Friday afternoon.....

Adam Doe · « **Reply #21 on:** March 13, 2015, 06:04:18 PM »

Quote from: zapsnaps on March 12, 2015, 10:20:00 PM

Koni Omega Rapid - winding it on sounds like cocking a pump-action shotgun's action (and has a similar push-in, pop-out mechanism)

Ha! True! The first time I wound mine was at a photo group meetup and all the heads at the table turned to face me very quickly.

Francois · « **Reply #22 on:** March 13, 2015, 08:01:53 PM »

Then, there's my Nikon FE with the MD10 motor drive. This one's like a time machine and just hearing it makes you break into song singing J. Geils Band's Freeze Frame.
Also, when fully loaded, the camera is so heavy that the strap makes a permanent kink in your neck.

charles binns · « **Reply #23 on:** March 13, 2015, 08:05:36 PM »

Then there's the Diana's shutter which sounds like a grandmother stabbing a metal table with her knitting needle.

Or there's my Kiev 60 - built like a tank and probably capable of invading a small country.

Ed Wenn · « **Reply #24 on:** March 13, 2015, 08:31:18 PM »

Of Topic But On Message:

Nomination for thread of the year. Seconded.
Spelling of the word "shmoe"
Can we mash up descriptions from different posts in the thread? I'd go for something involving a nun's stockings

Carry on.

jharr · « **Reply #25 on:** March 13, 2015, 08:38:05 PM »

By way of making excuses for the Bronica S2a mirror slap which is known to cause children to weep and induce seizures in small animals...

-- Mirror slides DOWN so it's lying on the floor of the camera, facing shiny-side-up! You'll notice that all four corners of the mirror have roller-tipped arms on them; these move in curved slots in body sides to guide the mirror in the proper path. The mirror is yanked down by a fabric ribbon cemented to its back; at firing, this ribbon rolls up around a roller running crossways in the bottom of the camera.

-- Having shiny mirror facing up in the bottom of the camera would cause crazy reflections, no? So, a metal flap, hinged at its bottom edge and lying just in front of the shutter curtains, lies down on top of the mirror to block it. There's no separate linkage to control this flap -- it's just lightly spring-loaded and normally is pressed back by the top edge of the main mirror; when the mirror lies down, the spring-loading flips down the flap on top of it.

-- Now the only problem is the focusing screen above the camera throat. On most SLRs, the mirror flips up and covers this; with a down-sliding mirror, it's wide open to let light fog your film. So, there's a little fabric 'window shade' on a roller running crossways at the TOP front edge of the mirror box; when the mirror lies down, two cords attached to its upper corners and running around pulleys unroll this 'window shade' so it covers the finder opening. After exposure, as the mirror slides back up, the curtain winds back up on its spring-loaded roller.

That's some pretty freakin' amazing engineering if you ask me. So many points of failure, but they just keep going.

Bryan · « **Reply #26 on:** March 13, 2015, 08:55:39 PM »

James, It sounds like Rube Goldberg designed that camera.

mcduff · « **Reply #27 on:** March 13, 2015, 09:20:35 PM »

Quote from: Ed Wenn on March 13, 2015, 08:31:18 PM

Of Topic But On Message:
I'd go for something involving a nun's stockings [/li][/list]

Ed, if I say this to my wife and I get walloped, I will blame you.

Francois · « **Reply #28 on:** March 13, 2015, 09:32:04 PM »

Ouch! But as long as she's not holding a Mamiya press, you should be OK

Just imagine the front page of the paper: Man dies after being hit with camera...

Sandeha Lynch · « **Reply #29 on:** March 13, 2015, 09:37:51 PM »

Nobody yet mentioned the classic description of the Yashica 124G winder - the coffee grinder.

mcduff · « **Reply #30 on:** March 13, 2015, 09:41:09 PM »

Quote from: Francois on March 13, 2015, 09:32:04 PM

Ouch! But as long as she's not holding a Mamiya press, you should be OK

Just imagine the front page of the paper: Man dies after being hit with camera...

There is a Pentax 67 at home -- it does not have the wooden handle so I think it is a bit less lethal.

jharr · « **Reply #31 on:** March 13, 2015, 09:49:04 PM »

Quote from: mcduff on March 13, 2015, 09:41:09 PM

Quote from: Francois on March 13, 2015, 09:32:04 PM
Ouch! But as long as she's not holding a Mamiya press, you should be OK

Just imagine the front page of the paper: Man dies after being hit with camera...

There is a Pentax 67 at home -- it does not have the wooden handle so I think it is a bit less lethal.

blogger: "The Pentax 67 is my dream bar fight camera."

Cadha13 · « **Reply #32 on:** March 15, 2015, 05:29:08 AM »

My Polaroid Auto 100 goes "click-CLAK" and the flashbulb goes "bzzz"! I then "shoop" "CHUCK" the film out.

A Minolta SRT is loud noise that says, "Excuse ME!"

The Minolta XD11 is a neat "click-chunk"

The Polaroid SX-70 Alpha 1 Model 2, "click click, THUNK, click, WHIRRR, clunk." Perfect.

Kayos · « **Reply #33 on:** March 15, 2015, 01:15:33 PM »

My EOS 3 is described as "famously loud" however when mounted to the Tair sniper lens it sounds just like a rifle being loaded, cocked and then fired, enough to cause people to look round and also every shot I tried taking of birds ending up as the back end of a bird flying off

John Robison · « **Reply #34 on:** March 15, 2015, 08:29:43 PM »

Fun thread. Been away for a week so I missed this one.
For my contribution; My OM-1 has a silky film advance, my OM-2sp it feels like one of those hand mills you grind coffee with.

hookstrapped · « **Reply #35 on:** March 16, 2015, 02:11:41 PM »

Quote from: Indofunk on March 13, 2015, 02:25:00 PM

Quote from: mindori on March 13, 2015, 12:38:28 PM
My Olympus XA makes a tiny click that says "wonderful, another picture of my hand."

So true!

Francois · « **Reply #36 on:** March 16, 2015, 08:26:21 PM »

Lets not forger the Holga's ratchet advance. When you use it in public, people instantly look to see where the baby with the ratchet is only to realize that the cuteness isn't there...

johnha · « **Reply #37 on:** March 17, 2015, 01:05:18 AM »

As someone who owns both a Pentax 6x7 and Bronica S2a, the following may be a surprise:

The most obtrusive camera I have is any Pentax 35mm SLR when using the MEII winder - whirr, clunk, clack, whirr for every shot, put the Motordrive-A on the same body and you get a very slick - click, zip.

ambaker · « **Reply #38 on:** March 17, 2015, 04:15:30 AM »

Quote from: zapsnaps on March 12, 2015, 10:20:00 PM

Koni Omega Rapid - winding it on sounds like cocking a pump-action shotgun's action (and has a similar push-in, pop-out mechanism)

In the local vernacular, "I need me one O' them!"

Which one? Not sure that really matters...

They tie Mountain Climbers together so that the sane ones can't go home...

jharr · « **Reply #39 on:** March 17, 2015, 02:24:25 PM »

I suppose the other end of the spectrum is fair game as well. I had a Yashica Minimatic-C that had a winder that was like pulling a comb through Yule Brynner's hair.

zapsnaps · « **Reply #40 on:** March 17, 2015, 08:01:06 PM »

Ambaker: it's the one where, if you look at the front of the camera, the pump-action mechanism juts out of the bottom left of the body about 20mm - just enough for it to snag jumpers, children, pets etc. Another useful feature. They were very popular US wedding cameras in their day, but far less common in the UK.

John · « **Reply #41 on:** March 17, 2015, 10:27:32 PM »

Quote from: jharr on March 17, 2015, 02:24:25 PM

I suppose the other end of the spectrum is fair game as well. I had a Yashica Minimatic-C that had a winder that was like pulling a comb through Yule Brynner's hair.

Coolest bloke ever and a decent photographer too. Here he is with some SLR, looks like a Nikon

jojonas~ · « **Reply #42 on:** March 18, 2015, 07:43:08 AM »

Quote from: johnha on March 17, 2015, 01:05:18 AM

As someone who owns both a Pentax 6x7 and Bronica S2a, the following may be a surprise:

The most obtrusive camera I have is any Pentax 35mm SLR when using the MEII winder - whirr, clunk, clack, whirr for every shot, put the Motordrive-A on the same body and you get a very slick - click, zip.

I hear ya! I've never seated bullets as much as when I used my Konica Mr.70 dual focal length camera, the loudest motor I've heard and a screeching "zoom"

Francois · « **Reply #43 on:** March 18, 2015, 05:03:15 PM »

I think I have a "robocop" camera somewhere...

k.hendrik · « **Reply #44 on:** March 18, 2015, 06:55:22 PM »

I love this thread !!

coming tru: Canon AF35M II Thick THACk wheeeeng with a high pitch inside echo afterwards. The RZ67 with motorwinder: Klenk Thahaaaaaagh KLONk thack . Isn't possible to make a 'audio' thread out of this ?

jharr · « **Reply #45 on:** March 18, 2015, 09:03:16 PM »

Quote from: k.hendrik on March 18, 2015, 06:55:22 PM

Isn't possible to make a 'audio' thread out of this ?

No, I'm enjoying the text descriptions too much!

Having received the S2a finally (the one that started all of this), I must say that the shutter does sound a bit like a metal garbage can being struck by a meteorite, often followed by the sounds of unsuspecting bystanders saying, "funny... there were no thunderstorms in the forecast."

Francois · « **Reply #46 on:** March 18, 2015, 09:07:34 PM »

Some of your descriptions remind me of Don Martin's cartoons

k.hendrik · « **Reply #47 on:** March 19, 2015, 07:50:36 AM »

onomatopoeia; MAD was my first encounter with American comics, in 1964 they started a Dutch version.

scapevision · « **Reply #48 on:** April 09, 2015, 05:02:16 PM »

Quote

The Pentax Godzilla is designed to be eye-level, like a humongous 35 SLR, and for that convenience, you have to make your peace with a machine that weighs as much as a barbell, and slaps its mirror so hard it could pulverize gallstones from 20 feet.

zapsnaps · « **Reply #49 on:** April 09, 2015, 11:19:46 PM »

Shhhhhhh... zen like silence .... from my Blad. COZ IT'S BROKEN! So I offer it as the quietest camera... (Top Gear pause) in the world.