# SILENT SHUTTER - 6d, 5dMkiii - Any disadvantages (aside of FPS)



## CameraMan (Jun 18, 2013)

Replaced my 5dmkii with a 6d. One of the nice features is the 'Silent shutter' feature.

But are there any disadvantages with using this? I believe the frame rate is reduced, but I didn't buy the 6d for that, and in single shot mode, it's not going to be an issue.

I can see a nice clear 'click' sound might be ideal in studio work. But for travel or street photography, any reason why I shouldn't leave it on silent shutter continuous shooting mode all the time, apart from when i might want max FPS?


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## sunnyVan (Jun 18, 2013)

CameraMan said:


> Replaced my 5dmkii with a 6d. One of the nice features is the 'Silent shutter' feature.
> 
> But are there any disadvantages with using this? I believe the frame rate is reduced, but I didn't buy the 6d for that, and in single shot mode, it's not going to be an issue.
> 
> I can see a nice clear 'click' sound might be ideal in studio work. But for travel or street photography, any reason why I shouldn't leave it on silent shutter continuous shooting mode all the time, apart from when i might want max FPS?



I'd like to know too. I leave the silent mode on all the time and I wonder if there's any other downside other than reduced burst rate. 

It'd be great if someone could explain how it works also.


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## CameraMan (Jun 18, 2013)

Thinking about it...is there any effect on shutter lag?


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## darrellrhodesmiller (Jun 18, 2013)

i have a 5D mk3 and its one of my favorite features.. i dont use it all the time.. but indoors.. or at quiet events its great. i think the only real downside is a slower burst rate.


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## distant.star (Jun 18, 2013)

.
This question came up in the early going with the 5D3. I wondered too so I did some reading about it, although I don't now recall where or what.

The answer I remember is the only downside other than slower FPS is a slightly increased shutter lag. I can't provide any technical info at this time. I was convinced at the time there are no real long-term disadvantages.

Unless I have a need to make noise for some reason, I keep my 5D3 on silent.


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## tphillips63 (Jun 18, 2013)

I can't think of ever reading anything on the feature that is a drawback or negative.
I use it at my daughters dance recitals all the time. I have had the 5D Mk III for several months and before that a 7D. With the 7D I used to get a lot of sideways looks because of the shutter noise.
Now, I have missed (I blame it on the slower shooting duration) shots with the silent shutter but people around me no longer take much notice, even with a gripped body and 70-200.


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## Act444 (Jun 19, 2013)

Just took advantage of the 6D's silent mode at a recent book reading. I LOVED it! Finally I can fire away without feeling bad because the loud CLICK, CLICK, CLICK is distracting people around me...I set one of the custom modes to disable the beep and enable silent shutter (among a few other things)- it's very convenient  It's not without its drawbacks, of course...the camera feels less responsive as a result so it is far easier to miss shots. But given the setting I was in, that wasn't a big deal. 

I find the 6D to have a quiet shutter even in regular mode (definitely quieter than the 5D3 and my old 60D). The worst was when I had the T2i and the 70-200 F4 IS- not only did I have the noisy clunk of the T2i to contend with but also the (very) audible grinding noise of the IS mechanism in the 70-200...although not the reason I ultimately upgraded to the 2.8 version, that's one thing I don't miss...


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## alejmr (Jun 19, 2013)

For indoor or event photography wehre noise is not allowed i.e. church it is fantastic... any technical issues besides the shutter speed.... not that I'm aware.
I personally like to leave it in ''normal noisy mode'' when I am outdoors, so I can hear it


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## Drizzt321 (Jun 19, 2013)

Speaking for the 5d3 (which I have), the downsides are slower continuous FPS, and I believe it also raises the lag between shutter press and when the exposure occurs. I can't find it in the manual right now on a quick search, but I know I've seen that somewhere...


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## funkboy (Jun 19, 2013)

I like silent shooting for indoor stuff quite a lot, but sometimes (depending on the shutter speed & perhaps the burst mode) you get a big chunk of the mirror in the bottom of your frame. Usually it happens with longer exposures; I remember seeing it around a 15th or slower.


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## Grulon (Jun 19, 2013)

I've read in Chasseur d'Images (I'm French) that the silent mode is obtained by raising the mirror before the shutter. Not at the same time.

I don't know if this is true or not.


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## Dianoda (Jun 19, 2013)

On the 5DIII, silent shutter modes have a noticeably greater shutter lag and longer viewfinder blackout times versus non-silent modes. Still, it's an invaluable feature, and the shutter lag/viewfinder blackout time penalties are not too significant.


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## jbracy (Jun 19, 2013)

Found a couple of Articles on Canon's Learning Site. Looks like Silent Mode just slows down the Shutter and Mirror reset after exposure, so should not effect anything other than FPS.

http://www.learn.usa.canon.com/resources/articles/2011/silent_mode_eosmarkiii_cameras_article.htmlp

And

http://www.usa.canon.com/cusa/consumer/standard_display/EOS_Advantage_Perf



> But when the silent mode is engaged, the camera behaves differently. There’s still the click of the strong, rotary-magnet shutter. But the motorized action is slowed significantly, to reduce its noise level. Mirror return is slower, and in particular shutter-cocking is both slower and much quieter.


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## Click (Jun 19, 2013)

^^^Good info. Thanks for the links. ...And welcome to cr


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## mwh1964 (Jun 19, 2013)

Great feature. Use it when needed and no, there isn't any real life disadvantages.


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## Drizzt321 (Jun 19, 2013)

mwh1964 said:


> Great feature. Use it when needed and no, there isn't any real life disadvantages.



Actually, yes there are real-life disadvantages. ~3 FPS max vs ~6 FPS max normal, and it also has a greater shutter lag than in normal mode.

Now, that said, I often shoot in silent shutter. Makes me a lot more unobtrusive


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