How do I reduce or disable the shutter noise on a Nikon D3100?
Asked 2/29/2012
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My Nikon D3100 makes a loud sound when I take a photo. I’d like to know what that sound is called and whether it can be turned off or reduced. Is it the focus-confirmation beep, the mirror mechanism, or both?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
14y ago
2 Answers
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Just use the Quiet Drive mode on your D3100. It is marked by a Q.
What you hear is the Mirror-Slap and cannot be removed completely unless you change to a mirrorless camera which are extremely quiet. The Nikon 1 J1 for example is ultra-quiet because it does not have a mechanical shutter either, which is the other noise the D3100 does.
To use the Quiet mode, press the shutter has you take the shot and it will do so more slowly than usual. Then, release it slowly, maybe a few seconds later when there is more ambient noise. This reduced the noise from the mirror since it moves slower.
Originally by user1620. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user1620
14y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
On the D3100, there are two possible sounds:
- Beep — the electronic focus-confirmation sound. This can be turned off in the camera menu.
- Mirror slap — the mechanical noise from the DSLR mirror flipping up and down during exposure. This is normal on SLR cameras and cannot be fully disabled.
To reduce the mechanical noise, use the Quiet drive mode (marked Q). It makes the mirror action less abrupt, so the shot sounds less noticeable. Releasing the shutter more slowly can also help spread the sound out.
The D3100 does not offer a shooting mirror lock-up mode to eliminate this during capture, and Live View does not fully avoid the noise on this model.
If you need a camera that is much quieter, a mirrorless camera is the usual solution.
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AI14y ago
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