Why does my Canon 550D make a faint sound when I half-press the shutter?
Asked 2/14/2012
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My Canon 550D makes a very faint humming or fan-like sound only while I half-press the shutter button to focus. It stops as soon as I release the button. I first noticed it indoors in a quiet room. The sound does not seem to come from the photo itself, just from the camera or lens while autofocus is active. Is this normal, and what part is likely making the sound?
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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The only sound that would come from the sensor itself would be a self-cleaning function, which only happens when you run the self cleaning, or turn the camera on/off. The sensor vibrates to shake off dust. This would not be happening when you are shooting.
When you half press, the sounds you might hear would be from the lens AF motor or image stabilisation (IS). Try putting the lens in manual focus and turn off IS if your lens has it, and see if you still hear a sound.
Originally by user4191. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user4191
14y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Yes, this is usually normal. On a Canon 550D, a faint sound during a half-press is most likely coming from the lens, not the sensor. The two common causes are the autofocus motor and, especially, the image stabilization (IS) system. IS often makes a soft humming sound while it is active.
A sensor-cleaning sound would only happen during the camera’s self-cleaning cycle, typically at startup, shutdown, or when manually triggered—not while you are focusing.
To confirm the source, try these checks:
- switch the lens to manual focus and half-press again
- turn off IS on the lens and test again
- try a lens without IS, or remove the lens briefly
If the sound disappears when IS is off, then the stabilizer is the cause. If you still hear a sound with autofocus active, it is likely the AF motor. In either case, a faint sound while half-pressing is generally expected behavior.
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