Quiet mode for sharper pictures

I did the same experiment I had done with my 7000 a few years ago. I took the same picture in normal single mode and then in quiet mode. I had read that the most apparent difference will be when shooting between 1/50th and 1/200th. I found that the quiet mode pics were indeed sharper. Seems the quiet mode reduces the mirror slap factor.

Here are two 100% crops of the center of the images 1/80th, iso 250, f4.5 Rokinon 85 1.4

Normal mode:


Quiet mode:


So for me the Quiet mode has a big advantage for sharpness alone and for the quietness too.

Does the D600 have a Dust Mode? My D600 seems to be stuck in that mode. j/k

Really though, I might try that out. I wonder how it might affect the camera (i.e. does it put extra wear on the mirror mechanism, does it slow down performance)

PapaST said:

Does the D600 have a Dust Mode? My D600 seems to be stuck in that mode. j/k

Really though, I might try that out. I wonder how it might affect the camera (i.e. does it put extra wear on the mirror mechanism, does it slow down performance)

Click to expand...

It does slow down performance a bit.

How many shots have you got on your D600 so far? Have you done a wet clean yet?

I started using quiet mode with the D7000 as I found that the mirror slap was far more aggressive than other cameras I've had. Darrell Young noticed it as well and spoke about using it in place of Single shot mode on the camera. I wound up keeping the habit on my D600, but it reacts very differently on the D800, so I've given it up there.

Wow... I think that borders on huge (images brightened ever so slightly to bring up the detail). Quiet Mode pic is on the left, normal on the right, btw.

I'm going to run this experiment on my 5100 just to see what I get.

Thanks for posting this.

BackdoorHippie said:

I started using quiet mode with the D7000 as I found that the mirror slap was far more aggressive than other cameras I've had. Darrell Young noticed it as well and spoke about using it in place of Single shot mode on the camera. I wound up keeping the habit on my D600, but it reacts very differently on the D800, so I've given it up there.

Click to expand...

How different is it?

Marcel said:

It does slow down performance a bit.

How many shots have you got on your D600 so far? Have you done a wet clean yet?

Click to expand...

I was only kidding. I have approx 11,000 shots. IMO it's not really a problem for me anymore. I still check with my loupe but I don't really see much. A blow or brush sometimes clears it up. When I was in the 1,000 to 3,000 range it accumulated around the edge and corners. It's definitely stopped doing that.

PapaST said:

I was only kidding. I have approx 11,000 shots. IMO it's not really a problem for me anymore. I still check with my loupe but I don't really see much. A blow or brush sometimes clears it up. When I was in the 1,000 to 3,000 range it accumulated around the edge and corners. It's definitely stopped doing that.

Click to expand...

Hopefully this should reassure some that are reluctant to get the 600 just for that fear. I had the same experience around the 3000 range.

There's a big feel difference. With the D7000 & D600 there's a soft, squishy feeling to quiet mode, and it's actually quite quiet. With the D800 you hear the mirror slap almost as much as you do in S(ingle) mode, but the mirror stays up and you don't hear it return right away. Very weird when you're used to the other. I can definitely notice a difference in clarity, particularly with a long lens. Just about every bird shot on my Flickr account, where it's not in flight, was taken in Quiet mode. It made that much of a difference.

Not a fair comparison in my opinion, sorry.
To do a fair test, the camera must be on a tripod and set to manual focus.

Handheld can have 2 slightly different focus points, that is you in the blue shirt taking the pic handheld isn't it Marcel?

Is mirror slap just for handheld?
If it is, the test needs to be more consistent by keeping the camera at the same focus i.e manual, and identical camera position.

Rexer John said:

Not a fair comparison in my opinion, sorry.
To do a fair test, the camera must be on a tripod and set to manual focus.

Handheld can have 2 slightly different focus points, that is you in the blue shirt taking the pic handheld isn't it Marcel?

Is mirror slap just for handheld?
If it is, the test needs to be more consistent by keeping the camera at the same focus i.e manual, and identical camera position.

Click to expand...

The lens is a manual focus lens. I stayed in the exact same position for both shots and tried (did I say tried) to use the same shooting posture I usually use. Now don't try to make me say what I did not. This is not a scientific test, but barely a suggestion for other to try on their own. It's not something that is hard to do, but you'll never know if you don't try it yourself.

I'm not a preacher but just wanted to share my personal results to give others the idea that it could be beneficial for their shots one day.

The guy with the blue shirt… let me see, oh, that's my neighbor

Thanks Marcel, as you say, it's up to people to try it themselves.
The quiet mode can only help, it certainly can't reduce image sharpness.

For me handheld is where this pays the highest dividend. On a tripod that sucker should be locked in and tight, so they should ultimately be identical, particularly with exposures where shutter speed and focal length are approx the same. But in a pair of hands where fingers are moving to actuate the shutter that the additional vibration may play a part. Proper technique and faster shutter speeds negate the effect. But when I'm shooting a 500mm lens handheld at 1/400sec with VR on, you can bet that I can see a difference.

Marcel said:

The lens is a manual focus lens. I stayed in the exact same position for both shots and tried (did I say tried) to use the same shooting posture I usually use. Now don't try to make me say what I did not. This is not a scientific test, but barely a suggestion for other to try on their own. It's not something that is hard to do, but you'll never know if you don't try it yourself.

I'm not a preacher but just wanted to share my personal results to give others the idea that it could be beneficial for their shots one day.

The guy with the blue shirt… let me see, oh, that's my neighbor

Click to expand...

Amen brother.

When I first got my D3100 and the camera was so soft I tried everything up to and including the quite mode. Finally determined that is was a defective camera and they swapped it out for a new one. (Thanks BestBuy) Have to even considered it with the D5100. I would not have thought it would have made any difference as long as the shutter speed was anything over 1/60 or so. Will have to try it again I guess.

OK at general demand, I did the test again with the camera on the tripod. Slower shutter speed (1/30th) same camera and manual lens. So focus is out of the equation completely:
I'll let you be the judges:

Not as much difference but the top pic is definitely sharper.

Easy to see if you save both images and then switch between then in a viewer.

Yep, top is sharper. Did you use a remote shutter release?

Got to agree. Top one is sharper by a nose.

Since it is movement blur would you even be able to tell at speeds over 1/60 or maybe 1/125?

All I can tell is Marcel, you gotta do some dusting my friend.

Really though I really couldn't tell from my monitor. I viewed them from my MacBook Pro and a third 24' monitor. That's when I could kinda see a difference in the white powder above the cheek and the black outlines along the right eye. Some of the darkened area around the bowtie too.

It's all getting clearer to me now.