Quiet vs Normal mode

Marcel

Happily retired
Staff member
Super Mod
Maybe some of you know this, but the "Quiet" mode of the D7000 can help to improve sharpness.
Here is my "non scientific" test. 2 shots hand held with VR on at 1/25s f8 with the 18-200 @ 200mm. Both are 100% crops at 1250 Iso.
This can give you an idea of the effect of the rapid mirror movement and it's effect on sharpness.

normal.jpg

quiet mode.jpg

I find knowing this is a plus for low light shooting.
 

Marcel

Happily retired
Staff member
Super Mod
Anyone know why?

From what I've read in another forum, the quiet mode creates a delay between the raise of the mirror (or it comes up slower) and then the mirror comes down only after you release the shutter. It's been compared or named "mirror slap". I had seen shots of this effect at around 1/100-1/125 and was wondering what effect it could have at slower speed with VR. I found out and will use this setting for slow shutter speeds and more (macro).
 

TieuNgao

Senior Member
It doesn't make sense to me. As far as I know, when we take a shot, the mirror goes up, then the shutter blade opens to expose the sensor to the light, and then the shutter closes and the mirror goes down. According to the manual (page 77), in quiet shutter release, the mirror doesn't click back into place while shutter release button is fully pressed. It should not affect the shot because it happens after the shot is taken.

However, the MUP (mirror up mode) will help to minimize the camera shake because in this mode we have to press the release button twice, the first one is to raise the mirror, which bounces onto the camera chamber and creates some vibration, and the second one to take the shot.

I've just learned this from the web and the manual but I haven't tried it, so I don't have any real experience on what I've just said!
 

Marcel

Happily retired
Staff member
Super Mod
It doesn't make sense to me. As far as I know, when we take a shot, the mirror goes up, then the shutter blade opens to expose the sensor to the light, and then the shutter closes and the mirror goes down. According to the manual (page 77), in quiet shutter release, the mirror doesn't click back into place while shutter release button is fully pressed. It should not affect the shot because it happens after the shot is taken.

However, the MUP (mirror up mode) will help to minimize the camera shake because in this mode we have to press the release button twice, the first one is to raise the mirror, which bounces onto the camera chamber and creates some vibration, and the second one to take the shot.

I've just learned this from the web and the manual but I haven't tried it, so I don't have any real experience on what I've just said!

I agree with you that it doesn't make sense. But why would the images show different? Any chance some of you could try it also to either prove it right or wrong? Just take 2 shots, one in quiet and another regular and post a 100% crop or a section with exifs.
 

JoeLewisPhotography

Senior Member
Do the same test but plop it on a tripod with remote shutter.....this way, you can eliminate hand shake. I dont think any "sharpness" tests should be done "hand held".
 

TieuNgao

Senior Member
I just did the same test under low light condition with and without a tripod and I could see the difference. When I turned the flash on the difference disappeared. Interesting but I can't explain why.
 

JoeLewisPhotography

Senior Member
so I was curious and thought I would try the same test and post the results. If there is a difference, It's barely noticeable. The Q looks a bit darker. Keeping in mind that you will almost never see or use a print as 1:1 as most of us do not print billboards lol. I think you guys who are seeing these major differences have severe shake, or kit glass.

D300s
Nikon 17-55mm f/2.8 lens
Taken at f/5
Shutter speed 1/100
ISO 800
On a tripod
ZERO PP
100% crop

Test1.jpg

Test2.jpg
 

TieuNgao

Senior Member
Here's the result of my test. The difference is obvious between normal and quiet modes.
 

Attachments

  • Normal mode.JPG
    Normal mode.JPG
    169.9 KB · Views: 614
  • Quite mode.JPG
    Quite mode.JPG
    181.8 KB · Views: 730

Browncoat

Senior Member
I gotta agree with Joe here. You can't do a sharpness test hand-held. There are too many other fudge factors involved in the above to be an accurate test.

All of the same mechanics occur while in Quiet Mode, it's just that the latter part is delayed until you remove your finger from the shutter button. You don't get the normal click-click sound, you get click.....click. Yes, for absolute tack sharp photos, you need to use a tripod and remote. The mechanisms involved in taking a photo do induce some camera shake, though it is generally not noticeable.
 

TieuNgao

Senior Member
If other factors affect the sharpness of the pictures they should affect either mode randomly, but what we have here is that the Quiet mode consistently produces better pictures with and without a tripod. We also should note that this is the case only when shutter speed is longer than 1/60sec.
 

TieuNgao

Senior Member
It's easier to say than to prove. The observation I have is from a limited sample tests but difficult to dismiss unless there are better tests that show otherwise.
 

AxeMan - Rick S.

Senior Member
Marcel started this thread and did the test. For those of you who don't know he out of town for a while due to work. I'm sure when he returns he will redo his test on a tripod, until then we are going to have to wait till he can duplicate this shot.
 

TieuNgao

Senior Member
I did several tests with and without a tripod and had the same results (see my post yesterday). Joe's test doesn't show the difference because the shutter speed 1/100sec is fast enough to overcome a small shake.

I found a good article about mirror lock-up but also related to this matter:
Mirror Lock-up - Bob Atkins Photography

Some may argue that the tests that Marcel and I did are not strictly scientific. That's OK, the result matters to me since I find that the Q mode improves my way of taking pictures under certain conditions.
 

JoeLewisPhotography

Senior Member
Ummm I'm confused...you make no sense.

I did a 1/100th of a second to eliminate shake to prove that shake was most likely the cause of the substantial difference and to prove that there is no difference between the 2 modes. Why would I want it to shake, even a smidgen when doing a sharpness test???

Only YOU can improve your way of taking pictures, not the Q mode. Try using the proper settings for each particular situation and you will find you don't need extra imaginary help from the Q.
 
Last edited:

Peekcha

New member
There is a test like this floating on YouTube but I can't find it, if I come across the video I'll post the link. But it was done with a macro lens, and a laser to show the camera shake w/ and w/out mirror lock up. Both done on a tripod.
 

Rick M

Senior Member
I did several tests with and without a tripod and had the same results (see my post yesterday). Joe's test doesn't show the difference because the shutter speed 1/100sec is fast enough to overcome a small shake.

I found a good article about mirror lock-up but also related to this matter:
Mirror Lock-up - Bob Atkins Photography

Some may argue that the tests that Marcel and I did are not strictly scientific. That's OK, the result matters to me since I find that the Q mode improves my way of taking pictures under certain conditions.

Interesting artical

Dam, Now you guys got me staying up late doing photography experiments!
 
Top