S100 movie mode auto focus tapping sound

I've noticed when shooting video with the s100 that when the camera is auto focusing there is an annoying tapping or clicking sound. There are a lot of posts on the web now about this with some examples. Here are a couple examples I found:

http://www.youtube.com​/watch?v=M0NZ-BrysOo

http://www.youtube.com​/watch?v=8ggKMlwJXQo

I'm curious if others have noticed this. It's easy to make happen, just record a video in a low ambient sound environment and make the camera change focus on something.

I suspect it's a function of the fact the camera is so small it's very difficult to eliminate all noise. That siad it is a pretty loud sounf IMO.

guitplayer wrote in post #13913537
I've noticed when shooting video with the s100 that when the camera is auto focusing there is an annoying tapping or clicking sound.

Thanks for the heads-up. I tested this a bit yesterday, and heard a barely audible sound similar to the links you posted, but not nearly as noticeable. Am going to try some more...

birdbrooks wrote in post #13919735
Thanks for the heads-up. I tested this a bit yesterday, and heard a barely audible sound similar to the links you posted, but not nearly as noticeable. Am going to try some more...

I'm glad i'm not the only one having the problem, at least my S100 isn't defective.
It's annoying though, images are quite usable.

Edit : it's possible to set the focus manually. Might be the lesser of two evils

thats not too unusual for point and shoots. the microphone is too close to the various motors (af, is, and zoom) in the camera and that is what you hear. the metal body only makes the clicking noise sound louder.

I just got a Canon S100 today and am experiencing the same problem!

http://youtu.be/Q_SoMP​KkU1g

Is this something thats prevalent in the first run of Canon S100s and they fixed it with later releases? I don't have a receipt for my Canon and need a decent point and shoot with movie functionality in two weeks on my 2 month vacation

Mine does it too. And it's a brand new one. AF and Zoom can be heard when it is quiet. But i dont mind, i dont take video's that often, and when i do, theres usually some form of sounds present, surpressing the AF and Zoom noises.

muusers wrote in post #14519612
Mine does it too. And it's a brand new one. AF and Zoom can be heard when it is quiet. But i dont mind, i dont take video's that often, and when i do, theres usually some form of sounds present, surpressing the AF and Zoom noises.

How loud does yours get? Is it anything like mine? I just checked out a video made by another person while shooting outdoors with a small crowd and there was STILL the obvious clicking noise:

http://www.youtube.com​/watch?v=teHIeUcHawM

In a quiet surrounding its even more noticeable:

http://youtu.be/BddjF4​riMQU

Im going to go into a local camera shop and try out some of the S100s and test their movie recording capabilities, I wanna know if the clicking noise is exclusive to some or all the S100s.... I have a feeling though its all of them.

ungraphic wrote in post #14519675
How loud does yours get? Is it anything like mine? I just checked out a video made by another person while shooting outdoors with a small crowd and there was STILL the obvious clicking noise:

http://www.youtube.com​/watch?v=teHIeUcHawM

In a quiet surrounding its even more noticeable:

http://youtu.be/BddjF4​riMQU

Im going to go into a local camera shop and try out some of the S100s and test their movie recording capabilities, I wanna know if the clicking noise is exclusive to some or all the S100s.... I have a feeling though its all of them.

Here's one where you dont hear the tapping due to ambient noise;
http://youtu.be/6fLgTV​neTrA

And here's one where the tapping is clear, due to the absence of ambient noise :P;
http://youtu.be/PHgHoX​3jDoc

The thing i find more annoying is the sound of the ring, it has some free space to move in (maybe just a milimeter) but if you tilt the camera (rapidly) you can hear it.

muusers wrote in post #14519727
Here's one where you dont hear the tapping due to ambient noise;
http://youtu.be/6fLgTV​neTrA

And here's one where the tapping is clear, due to the absence of ambient noise :P;
http://youtu.be/PHgHoX​3jDoc

The thing i find more annoying is the sound of the ring, it has some free space to move in (maybe just a milimeter) but if you tilt the camera (rapidly) you can hear it.

Do you think Canon is going to right this wrong in the next release of the S series cameras?

Is a completely silent autofocus motor even possible?

I seem to recall I had this problem once and figured out that I was accidentally covering one or both of the microphone holes with my fingers.

I sold the Canon S100. That clicking noise renders any video capability completely useless. Decided to buy a Sony DSC-HX10V. Photos on it are pretty awful however video quality is significantly better as is its incredible zoom. Click noise from AF is still present, but its more of a constant chirp thats barely audible even in near silent situations (though its louder when the Mic gain is turned up).

The only downside of the camera is that there is some noise when zooming in and out during reasonably quiet situations, its less audible if theres some ambient noise. All in all, it should make for a fantastic little companion as a video camera next to my 50D on my trip to Europe.

I'll get the S100 series camera when they fix the clicking noise.

ungraphic wrote in post #14560585
I'll get the S100 series camera when they fix the clicking noise.

thats probably never going to happen. ive used plenty of point and shoots in the last 10-12 years, most of them have the clicking sound either from the IS or from the AF. Plus its already June, if Canon is on track with their product roadmap, the S100 replacement should be announced around August and ship around Sept-Oct like every year.

imjason wrote in post #14561331
thats probably never going to happen. ive used plenty of point and shoots in the last 10-12 years, most of them have the clicking sound either from the IS or from the AF. Plus its already June, if Canon is on track with their product roadmap, the S100 replacement should be announced around August and ship around Sept-Oct like every year.

That doesn't mean its impossible. Nobody ever thought we'd have IS. Nobody ever thought we'd have Live View. Nobody thought we'd be able to record movies with SLRs. Now Canon's gone ahead and started work on AF in Movie Mode with SLRs.

Silent AF is bound to happen. Its just a matter of time. I'm optimistic it will be some time soon.

The S100 is a great camera, but its evident it has flaws.

ungraphic wrote in post #14561498
That doesn't mean its impossible. Nobody ever thought we'd have IS. Nobody ever thought we'd have Live View. Nobody thought we'd be able to record movies with SLRs. Now Canon's gone ahead and started work on AF in Movie Mode with SLRs.

Silent AF is bound to happen. Its just a matter of time. I'm optimistic it will be some time soon.

The S100 is a great camera, but its evident it has flaws.

i never said that canon couldnt fix the tapping sound. i was responding to your post about canon fixing the s100. canon will probably not fix the s100 as a new camera is 2-3 months away.

the tapping sound is easy to fix. just keep the mic away from the lens mechanisms like some other cameras.

imjason wrote in post #14561514
i never said that canon couldnt fix the tapping sound. i was responding to your post about canon fixing the s100. canon will probably not fix the s100 as a new camera is 2-3 months away.

the tapping sound is easy to fix. just keep the mic away from the lens mechanisms like some other cameras.

I should have said 'I'll get the 'S' series camera when they fix the clicking noise.'

I didn't mean to specifically point out the S100, only used it as a starting point because the previous two were in the 90s, and I can only assume the next one will be S105 (in the hundreds series).