Dislike of 40D shutter "clunk".

The reason it makes a different sound to some others is because it's powered in both directions instead of being sprung up and powered down like other bodies. I can't say mine makes a clunk though, it's noticeably quieter than my old 400D. I've not noticed any vibration either even shooting at 6.5fps on a tripod at 400mm with IS off.

mlav wrote in post #5999733
Use a 20D and you'll stop complaining about the 40D in a nanosecond.

Agreed.

I just went through the same upgrade...

-Mario

Mine sounds like a clunk too, not like a camera. Not really complaining though.

Put some earplugs in and your problem should go away.

Seriously though, if you're hand holding the camera the amount of force you make which causes movement in the body of the camera is magnitudes greater than what the mirror slap creates.

I can't imagine mirror slap doing anything remotely noticable to an image with shutter speeds greather than 1/15 and I'd bet that's a stretch. I don't think anyone suggests that it's even needed to lock the mirror up at speeds greater than 1 second.

mlav wrote in post #5999733
Use a 20D and you'll stop complaining about the 40D in a nanosecond.

m3rdpwr wrote in post #6000589
Agreed.

I just went through the same upgrade...

-Mario

Same here...

I'm glad they didn't include those itsy cute shutter noises on the DSLR's, like they do on the point and shoot cameras. The last thing I want is for my camera to bark like a dog when I trip the shutter...

bhound89 wrote in post #5999665
the 40D's shutter sound sounds so much better than my old XT's ca-chink sound.

Amen to that! Doesn't bother me one bit...I actually like the sound, no problems with vibrations here or haven't really noticed.

Try it comapred to a 1D MArk II and you'd be very happy and amazed how quiet it is

I use to have a Mamyia 645. The sound of the mirror was deafening compared to the 40 D *LOL*
I kinda liked the sound of my old Xti. Go figure ..

scorpio_e wrote in post #6003165
I use to have a Mamyia 645. The sound of the mirror was deafening compared to the 40 D *LOL*
I kinda liked the sound of my old Xti. Go figure ..

I have one and it sounds very substantial

you should sell it and buy a Rebel so you can get that fake motor winding sound.

/conjecture mode on

I would attribute lost shots because of the shutter noise and vibration not because either of them do anything significant... much like shooting a firearm with a high recoil, people tend to anticipate the shot and jerk a little just because they're expecting such a noise or recoil.

Relax, concentrate, and if you're even hearing the shutter in an annoying fashion, you're not paying enough attention to what you're actually trying to photograph. lol

30D is LOUD!

Way louder than the 40.

I agree, the 40D shutter/mirror noise is not as aesthetically pleasing as that from older cameras from the film days. I could care less about that. On the plus side it is MUCH quieter than the rifle shot that the 30D and 20D produces.

As far as vibration goes, I had read that the shutter and mirror actuators used in the 40D had been redesigned to reduce both noise and vibration so I don't think should be a problem. Like others have mentioned, the resistance on the shutter button can be a problem and I have certainly found my hand shaking trying to depress the shutter button when I've had large lenses attached. The shutter button on one of my 10Ds is so worn that it has very little resistance and you can't even feel a click... such a delight to use

The 40D is definitely quieter than the 30D according to my friend and WAY quieter than the Nikon D200. Don't really like the sound though... but who cares. And I suspect the problem has more to do with the resistance of the shutter button than any vibration of the mirror/shutter mechanisms.

I came to dSLR through the 5D, which kinda spoiled me - the smooth buttery sound reminded me of my much-loved A1s. The 20D bought as a back-up/second body was a shock. It was harsh, agricultural and LOUD.

Like the OP, I did worry about vibration so set up an unscientific comparision with MLU, remote release, and tripod. By subjective feel alone (gently touching the body during MLU and then shutter release), the 20D fared much worse in MLU, with the 5D far better damped. You could really feel the 20D mirror when it flipped up.

Does that make a difference in picture quality ? I can't say, but can imagine circumstances where it might affect sharpness.