When Should You Not Use Electronic (silent) Shutter?

[pm-r]

By now, most Sony shooters understand the three different types of cameras they make in full-frame: Resolution, Sensitivity, and Action.

But many people shoot action with a "resolution" camera or shoot in low light with an "action" camera, it it's great that you can do this.

Here is a great example of when to turn off the electronic shutter and switch to mechanical.  I was shooting a music festival this weekend and the drummer in this one band was off the chain.  He was really good, tight, and fast.  I walked around back-stage so I could get closer to him with the FE24mm f/1.4GM and my new a7CII camera.  I had been shooting all day on electronic shutter but then I previewed a few frames that I had just shot and noticed the drum sticks were really distorted.  As they are made of wood and not rubber, I quickly changed over the mechanical shutter and kept going.  Once I finished those images, I switched back to silent shutter just to conserve my battery.  I shot from 8a through to 6:15pm on one battery and also did four video interviews in 4K!

When you see weird things bent or distorted that shouldn't be, just switch over to mechanical shutter and keep shooting 🙂

Edited October 2, 2023 by pm-r

[Alex]

In my humble opinion, the shutter sound of the A7c II is so quiet, the i don't really see the need to use silent shutter fuction... but that is just me.. 

[pm-r]

To your point, Alex, you are 100% right in terms of making noise while shooting.  The other side of the coin though, is battery life and when you use electronic shutter the cameras sip rather and drink.  The three cameras that make up the a7C series are the most battery efficient of all of the Alpha lineup.

[ST]

Odd insight - at a family gathering, my sister asked me to turn on "the sound" on the camera when taking group shots. She found it odd not to have the audible feedback when I was taking photos.

Background - I don't use a flash, and I had been wandering around with the FE 24-105mm F4 G OSS, taking candid shots with the silent shutter. Everybody was fine with that, but my sister was not alone when it came to hearing the shutter for group shots. Mind you, I got some of the best shots just after I had taken one, thanked folks, everyone relaxed, and I grabbed a few more.

[TrekRover]

Wow! I had no idea the impact and difference with mechanical vs silent.... O_O hmmm... I wonder how many missed opportunities would have been easy fixes... The mechanical shutter is so noisy though... I've been pretty much shooting permanently electronic shutter when doing wildlife, I would up the shutter speed.