53 Camera Shutters: Which One Is Your Favorite?

On many cameras, there’s something incredibly satisfying about pushing a button and feeling the mechanical shutter — especially combined with a big chunky mirror — flick in and out of place in a fraction of a second. Some, however, are plain awful. Which ones do you like, and which ones make you feel like the camera is about to fall apart?

Like many of us geeks, Scott Graham clearly has a fascination with some of the finer details of how cameras work and what it feels like to operate them. The tactility and satisfaction of using a piece of mechanical apparatus to craft light is something that is understood by the likes of Fuji and Leica and remains completely incomprehensible to the likes of Sony. For many, how a camera feels is important, while for others, a camera is nothing but a functional box with buttons.

Graham has compiled 37 shutter releases from a glorious array of cameras. The Minolta SRT 102 is probably my favorite while the Fujica AX-3 and Argus C3 sound like the camera is about to collapse in your hand. Quite why anyone would want a camera that sounds like a typewriter is beyond me, but hey, each to their own.

If you’re interested in a compilation of more recent ILCs, check out this video from Lens Rentals.

The Leica SL (Typ 601) sounds like engineering perfection, standing in sharp contrast to the Sony a7 III (which I own) that reminds me of the tired latch of a very rusty gate. Thank goodness I mostly shoot silently.

Which is your favorite? Let us know in the comments below.

Andy Day's picture

Andy Day is a British photographer and writer living in France. He began photographing parkour in 2003 and has been doing weird things in the city and elsewhere ever since. He's addicted to climbing and owns a fairly useless dog. He has an MA in Sociology & Photography which often makes him ponder what all of this really means.

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9 Comments

I can't believe that I actually watched both of those videos – I really need to get a life.

To me, the pure, unadulterated THUNK of the 5d classic still has a special place in my heart.

Pentax 6x7 was a memorable SLAP if there ever was one.....too bad not in there

I shot street candids with a waist-level finder. People's heads would turn abruptly, birds would launch into flight, and everything would stop for a moment. Just a second AFTER I'd caught the scene.

Nikon F5. A gnome whacking a tiny anvil with a tiny piece of concrete.

The Sony sounds no different from the Leica :-(

There's almost 4 minutes of my life I'll never get back. I'm ashamed of myself for watching the entire thing...

Apologies. 😂

Accepted. Haha...by the way, thanks for understanding that was a little jab but meant in fun. 👍🏻 Nice to know not everyone on the internet is angry.