The ist-D sound has been compared to a "Hamster Sneeze", that's about right, very quiet. If you want quiet on the cheap the ME Super is one of the quietest Manual Focus, Manual Wind bodies Pentax ever made. It has pneumatic mirror damping and a very solid body to further dampen sound.
I'm not sure why you mention plastic, light plastic bodies have a tendency to increase noise because they don't dampen sound nearly as well as cast metal. A very good ME Super can be had for $50-$100, a CLA, which is nearly always needed on a vintage camera, runs another $50-$100. You wind up with a very quiet, very capable camera. The only thing much quieter in a film body would be a range- finder. BTW: The ME Super has a much, much, much better viewfider than the MZ/ZX-M. One of the very best in fact. This is a big plus in low lighting conditions such as you describe. Don > -----Original Message----- > From: Brian Dunn [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Friday, March 25, 2005 3:55 AM > To: [email protected] > Subject: Quietest Pentax > > > > While photographing a Church production from the balcony with a > K1000, my wife who was at the far other side in another balcony > said that my K1000 was very distinctly audible even way across > the sanctuary. I never heard the DigiRebel which she was using. > Nobody seemed to complain, but the DigiRebel is much quieter. I > also have a ZX-M which is ok until it rewinds then it gets really > loud, and a Minolta 600si which is kind of quiet and at least > offers a quiet rewind option, but I'm wondering about finding an > older plastic Pentax film body with manual rewind for cheap just > for this kind of situation. Even those Cosina body things you > find in Wolf Camera seem quieter than the loud klick-buzz-clack > of the K1000 at 1/15th second... > > Do I really want one of the models with a mirror with shock absorbers? > > How loud is the mirror slap in an Ist-D or DS? > > > Brian Dunn > http://www.bdphotographic.com >
