This is What 20fps with the Sony a9 Sounds Like

Sony made quite a splash in the photo industry this week by announcing the new a9, a mirrorless camera that can shoot 24MP full-frame photos at a whopping 20fps. We soon got a look at what 20fps on this camera looks like. If you want to see what 20fps sounds like, check out the video above.

Some DSLRs can shoot at relatively fast rates as well — check out 12fps with the Nikon D5 and 16fps with the Canon 1D X II — but with DSLRs you’ll have audible sounds from the mirror and/or shutter flapping up and down.

With the Sony a9, a mirrorless camera, those sounds you hear at the highest burst rates (while using the electronic instead of mechanical shutter) are artificial audio signals that are added in to provide feedback for the photographer — just like how electric cars use artificial sounds.

In the 1-minute video above, the folks at PhotoRec TV demonstrate the Sony a9’s mechanical shutter sound, artificial shutter sound, and completely silent shooting with audio signals turned off in the camera settings. Voila! Completely silent 20fps shooting of up to 241 RAW full-frame photos in a row, with no blackout.