Z6III's loud clattering when displaying the menu, with VR enabled

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Unscript

Unscript

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I've been enjoying the Z6III for a while, now. It's a great camera.

However, there is a problem with the VR system that I think wasn't in the Z6 or the Z6II. When it's active, the Z6III will emit a loud "TAC!" each time
  • the device is switched ON,
  • the device goes into idle mode or is waken up,
  • the user enters or exits the menu, and
  • the user enters or exits the "i" information page.
It's best illustrated in that video, at the given time:


When VR is disabled, none of those rattling sounds happen.

Not only it's annoying when you try to take silent shot at events or near animals, but I'm concerned it'd prematurely wear the VR system.

I've tried to reach out to Nikon's support, explaining the problem, giving a clear procedure to reproduce it, and giving the link to that video, but they've been playing dumb from the start and are being very unhelpful. All they repeat each time is to send my camera for repair, even though it's not a defect but what I assume is a firmware issue.

Could anyone get more information about this problem?
 
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Unscript said:
Could anyone get more information about this problem?
Click to expand...
Sounds to me like the IBIS system docking and undocking which is normal for Nikon's mirrorless cameras. Basically the IBIS system is locked into position when the camera goes into standby and unlocked when it wakes up from standby mode and is also docked when you're operating and go into menus and then undocked when you resume shooting operation. The docking locks the sensor in place and is normal.

I wouldn't worry about it from a wear and tear standpoint as that's normal operation and is designed for it. From a silence standpoint, it makes some noise but in my experience is much quieter than a typical DSLR shutter and doesn't happen with each and every shot during a burst.
 
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Confirmed...enabling silent mode disabled the clicking when cycling in and out of the menus including playback. I leave it enabled since it does not impact VR. I also have it mapped to a button in my quick menu. I don't see why anyone would not leave silent mode enabled? That said, the clicking will still occur at power up and down.

maxxus46 said:
I'll check mine again soon, but I believe it quiets the clicking when going in and out of the menus . I will confirm soon...
Click to expand...
 
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I have never even noticed it until I read this and turned it on just now. It is such a minor thing that it does not bother me and I likely would never have noticed if you did not bring it up. In any case, based on my experience and others here, it appears to be normal.
 
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The audible click when turning the camera on and off doesn't bother me at all...but it is nice to be able to silence this when cycling in and out of the menus. Hopefully this thread helps out folks who may have overlooked the ability to enable silent mode. YMMV

MrFotoFool said:
I have never even noticed it until I read this and turned it on just now. It is such a minor thing that it does not bother me and I likely would never have noticed if you did not bring it up. In any case, based on my experience and others here, it appears to be normal.
Click to expand...
 
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maxxus46 said:
Seems silent mode can be enabled which quiets the clicking noise ... But I am not sure what impact that has on the sensor/VR mechanism
Click to expand...
Yes, that's a nice trick, thanks!

I tried that before, but I quickly dismissed it because I heard those noises when closing the menu. It appears that, after that, it doesn't do that sound when entering or exiting the menu. That probably means the IBIS locks back, as @DRwyoming clarified, and remains locked later on. That's perfect; I can live with that sound if it's only when the camera switches on and off.

Since I'm still experimenting with this new camera's features, I'm often in and out of the menu. That makes it more annoying, but I suspect it will gradually become less frequent.

maxxus46 said:
I don't see why anyone would not leave silent mode enabled?
Click to expand...
The only reason I can think of is if/when the mechanical shutter is preferred.
 
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MrFotoFool said:
I have never even noticed it until I read this and turned it on just now. It is such a minor thing that it does not bother me and I likely would never have noticed if you did not bring it up. In any case, based on my experience and others here, it appears to be normal.
Click to expand...
Well, I hope you won't notice it all the time, now that I mentioned it. That wasn't my intention. 😅

I'm definitely quite fussy about those things.
 
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For me, with the Z8 we don't have a mechanical shutter so I just leave silent mode enabled permanently. Take care

Unscript said:
Yes, that's a nice trick, thanks!

I tried that before, but I quickly dismissed it because I heard those noises when closing the menu. It appears that, after that, it doesn't do that sound when entering or exiting the menu. That probably means the IBIS locks back, as @DRwyoming clarified, and remains locked later on. That's perfect; I can live with that sound if it's only when the camera switches on and off.

Since I'm still experimenting with this new camera's features, I'm often in and out of the menu. That makes it more annoying, but I suspect it will gradually become less frequent.


The only reason I can think of is if/when the mechanical shutter is preferred.
Click to expand...
 
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