Are GOTO mounts really as noisy as they seem?

[Erling G-P]

12 minutes ago, Paul M said:

My standard issue NEQ6pro makes all the usual noises when slewing but since mounting a DSLR on the scope to do some imaging I now have a new problem at night; the clatter of the camera mirror. It doesn't lock up on the Canon 1200D so every exposure start/end echoes round the houses. The mount is noisy but once my target is acquired that's it for mount noise.

On recent nights I've been at the back of the garden so nearly under the back neighbour's bedroom windows, which they tend to have open all night long. Just waiting for them to pop round for a chat about the clattering from the camera.

It wouldn't happen to have a 'quiet' mode you could use ?   The Nikon D7000 I started with has this - a mode where the mirror moves more slowly, dampening the noise, which I used.  The Canon 700Da I now use does not have this regrettably, but I use the 2-sec self-timer delay instead - it flops the mirror up first, before opening the shutter 2 secs later.  I do it to prevent mirror shake, but it also sort of splits the noise up a little, making it a little less conspicuous.

[Paul M]

34 minutes ago, Erling G-P said:

It wouldn't happen to have a 'quiet' mode you could use ? 

No, not that I can find. The 1200D isn't a high end camera. Even so, mirror noise aside, I'm very pleased with its astro performance and that of my unguided NEQ6. We're having a ball together out under the stars. Maybe I should play some music to drown the equipment noise!