Apple used a real-world sample of a hugely popular SLR for the iPhone's distinctive shutter-click – but what camera was it and did you have one?
All iPhones have the same camera sound, based on a sample of an ancient 1970s-era film SLR(Image credit: Apple)
Whenever you take a photo with an iPhone you'll hear a distinct shutter-release sound, but do you ever have the feeling you might have heard it before? Well, you quite possibly have, particularly if you've been taking photos for many years, or are a fan of all things retro, because it's a sample of an actual film SLR camera that dates back to 1976.
When the early Macs were being developed, if fell to a guy by the name of Jim Reekes to create the sounds. It was him that created the famous startup 'boing' that greets Mac users to this day whenever they start their machine up (or restart it after it's crashed – again…), the 'quack' when you try to do something you shouldn't and, of course, the 'camera click' whenever you take a screenshot (Cmd-Shift-3, in case you were wondering).
While most of those early Mac sounds were synthesized, Jim wanted the camera click to sound like a real camera shutter firing, and so reached for his own SLR and made a recording as he took a picture.
Years later, when Apple launched its very first iPhone, that same shutter sound was repurposed to signify that a photo had been taken. And it's been used in every iPhone since, right up until the iPhone 16. This Instagram reel, from Phil Edwards, explains further.
The Canon AE-1 discontinued production in 1984, which just so happens to be the year the original Mac was launched. The computer and subsequent iPhones later 'borrowed' the sound of the camera's shutter (Image credit: Canon)
That camera was the Canon AE-1, a groundbreaking SLR for the day, as it was the first mass-produced consumer camera to have microprocessor-controlled Auto Exposure (hence the AE in the name), and was hugely popular, selling 5.7 million units over its lifespan.
And while the last ever AE-1 rolled off the production line in 1984, it lives on, or at least the sound of its shutter does, as every time you take a photo on an iPhone, what you are actually hearing is Jim Reekes' vintage Canon AE-1.
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Prior to joining digitalcameraworld.com as News Editor, Adam was the editor of N-Photo: The Nikon Magazine for seven years, and as such is one of Digital Camera World's leading experts when it comes to all things Nikon-related.
Whether it’s reviews and hands-on tests of the latest Nikon cameras and lenses, sharing his skills using filters, tripods, lighting, L brackets and other photography equipment, or trading tips and techniques on shooting landscapes, wildlife and almost any genre of photography, Adam is always on hand to provide his insights.
Prior to his tenure on N-Photo, Adam was also a veteran of publications such as PhotoPlus: The Canon Magazine, so his wealth of photographic knowledge isn’t solely limited to the Big N.
