Funny.... yesterday when I tested the 25/1.4 there was no rattlesnake.
But today there's some of the sound. It's not that bad, but it's there.
Only difference was that yesterday was in artificial light and today is in bright sunlight. So I guess that affects it.
It doesn't happen always though. I turned the camera off, then turned on again, pointed at the same places and the rattlesnake stopped. Weird!
But the good news is that I finally found out how to turn off the AF lock sound. So now, my camera is truly stealthy. (except when there's the rattlesnake sound of course)
1 thing is that the menu system is quite complicated and has a lot of options. Half the time you don't know what the options are about. Typical Japanese style I guess.....
I suppose the "rattlesnake" won't occur under dim lightning (e.g. inside places of worship, high class restaurants, etc.) where stealth is important. So the problem is not as severe in practice. Agree?
In any case E-M5 should be way quieter than any DSLR. The last time I took a photo inside a quiet museum, the mirror slap was so loud that it alerted the museum staff, and I was told that photography was not allowed. That definitely won't happen with a m4/3 or compact camera (with the beeps turned off, of course).