Shutter activations query

animal168

animal168

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Dave
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Hello
I have noticed one or two mentions of shutter count in various threads.
I am not sure why this is mentioned? Is there something I do not know about regarding the shutter count? Is it a bad thing to take too many shots or something? (besides it indicating you dont know what your doing :) )
I am a newbie and have had a new Canon EOS 450d for a couple of months now and have been snapping away merrily 250 images a week or something like that.
Is that good,bad or does it not matter one way or the other?
TIA

Dave
 
People will only mention the shutter count when they are selling a camera to give buyers an idea of how much use the camera has had.

Cameras will also need a service at a certain count but no idea when.
 
The cameras shutter actuator tends to wear out at 50~200k depending on quite what spec your camera is so it's more just for that and 2nd hand value.
 
I never understand why people worry about this.

I'd happily buy a camera with 20K on it? Why? Well if its done that many it shows it works well, and is reliable.

Electonic items tend to have faults early (ie DOA etc).

Given many people upgrade every 18 months, shutter activations is an irrelevance IMHO.
 
Different cameras have different actuation ratings by their manufacturers. For Canon it's:

400D - 50,000 clicks
40D - 100,000 clicks
1D - 300,000 clicks.

Not sure about other makes & models.
 
you can only get the shutter count from canon 1 series bodies.
I have read articles on being able to get shutter counts from pics taken with x0 and xx0 bodies using the exif and hex convertors etc. but I could never get them to work.
shutter count is not something i'd worry about.....
 
DSLR shutters have a life span.. not worying about a shutter count is like not worrying about the milage on your car.. when the shutter goes (as it will in all your camers) then your left with a non working camera... a shutter replacement is anything from 150 to 300 quid depending on your camera. (based on my experience with Canon cameras not nikon)

If your taking 3 pics a week then fair enough.. if your using it a lot then you will need to keep track and have some money handy for a replacement shutter. Only canon 1d series can show the shutter count afaik (Dunno about nikon)

If you buy a camera with 200k shutter actuations then its nearly time for a new one.. so maybe best to take note... ignore the count at your peril I say :)
 
it's not something i'd worry about because i have 2 x 1 series bodies, both with less than 20K activations each on them..... maybe 3 years from now i'll check up on the counts and see what's what then.

if the guy is only taking 250shots a week, he's got nearly 4 years before he's close to the limit on his camera, and even then it may go on quite happily for double that, or it may pack in 1 thousand klicks from now......
 
a shutter can go at any time my 1dmk2n broke at 49K and cost £300 to fix...
 
When I was having my then 'top' Nikon, the D100, cleaned at Nikon HQ, London, some chap came in with a new D2x as the shutter had broken

Alarmed was I as it was on my next purchase list, he'd had it almost 3 months and it broke at 170,000 activations !!!

That works about at about 3,000 a day allowing for days off :eek::eek::eek:

Pro sports shooter he was - but even so, that's some machine-gunning

DD
 
and I thought I was bad doing 1000 a day at events.
 
The shutter count combined with the date of original purchase can be quite useful for working out what sort of use the camera has been subjected to.

Take the 1D series for example, rated at 200k or 300k depending on the version. 25k is therefore nothing for one of these cameras. However if the date code says the camera was only made two months ago it's probably best to avoid as it's been used heavily despite having a high shutter count. However, if it's got 25k in the space of two years it's likely to have been well looked after by an enthusiast.
 
If that D2X has had 170,000 activations in 3 months...and they advertised the shutter as having been tested to 250,000. And given that it was within the warranty period - he would be getting a new shutter for free then! So where's the worry (OK, I know you weren't and it was just an example of massive use in a short time) I mean for others.

I had a D2x from new, from a month before they were launched over here, whenevr that was. I sent it back for a 6 month clean and service early this year and it had done about 60,000 actuations of the shutter - they can come from the factory with over 1000 on them. I was quite surprised how few it had done, I was expecting 10x that given the use it had been put to.

I wouldn't worry about shutter actuations either - like I don't worry about the mileage on the cars I buy...my C250 was a taxi before I got it, and it had been round the clock (999,999 miles and back up to 88,000. So it had done over 1 million miles when I bought it. I still have it, it has clocked up 200,000 second time round now. I have had it 5 years and it hasn't missed a beat. But that is still nothing. You hear of these old buses clocking up twice that.
Good, workhorse cameras are the same. I wonder how many shutter actuations some of those old Hasselblads will clock up before they need a new shutter? Buy good kit and it will last lifetimes.
 
I for one totally ignore the rating... The shutter mechanism can fail at any time, it's a mechanical actuation thus the law of mechanics apply meaning it WILL fail at some point.

My 10D rated at 50,000 actuations, has just passed 200,000 actuations +/- 10,000 (no counter).

My 40D rated at 100,000 actuations, has done 10,000 and has promptly been sent off for repair.

it's pot luck really.
 
i have a program called Opanda Iexif 2.3 (free download) which gives you info on the pics taken but if you run the software and open the last image you have taken then scroll to the bottom it will list how many the camera has done, mine is now at 20k, bought it on 15k 2 months back
 
I'm sure it doesn't store a shutter count on the Canon's that aren't of the 1D series, even to EXIF - 1D(s) defo do. I've seen it... with my own bionic eyes.

Not sure on the Nikons.
 
its at the bottom of the exif bit, number of shutter releases for camera, will post a screen print in a mo, thats for a D200 though so may not be on others
 
Well I can see the shutter count right there on the back of the Canon 1DMk3, it just doesn't appear in Opanda..that's my point..Or was your point the 1DS3?
Jamie
 
shoshone said:
Well I can see the shutter count right there on the back of the Canon 1DMk3, it just doesn't appear in Opanda..that's my point..Or was your point the 1DS3?
Jamie
Click to expand...

I used this software to check my 40D and it doesn't appear either.
 
I best start saving up then.. Ive got about 33K clicks on my D80 in 13 months. Works out at roughly 84 clicks a day.. Although I used to do alot of music photography (A gig every week for 5 months) and I would often click off around 300-400 per gig so I'm probably only shooting about 1000 shots a month now compared the my previous 2000.

Anyone know how much a shutter replacement costs on a D80 or would it just be more economical to buy a new D80 body? (Not too fussed about upgrading for another year or 2 to be honest)

Regards, James
 
Sportysnaps above said the shutter on his Canon 1D cost £300, which is about the price of a second hand D80! Even a new D80 now is around £450 body only. If/when yours goes, it'd probably be time for you and I to purchase a D300/D700 successor! :D :D
 
whitey said:
its at the bottom of the exif bit, number of shutter releases for camera, will post a screen print in a mo, thats for a D200 though so may not be on others
Click to expand...


Think that only works for Nikons.
 
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