How to Find Camera Shutter Count?Canon| Nikon| Sony
There are photographers who are reluctant to shoot in burst mode for action shots. They are afraid that their camera shutter count may get exhausted. So, how to find the shutter count of your camera? Also, how to ensure you have not exhausted yours? We will find the answers to these questions through this guide.
Earlier cameras didn’t have a shutter. The lens cap served this job.
What is Camera Shutter Count?
Camera shutter count is the number of pictures captured by the camera using its mechanical shutter.
In technical terms, it is the number of actuation made by the camera shutter. It is related to the camera body since the shutter forms part of the camera body.
How do Camera Manufacturers Calculate Shutter Count?
Camera manufacturers derive the shutter count value for each camera body series based on the shutter reliability test. They will put the camera shutter for a stress test to check how many activations it starts to fail.
They will do the tests on multiple shutter samples. The value is derived from these results.
Why is Shutter Count Important?
Every camera body comes with a defined shutter count life. Camera manufacturers give a specified shutter count value for each camera model.
The shutter would work reliably up to this value. So, the manufacturer specifies the camera warranty up to this value. If anything happens to the camera shutter after this value, you will have to get it replaced at your own cost.
The shutter life for a high-end full-frame DSLR like Canon 1DX Mark ii is 4,00,000 whereas, for a high-end Half frame DSLR camera like Canon 7D Mark ii, it is 2,00,000. Thus, the shutter durability rating varies with models. High-end cameras will come with more shutter life.
The one question you should ask before buying a secondhand or used camera is, what is its shutter count? The seller needs to share this detail with the buyer.
So, both of them need to know this value. It is actually this value that determines the price of a used camera.
If the camera has already crossed its designed shutter durability rating then you may get it for a cheap price. The shutter of such a camera can fail at any time. So, you will have to replace it with a new one for reliable working.
The method to check the shutter count varies for different camera manufacturers and different camera models.
Do Mirrorless Cameras have a Shutter Count?
Mirrorless cameras do come with a shutter count. Mirrorless cameras come with both mechanical and electronic shutters. So, you will be able to see the number of actuation made by the mechanical shutter of the mirrorless camera.
For example, Canon EOS R mirrorless camera comes with both mechanical and electronic shutters. The shutter count life of the Canon EOS R is rated for 200,000 actuation.
How To Check the Shutter Count of a Nikon Camera?
If you are using a Nikon DSLR camera then finding the Nikon camera shutter count is a straightforward thing.
You can upload your last taken photo to any of the following sites to get that value. All sites support the JPEG Image file format. Some support the RAW format.
In the case of Nikon, it is stored in the EXIF data of the photograph. You can use these online shutter count checkers to pull out the value.
Now, you may think that if this value is shown in the EXIF data, we can easily alter it.
They have stored this count in the inner-level EXIF data file which is not accessible by the photo editing tools which show the basic EXIF data. Hence, not editable. You will need a dedicated EXIF tool if you are looking for a computer tool to pull out these values.
How To Find the Shutter Count of a Canon Camera?
You can use the following sites to check the shutter count for Canon DSLR cameras.
This Canon shutter count software does not support certain models from Canon. In such cases, you need to take it to a Canon-authorized service center to know the exact shutter count.
How To Check the Shutter Count of a Sony Camera?
You can upload the last image from your Sony camera to the following website to know the number of shutter actuation.
https://checkshuttercount.com/
This website also supports camera models from other brands too. It includes camera brands like Nikon, Canon, Fujifilm, Panasonic, and Olympus.
How To Find the Shutter Count of an Olympus Camera?
It is possible to find the number of shutter actuation made by an Olympus camera from the camera itself. You don’t have to upload the image to any website to find this value.
You need to press certain buttons in your Olympus camera in certain order to find out this number. I will share the exact procedure below.
1. First you need to open the memory card compartment door with the camera switched ON.
2. Next, press the Play and OK buttons at the same time.
3. After that, you need to press the following buttons in the exact sequence – Up=> Down=> Left=> Right.
4. Now, press the shutter button & Select Up on the dial.
5. You can see the number of shutter actuation of your Olympus camera now.
Is it Possible to Alter the Shutter Count?
Altering the camera shutter count is a fraud. So camera manufacturers ensure that these values are tamper-proof.
They store the shutter durability values inside the camera’s internal memory.
The user will only have read access to this memory and no write access. Thus they protect the camera from shutter count fraud.
