0 Comments Note: this post is an update to a recent and provides practical information on how to find out your camera’s shutter life expectancy and the various ways to find out the camera’s current shutter count. It was written by one of our readers Jeremy T — First of all, check the shutter life expectancy of your camera.

It can sometimes be difficult to find this out; camera makers may not even release the details at times. However, this is changing; there are a few resources online with the details. Features the shutter life expectancy for numerous models from all the different brands; if yours is not listed there, then a quick Google search should provide you with an answer. Now that you’re aware of how long your shutter should or will last, you need to find out the current shutter actuations or shutter count of your camera. It’s basically how many photos you’ve taken. There are several free (freeware) sources on the internet which can be used for this. Canon Cameras It’s necessary to note that Canon doesn’t store the shutter actuation details in the EXIF data.

So for Canon, things are a little different; the best program to check your shutter count is EOS Info. Is a neat little program by AstroJargon. It’s freeware, although they do ask for donations if you can spare it. It will provide the shutter count, the serial number, the camera model, the firmware version as well as the owner and date the results as well. EOSInfo works with almost any DSLR, excepting the 500D (may/may not work; their website says not, but it’s worth giving it a shot anyway). How does it work?

Download your free cheat sheet to help you get off AUTO and start getting more creative photos with your Digital Camera. IT shows you how you can control Depth of Field. It shows the best Aperture for Portraits and the best Aperture for Landscape photos. It also looks at another key factor in controlling Depth of Field:.

Simply connect the camera to your computer using a cable, run the program and – voila! Your details are there for your examinations. Prepare to be surprised, though, as sometimes it’s more than you think! It’s not available for Macs, though, only for PC’s; however, EOSInfo is the updated version of the a previous edition, which – despite the name – works on almost any DIGIC III/IV DSLRs, excepting the 1D series. It runs on Macs, using a cable as like EOS Info. Nikon and Pentax Cameras Nikon and Pentax store the shutter count details in the EXIF data.

For Nikon and Pentax, you can either use – simply upload a JPG or RAW and get your results – or download. Sophos Utm Rapidshare Search here. Note: IExif should work with Pentax; this has not been tested/. However, if it doesn’t, you can still use My Shutter Count to get your shutter count. Olympus Cameras Olympus doesn’t store the shutter acutation details in the EXIF, but conveniently, there’s a nice trick one can use for Olympus bodies. Simply follow these instructions: • Turn your camera on • Open your memory card door • Press “PLAY” +”OK” at the same time • Press on the dial, in order: up, down, left and then right • Depress the shutter release button fully • Press up on the dial. Sony Cameras Unfortunately, for Sony users, it might not be possible to find your shutter count. You can try using Opanda IExif, My Shutter Count or even EOS Info/40D Shutter Count – however, there’s not guarantee they will work.

It’s worth a try, but at the moment, it doesn’t seem possible to find the shutter actuations for Sony cameras. If you’ve found other ways to do this for the brands above or other brands of cameras we’d love to hear them in comments below so that this can become a resource for others. I’m amazed that some people worry their camera is going to break if it has a five-figure shutter count. I used an Olympus OM-2 for ‘decades’ and have no idea how many total shots it took, but probably 50,000+.

It worked / I was happy. Maybe the digital manufacturers should stop giving this information, then the stress-levels of some users would benefit! As Zafar mentions, in a few years, because of all the hype and upgrades that go-on in the digital camera marketing world, we’ll all want a new one long before it has a chance to breakdown. Shutter count for Canon using Linux. Likely works with many others. Hit up gphoto.org for specs. If you are running Linux for an Operating System, install gPhoto (even if you don’t use Gnome).

Remove the SD card (to avoid any pesky “Camera in use” errors). Plug the camera in, go out to a bash prompt and type: gphoto2 –get-config /main/status/shuttercounter Here is my results First shot was the T1i, second was the XS: mikey@linux-tf6v:~>gphoto2 –get-config /main/status/shuttercounter Label: Shutter Counter Type: TEXT Current: 9392 mikey@linux-tf6v:~>gphoto2 –get-config /main/status/shuttercounter Label: Shutter Counter Type: TEXT Current: 26729 •. There seems to be confusion over ‘image number’ and ‘shutter count’ or ‘shutter actuations’. The image number is a resettable number, depending on your camera model. And may also show different values for.jpg and RAW images. The shutter count, certainly for Nikon DSLR from my own experience, is not resettable, even if the camera is taken-in for service. I’m looking at the example from Winston and suspect the first three digits are a ‘folder’ number, and the last four digits are the image number which increments on each frame.

Probably somewhere in the menu system these can be deleted or reset to zero. See my earlier reply and try Kuso EXIF Reader. It shows all EXIF data including shutter count. For those who have or want to sell or buy Canon xxoD/ Rebel series etc camera, Canon makes it really difficult to establish their shutter count.

I have spent hours trying to figure out how to do it and thought it would be kind to pass on what I have learnt! I downloaded today the “EOS Inspector” App on my Mac. Be aware it doesn’t work on all models, so check first. For example the App support page lists the models it works on (for example not 400D or earlier, and not some recent models such as 80D). Cost is $2.99 which gave me the peace of mind to know I was around half way through the lifespan of my 550D’s average expected 100,000 shots.

As a cross check I also installed Magic Lantern software on the camera and it gave the exact same number, though separately noted an additional 1545 LiveView actuations. Tony August 22, 2013 01:48 am There seems to be confusion over 'image number' and 'shutter count' or 'shutter actuations'. The image number is a resettable number, depending on your camera model. And may also show different values for.jpg and RAW images.

The shutter count, certainly for Nikon DSLR from my own experience, is not resettable, even if the camera is taken-in for service. I'm looking at the example from Winston and suspect the first three digits are a 'folder' number, and the last four digits are the image number which increments on each frame. Probably somewhere in the menu system these can be deleted or reset to zero. See my earlier reply and try Kuso EXIF Reader. It shows all EXIF data including shutter count.

Mikey January 2, 2013 02:10 pm Shutter count for Canon using Linux. Likely works with many others. Hit up gphoto.org for specs. If you are running Linux for an Operating System, install gPhoto (even if you don't use Gnome).

Remove the SD card (to avoid any pesky 'Camera in use' errors). Plug the camera in, go out to a bash prompt and type: gphoto2 --get-config /main/status/shuttercounter Here is my results First shot was the T1i, second was the XS: mikey@linux-tf6v:~>gphoto2 --get-config /main/status/shuttercounter Label: Shutter Counter Type: TEXT Current: 9392 mikey@linux-tf6v:~>gphoto2 --get-config /main/status/shuttercounter Label: Shutter Counter Type: TEXT Current: 26729 •. Tony December 23, 2012 06:47 am I'm amazed that some people worry their camera is going to break if it has a five-figure shutter count.

I used an Olympus OM-2 for 'decades' and have no idea how many total shots it took, but probably 50,000+. It worked / I was happy.

Maybe the digital manufacturers should stop giving this information, then the stress-levels of some users would benefit! As Zafar mentions, in a few years, because of all the hype and upgrades that go-on in the digital camera marketing world, we'll all want a new one long before it has a chance to breakdown. Ethan September 30, 2010 01:07 pm Canon T2i - error retrieving shutter count.

I get this on my mac mini running os 10.5.8 with a 2Ghz Core 2 Duo. I unplug the usb cord and it gives me this error immediately. I then turn plug the cable in, turn the camera off and on, click Get Shutter Count, wait a second or two and then I get the same error message, error retrieving shutter count. Apple's Preview V 4.2 has a lot of exif data, but doesn't reveal the shutter count for the T2i, but will for NEF (Nikon raw files).

Also fails so I assume that the shutter count is not in the EXIF data. Anyone have a work around?[eimg url='title='40DShutterCount.png'] •. Lon June 3, 2010 06:19 am After installing the firmware hack and bootable CF on my Canon Rebel XTi, I was able to get a reading of the shutter count. Getting this hack working was a little more involved than I thought but really wasn't too difficult, and provides some cool new functions ('spot' metering, high ISO modes, and shutter actuations!). Pulling the count is a little bit of a workaround, but atleast I can now get it, plus access a scary looking service menu I'm afraid to touch. I'm not sure I entirely trust the count though, since it only shows a little over 8k actuations - I've probably put most of those on myself, but was told when I bought it that it was used for over a year, and it looked like it too. Marcel HD May 31, 2010 08:37 pm (Second post of this, I could not see the first attempt) Yes, the Apple 'Preview' application that comes with every Mac is a very useful program with some nice features that many Apple users don't use often enough.

Like Will said before, you can see your image count with this free Apple program. Just open any of your JPG's with Preview and then go to Tools in the menu, and Show Inspector. (Or use the keyboard shortcut that is also shown there). A little pop up window comes up and you can then see all kinds of info on your photo. Click on the 'i' icon, then the Exif tab and you can quickly see information from shutter exposure, to what lens model and lens serial number, and when you scroll down you can see the image number.

The last shot you made of course would show the latest image number. At this Inspector Tool window, you can also then click on the 'Nikon' tab and that same Image Number is then called the 'ShutterCount'. What I don't seem to find there, however is what Camera model or camera SN was used.

Does anyone know where to find that using Preview or some other application that we probably have at hand? [eimg url='title='Screenshot2010-05-31PreviewInspecto.png'] •. Marcel HD May 31, 2010 08:11 pm Yes, the Apple 'Preview' application that comes with every Mac is a very useful program with some nice features that many Apple users don't use often enough.

Like Will said before, you can see your image count with this free Apple program. Just open any of your JPG's with Preview and then go to Tools in the menu, and Show Inspector. (Or use the keyboard shortcut that is also shown there). A little pop up window comes up and you can then see all kinds of info on your photo.

Click on the 'i' icon, then the Exif tab and you can quickly see information from shutter exposure, to what lens model and lens serial number, and when you scroll down you can see the image number. The last shot you made of course would show the latest image number.

At this Inspector Tool window, you can also then click on the 'Nikon' tab and that same Image Number is then called the 'ShutterCount'. What I don't seem to find there, however is what Camera model or camera SN was used. Does anyone know where to find that using Preview or some other application that we probably have at hand? [eimg url='title='Screenshot2010-05-31PreviewInspecto.png'] •. Charlie May 27, 2010 10:57 pm I used Opanda IExif 2.26 on the files from my Nikon D200 and something is definitely screwy. I noticed this right off because I use a sequential numbering scheme on my files, changing the leading 4 chars after every 10,000 shots so that the file number is essentially a shutter count. The file number tracked the shutter count as reported by Opanda fairly closely for awhile, but right around 24000 shots, the error went from +200 to -200, and soon thereafter the shutter count jumped by about 27000!

So right now my filename is at 36000 but the shutter count in the Exif is 63562. Deluxe Pokemon Crack Up there. Anyone seen similar behavior?

Lon May 11, 2010 12:32 am tonys, it doesn't explicitly state that EOSInfo works only with digic III/IV processors, but it does say 'EOSInfo works with almost any DSLR, excepting the 500D' It also says that the old version, 40D shutter count, which is also available for mac, 'works on almost any DIGIC III/IV DSLRs, excepting the 1D series' So I thought the current version of EOSInfo had been updated to also include shutter counts for older models, which is why I installed and tried it, but alas you are right it won't work for my XTi. Karen Stuebing May 10, 2010 11:14 pm I've never been able to get that link to work for my Pentax K10D. And I don't strip the exif.

Not to mention it takes a LONG time to upload a 10mb RAW file even on DSL. Assuming you've never reset your file naming, can't you just refer to the file number? That would make my shutter actuations slightly over 10,000. I've owned this camera for two years so that's not bad. To tell you the truth, I'm not going to even worry about it. If I want to take ten photos from different angles of the same thing, I'm going to keep doing that.

That's why I like digital. You can see what you've shot immediately. If you don't like the result, like the exposure or composition, you can shoot it again. Until one day, somewhere far in the future, you camera stops working. Dcclark May 10, 2010 10:08 am @radek: Correct me if I’m wrong but I think that it is just enough to check an internal file name given by the camera. On most cameras, the file name 'resets' after 10,000 images.

So, for example, my Nikon goes from DSC_9999.jpg to DSC_0001.jpg -- with no indication in the file name that this is really image 10000, not image 1. In addition, most cameras let you reset automatic numbering at will, or any time you reformat your card -- so the file name may be entirely wrong. Chris Neate May 10, 2010 08:11 am If you're using a Canon P&S, another way to get the shutter count (along with the true firmware version and a few other things) is to follow these instructions from the CHDK website: 1.

Create an empty file called vers.req (not vers.req.txt) in the root directory of your SD card. Switch on the camera in playback mode and wait for the main screen (caution: switching on in rec mode and changing to playback later with open lens does not work with all models!) 3. Press the func/set + disp. Buttons together (i.e. Press set first, keep holding it down, then press disp.). You will see Model Name, P-ID, a string like Firmware Ver GM1.00E, Error State and Firmware Date.

The 1.00E part is the firmware version. While holding down func./set and pressing disp. Three times, the number 'Total Shoot' appears.

That is your shutter count. If you can't get it to work, see and look for the section on how to get the firmware version for your camera. GET DAILY free tips, news and reviews via our RSS Feed Sign up to the free DPS PHOTOGRAPHY COURSE Subscribe • Guaranteed for 2 full months • Pay by PayPal or Credit Card • Instant Digital Download GET DAILY free tips, news and reviews via our Sign up to the free DPS PHOTOGRAPHY COURSE Subscribe • Guaranteed for 2 full months • Pay by PayPal or Credit Card • Instant Digital Download GET DAILY free tips, news and reviews via our Sign up to the free DPS PHOTOGRAPHY COURSE Subscribe • Guaranteed for 2 full months • Pay by PayPal or Credit Card • Instant Digital Download.