hi guys just want to ask if actuations or shutter counts are applicable on a Film SLR?
just like on a DSLR, is there also a limit when using a Film SLR?

First of all...

Assuming that a film camera's shutter is rated the same as a consumer DSLR... say 25k actuations, it would take 694.444 rolls of 36 exposure film to get to that pt.

by then, even if the shutter has survived, the body would probably look like crap, giving a clue regarding its usage and condition.

well, that is unless there are film users out there who like to shoot 700 rolls worth of film indoors only... then maybe they can preserve the condition of the body while wearing out the shutter.

Secondly.... there is no way you can prove the shutter actuations on a film camera. If film users can't even remember the shutter speed and aperture used when the shutter was released unless they write it down, how can you confirm their claim if they do give you a number?

in short, i dont think shutter actuations matter with film cameras....

I am currently using a film camera from the 1970's. So far, so good :D

700 rolls of film, indoors only? Does the number of rolls consumed while shooting a wedding inside a church and ballroom within a single year count? :D LOL!

But I don't think that I've ever had a film camera whose shutter experienced total failure.

I've had problems with wearing out the internal gears of my film gear. I've burnt out the shutter trigger of a Nikon F3. Mirror stopped functioning? Yup. Jammed shutter? Yup (but repairable).

Cheers!

Jo Avila

hi guys just want to ask if actuations or shutter counts are applicable on a Film SLR?
just like on a DSLR, is there also a limit when using a Film SLR?
Both are mechanical devices except that in a digital it's a combination of both as the specs. sheets say. Both are prone to failure in time. It's only that in a film camera, shots are fired diligently to save on film and seldom do amateurs have power drives. I personally experienced a 1980s Olympus OM 10 with sticking shutter. Yet my 1970's Mamiya Sekor still works perfectly.

Thanks for the reply guys, actually the reason i was asking that question is that i'm going to sell my Pentax MZ50 and a buyer was asking about the cameras actuation and was hesitant to buy it cause he said that the shutter might fail cause its an old camera, at least i was enlightened regarding film cameras actuations if its applicable or not, thanks again sirs:)

tell him that the old cameras are built like tank.. im still using a camera from the 1970's.. and planning to buy one from the 1950's.. shutter actuations are no big deal.. unless of course, the shutter curtains are already in bad shape.. but it can be repaired..

does it count... yes... simply because if the shutter fails, you wont get a shot.
how much does it matter? depends on how easy you could get replacement parts for it and if theres a reliable person who can do the repair job well.
true that most of the classics are built more solidly, but you'd still have to worry about it as they are mechanical parts
that said, i read about the nikon f5 shutter having a counter, in fact one story goes that an f5 was put in for service and it had (if my memory serves me right) a million clicks to it...

somehow related to this.... an interesting read....
http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/744198/1

does it count... yes... simply because if the shutter fails, you wont get a shot.
how much does it matter? depends on how easy you could get replacement parts for it and if theres a reliable person who can do the repair job well.
true that most of the classics are built more solidly, but you'd still have to worry about it as they are mechanical parts
that said, i read about the nikon f5 shutter having a counter, in fact one story goes that an f5 was put in for service and it had (if my memory serves me right) a million clicks to it...

somehow related to this.... an interesting read....
http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/744198/1

I once bought a not so brand new Nikon F5. I was its third owner. I eventually sold it when I shifted to digital photography. I do believe that my old F5 is now on its sixth owner :D LOL!

Cheers!

Jo Avila

I use a nikon F! hahaha :P
Its older than me! :D i'm an 86 baby

FYI: There are ways to check the exact shutter actuations of film SLR (easily on newer models). There are codes / custom functions in Canon 1's and Nikon F5 upwards.. or a certified technician can determine.

Consumer cameras would go at least 80K.. Pro cameras, I would say 150K+. Just take good care of the body and just have the shutter replaced whenever.

hi guys just want to ask if actuations or shutter counts are applicable on a Film SLR?
just like on a DSLR, is there also a limit when using a Film SLR?

All have limits. However, there will be those which will last longer than others.

For instance, not all shutters are built the same. Modern shutters such as the type found in DSLRs tend to be more delicate. These things use thin and light materials to achieve abilities like high speed, rapid charging, low noise, etc. As well as ease of manufacture and installation (which really means less effort and more output in the production lines).

These flimsy little shutters are run by tiny little motors, mounted in tiny little boards, powering paper-thin composite blinds. The key word is small, thin, delicate, and light. All the compromises to allow the new shutters to do all those things that people now find impressive.

Small, thin, flimsy all translate to shorter lives, and faster wear.

On the other hand, the classic integral shutters found in the old SLRs like Nikon F, Canon AE, or even the Leica, Pentax Spotmatic, Minolta SRT, and even Zenit were made differently. Larger and heavier, using sturdier often metal parts, and simpler movements which don't cause much strain.

Having sturdy metal parts and its relevance to shutter life doesn't have to be explained. The parts are gears and levers and arms instead of hair-like wires and rivets. The movement involved is much simpler too. The shutter does less and isn't as strained. The primitive mechanism prevents the shutter from firing as fast as a newer shutter, but the less strain keeps it alive longer.

Some of the older shutters have delicate cloth parts which can tear or dry or crumble. But unlike the newer modular shutters, classic shutters can be (and were meant to be) repaired. An old focal plane in a Nikon or Leica can be expected to work for another 25 years or more after being repaired.

In contrast, DSLR shutter "repair" actually means replacement. The old worn one is removed and tossed out, and a new module is installed. When the modules run out, then it means the end of the camera too.

This isn't the case with many of the old ones. It's still possible to replace and restore shutters of 1930s Leicas.