Shutter actuations are also a bane of digital photography... Do you consider this everytime your finger squeezes/pushes that release? :)

:Shock: I've been wondering about this, pero wala pa akong nabasa about the shutter life of DSLRs. Do you have any idea about this? :BlackEye:

According to the oldtimers at DPReview, most develop problems once they reach 100k. Personally, I've had my camera for two years now, and I have yet to reach 4500 actuations. I really have to go out and shoot more often.

i used to think about it ALL THE TIME! but realized late last year that there are just too many photo op to pass off. as the saying goes... a new shutter mechanism would cost you some dough... but a "kodak moment" is priceless:Grin:

btw, based from the readings i did - the shutter life of cameras do differ - prof grades 120k clicks and above. for my D70s its around 70k-100k... :)

Well as I always say, not a moment to lose... :) Right Levi?! :D

I am not so concerned with the shutter life as much as my conscious effort to compose my shot. After 5 years of just shooting away like there's no tomorrow hoping that at least one of the photos comes out nice, I am now more disciplined (or so I say) in clicking that shutter release button.

But, I still do have a lot of wild shooting days...


@nap

time to shoot... more!!!


@levi and joel

shoot til you drop, guys!!!

I'd rather break the shutter from overuse than have it last forever and not get my money's worth out of it. Any DSLR will be obsolete anyway within a couple of years.

Well as I always say, not a moment to lose... :) Right Levi?! :D

one thing is for sure... you're contagious!! hehehe

A couple of years ago, I was shooting wild birds at Samal Island when the shutter of my 300D died (10T clicks), just when the action started to heat up. So as not to spoil the trip, I rushed to SM-Davao and got another 300D.

Since then, I always carry a backup body and stopped worrying about shutter failures. Curiously, my 1DM2's shutter died at 11k clicks, while my 20D and 350D are well over 50T clicks each and still running good as new with the original shutters.....:)

Romy

Yup your shutter mech. can be replaced... but that quintessential moment fades away and never returns... :) "Nothing lasts forever--even the earth or sky." Cheers and happy shooting everyone. :D

@romy

why such performance from the cameras, 10-11k is way too low for the shutter to give... it's a good thing you have back-up cameras... or in the davao incident, emergency fund... whew! if that was me, i'd be whining all the way home... heheheheh...

yeah i used to think about it all the time, trying to save shutter life defeats the purpose though. dont be a slave to your gear.

@carlo

high five on that!

@ din

Time to squeeze that trigger... :-)

@romy

why such performance from the cameras, 10-11k is way too low for the shutter to give... it's a good thing you have back-up cameras... or in the davao incident, emergency fund... whew! if that was me, i'd be whining all the way home... heheheheh...

Hi Dindin,

My pro-body had the worst shutter life among my DSLRs, probably a production fluke (these things should last 200k clicks).

But when these things happen, they tend to do so at the most inconvenient moment. This time, I was shooting the rarely seen and photographed Purple Needletail on top of one of the small mountains in Bataan. These are very fast fliers, and they made a "swoosh" sound as they passed about 20 meters from my position.

Here's one of the better captures:

http://www.pbase.com/liquidstone/image/58222911.jpg


And here's the failure point 22 frames later:

http://www.pbase.com/liquidstone/image/58222695.jpg


I immediately mounted the backup 20D on the 400 5.6L to continue shooting, but sadly this camera's AF is not fast enough to pick up the jet-birds from the busy background. So I packed up, came back to Manila and went straight to Canon Service. Canon Manila was gracious enough to replace the 1DM2's shutter for free even if the warranty had lapsed for a couple of months, kudos to them...:)


Romy

The only time I ever thought of the shutter life was when the shutter curtain assembly of my 10d stopped functioning. I had the shutter replaced and I've been using it ever since. :D

The shutter count was 110,974 though by the time the shutter curtain assembly had to be replaced.

So the camera just stops working?

When i first got my camera, I used burst mode just for kicks; I aimed the camera wherever and fired away. I then read about limited shutter actuations and from then on, I only use the camera to take photos and not just for simple kicks. :D

i used to!...but for now, not really...or at least not that much...

@ Carlo

Thanks a great quote - Let's not be a slave to our gear!

yeah i used to think about it all the time, trying to save shutter life defeats the purpose though. dont be a slave to your gear.

Yup, I know what you mean... specially if your gear is brand new, "parang ayaw mong gamitin." :) But it's just a phase...

I'd rather break the shutter from overuse than have it last forever and not get my money's worth out of it. Any DSLR will be obsolete anyway within a couple of years.

Completely agree with this one.

I'd rather keep shooting and capture the moment rather than worry that the camera may be closing in at its possible actuation limit.

I sometimes make 3fps movies using my Canon 350D. :D

I sometimes make 3fps movies using my Canon 350D. :D

Nice one Dys! :) You reminded me of a friend... He makes 5fps movies for each key wedding shot. :D

My KM-7D is already on its 249,975th frame... no problems whatsoever. It's the sensor dust that I am mostly bothered... been cleaning/swiping it almost twice a month.
:Angry: :Mad: :Scared:

i used to since the 350D can only shoot from 50K - 60K. but after some thinking, the cost of a new shutter replacement will be less than 1 peso per shot. but i guess this reason should not give photographers a license to shoot and shoot without discipline. :)

i've had my 300D died for just about 6months, im not sure how many actuations does it have but im happy with what i shoot. i have the shutter assembly replaced and it is good as new again.

My KM-7D is already on its 249,975th frame... no problems whatsoever. It's the sensor dust that I am mostly bothered... been cleaning/swiping it almost twice a month.
:Angry: :Mad: :Scared:

Wow Jose! 249,975 frames! Ok ka siguro sa maintenance protocol. :Grin:

i have about 5k actuations with my 2 month old camera...i don’t mind as long as i am enjoying it.

Wow Jose! 249,975 frames! Ok ka siguro sa maintenance protocol. :Grin:

Earl... I'm so lucky to have a KM-technician as a friend here in KSA. My camera gets serviced personally (e.g. the usual cleaning, re-calibration of body and lenses, and sensor re-alignment). This is one aspect of digital photography that we need to look at seriously nowadays... that is, taking care of our technicians. We have to make sure that they get paid adequately so that they will take care of our equipment excellently. Kamusta na ba ang after-sales service sa Pilipinas? This is one thing that I worry about when I retire to the Philippines someday.:Scared:

In my case, everything else worked. But I kept on getting completely black images because the shutter curtain was no longer opening.

Enjoy your camera and get your money's worth out of it. :D





So the camera just stops working?

When i first got my camera, I used burst mode just for kicks; I aimed the camera wherever and fired away. I then read about limited shutter actuations and from then on, I only use the camera to take photos and not just for simple kicks. :D

Earl... I'm so lucky to have a KM-technician as a friend here in KSA. My camera gets serviced personally (e.g. the usual cleaning, re-calibration of body and lenses, and sensor re-alignment). This is one aspect of digital photography that we need to look at seriously nowadays... that is, taking care of our technicians. We have to make sure that they get paid adequately so that they will take care of our equipment excellently. Kamusta na ba ang after-sales service sa Pilipinas? This is one thing that I worry about when I retire to the Philippines someday.:Scared:

Hi Jose: Actually, the after-sales service is one of the key issues being addressed this month/ASAP... Hopefully under this new listenning management... Everything gets changed for the better. :)

As for technicians... Yup you are right on that one! Everybody should be compensated accordingly! :Grin:

I really don't mind how many shutter actuations i have...I just wanna enjoy my cam :)

Well for those who are conscious about their dslr shutter actuations check this out :

http://www.olegkikin.com/shutterlife/

do you replace the whole body or just the shutter?

Hi Guys, Newbie question here, how can you check the shutter countof your DSLRs? I have had my Nikon D80 for sometime now and i really would like to know how to check the shutter count on my Cam. TIA

I've lost count already...Is there any way I could check through the MENU Settings? Oh I use a D50 by the way :)

Nothing to worry about shutter life so long as we know that it can be replaced. I just did... my KM7D experienced the "black frame syndrome"... first frame that comes out every time I turn-on the camera and start taking pictures is simply black. This is due to overuse (surpassed the 100K shutter actuation barrier... in fact reached ~300K shutter actuations in a span of 2 years). Remedy is to replace the whole shutter-assembly (costed me about $200)... and while at the service center, they also managed to re-align sensor and re-calibrate focussing. It's just like giving a new life to my well-trusted KM Dynax 7D.

no worries at all! the cost of shutter assembly doesnt match the memories that i capture!:D

what's a shutter life? :D

My camera has also reached the end of its shutter life. I was totally clueless before that there is a limit to the no. of actuations. I have been using my D70 for 3 years without problems and it suddenly stopped working. I brought it to Columbia for servicing. At first they didnt know what the problem was until I told them that it might be the shutter life. Unfortunately, they don't have any spare parts for the shutter. Columbia informed me that I might have to wait between 3 and 4 months as they still need to order the spare from Japan :(. This really sucks.... I can't wait for that long. I miss my D70 already... I hope Nikon can have better after sales support in the Philippines.

how much does it cost to repair a broken shutter anyway? i dont think it'll be too much... its not like youre gna need to replace the whole camera when the shutter does break... i would love to hear from those who had to replace their whole shutter assembly... i really dont think there are any out there...

i read from a different thread that some people count the depreciation of their camera body by counting the shutter actuations. i just dont agree with this. its the part that breaks, not the whole camera. would u stop using your car if you know that it will break in the future because of use? why buy something u wont use because u know it will break because of use? lol. stop counting guys! start shooting! :)

see... jose deluna merely replaced his whole assembly for $200. thats not a lot. thats not the whole camera :) oh just read agnes' post about the wait for her d70... yikes... cost might not be the issue in her case but waiting sure does suck... how much did they say it will cost tho?

how much does it cost to repair a broken shutter anyway? i dont think it'll be too much... its not like youre gna need to replace the whole camera when the shutter does break... i would love to hear from those who had to replace their whole shutter assembly... i really dont think there are any out there...

i read from a different thread that some people count the depreciation of their camera body by counting the shutter actuations. i just dont agree with this. its the part that breaks, not the whole camera. would u stop using your car if you know that it will break in the future because of use? why buy something u wont use because u know it will break because of use? lol. stop counting guys! start shooting! :)

see... jose deluna merely replaced his whole assembly for $200. thats not a lot. thats not the whole camera :) oh just read agnes' post about the wait for her d70... yikes... cost might not be the issue in her case but waiting sure does suck... how much did they say it will cost tho?


I've had my 300D(2 years ago) shutter assembly replaced for approximately $100++, but the technician told me that the cost varies based on camera models which is a 1D shutter assembly would cost more.:)

In Canon-Saudi Arabia, the whole process took about 3weeks to get the work done, since he's a filipino technician i got the priority.:D

I don't really care hehe... if it dies, it dies...

there's a difference between being aware of your shutter actuation count versus those who are over-conscious with it that it affects their way of shooting.

just shoot to your heart's content, but of course improving one's compositional skills is a must

always quality of quantity :) :D

Just a thought...

The 100K shutter actuation barrier is not constant... it may go beyond that, especially for the pro-bodies. At a rate of 100 shots per day, you'll be pressing that shutter release button approx. 36,500 times in a year... that's about 3 years before you'll reach the 100K mark. And by that time, you are already contemplating on buying a newer camera model.

Not unless you are really that fanatic, that you want to hear your camera clicking even without taking any photograph at all... just want to hear that magic click :Scared:

My D50 already reached 10T++ in just a year. I really don't mind the shutter count for as long I am enjoying and getting my money's worth. Besides, DSLR's are like cellphones, they depreciate fast. When I got my D80, it's another challenge for me to enjoy my camera. The 1 year old D50 is now being used by my wife :)

only when i'm selling the unit so i can price it properly

Shutter actuations are also a bane of digital photography... Do you consider this everytime your finger squeezes/pushes that release? :)

Who cares:) just joking. Those highly technical people thinks that at least 100,000 open/close movement is the life of each shutter.

Just imagine if your are using your camera's shutter of 100 exposures a day. Then you have at least 3,000 exposures a month, multipled into 12 (in a year)= you already have 36,000 exposures. Does it mean after 2 years and 7 months the shutter life dies? No worries it can be replace, cheer up. Just a thought guys.

Jeffrey

Just love the sound of high speed burst when tracking a bird in-flight either using the 350D, the 30D, or the 1DMKII. About 90% of the time, my cameras are set @ A1 Servo and High burst modes. When I'm out there, I worry more about light and positioning rather than my gear dying on me. If one stops working, there's always the backup. And if the backup stops as well, there's always another backup. If all three stops working...time to replace either the shutter or get a new body. As many have already said, a captured moment in time is very hard to replicate.

i don't think about it. u can always replace the shutter, i think its not that expensive anyway. :) bastat may spare parts, alang problema! so take care of things na alang spare parts :)

My friend had the shutter mechanism of her Canon 20D replaced. It cost her P6k.

I'm already at 30k on my D40. I hope it dies within the next 6 months (what's left of the warranty) so I can get it replaced for free. :)

I'll keep trying... :Grin:

I don't know.. but the warranty states that normal wear and tear is not covered.. only factory deffects are covered. :D

I say just shoot and shoot. The moment I brought it out of the box it already depreciated. Now I'm just getting the fun out of the money I paid for it.

If it breaks, let it break cause I broke it from use, not cause it was sitting in my bag.

Worrying about your shutter life is like worrying you'll worn-out your Toyo Z tires or a carpenter worrying he'll over-use his hammer... In normal or extraordinary use, it will expire eventually... If you don't want it to wore out, then don't buy a camera... hehehehe

I don't know.. but the warranty states that normal wear and tear is not covered.. only factory deffects are covered. :D

I guess it depends on the service center. Nikon USA definitely covers it under warranty. :)

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1034&message=23741471

I have this habid of wielding my camera as if it's a machine gun. I get my kicks shooting in burst shots whenever I have a chance. Suppose my D40's shutter dies out tonight. Does anyone know how much it'd cost to replace? (So that i can save up for it while i'm shooting away. :Grin: )

Can we really get to that 100k mark before we upgrade? Why not enjoy what we love most. Forget the shutter count, and just shoot. If it goes, then it is time to buy a new toy. Just like kids, enjoy the toy. Once it breaks, ask mom and dad for a new one. By the time you break it, there will be new ones. So, go out and shoot, shoot, shoot. Enjoy your passion. :D

I have this habid of wielding my camera as if it's a machine gun. I get my kicks shooting in burst shots whenever I have a chance. Suppose my D40's shutter dies out tonight. Does anyone know how much it'd cost to replace? (So that i can save up for it while i'm shooting away. :Grin: )

Here are ffg charges for shutter replacement.

D40 - 5,710
D40x - 6,040
D50 - 7,835
D70/S - 8,080
D80 - 7,075
D200 - 10,620
D1/h/x - 11,115
D2/h/s/x - 11,665


Taken from nikon philippines forum: http://www.nikon.net.ph/forum.htm

for me as long as Canon and Nikon has a shutter replacement available that wont be a big deal. however, the fast release of newer models make me worry, how long will they support the parts of the older models? will it be more expensive to replace the shutter if the model you have right now is no longer in production? the good thing about fuji S2 and S3 models is they can use the F80 for parts replacement.

how can you check your shutter actuations for d40x?

how can you check your shutter actuations for d40x?

How about for the Nikon D40 too?

Thanks in advance to anyone who can help provide the information.

Here are ffg charges for shutter replacement.

D40 - 5,710
D40x - 6,040
D50 - 7,835
D70/S - 8,080
D80 - 7,075
D200 - 10,620
D1/h/x - 11,115
D2/h/s/x - 11,665


Taken from nikon philippines forum: http://www.nikon.net.ph/forum.htm

Wow.. At this price shutter life won't be too much of a big deal. Thanks so much for the info!

I usually don't worry about it as long as I'm here in Manila ... my Canon 350D's shutter can easily be replaced ... my main worry is when I travel overseas or go out for a special shoot ...

I was wondering when you buy your camera brand new is it zero shutter count? I bought mine at hidalgo brand new last september and now when i check it its 1205 count already. I dont think i had shoot it that many

Wow.. At this price shutter life won't be too much of a big deal. Thanks so much for the info!

I wonder how much Canon would charge for shutter replacements.

nope just shoot ng shoot he..he how about sa canon magkano ang shutter replacement?

They really wear out huh? how much does it take for the D40's shutter to give up??

I am not so concerned with the shutter life as much as my conscious effort to compose my shot. After 5 years of just shooting away like there's no tomorrow hoping that at least one of the photos comes out nice, I am now more disciplined (or so I say) in clicking that shutter release button.

But, I still do have a lot of wild shooting days...

Same sentiments :p I don't even bring around a lens cap. It gets in the way (Yes I'm that bumb) have fun in HK, Achi! Hopefully I can con my dad to take me this week

How do you guys find out the number of actuations for a shutter?

To find out the actual shutter actuations you can read this article on Ken Rockwell about using softwares to read it:

http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/exif-reader.htm

Alternatively, you can upload to flickr unmodified jpeg shot and then view the picture and go Additional Information and click on more properties. There you will see your "Shutter Count".

shutter life? what's that? heheehe

No. I'm not.. Dust? probably....

Old thread resurrected, hehe. Good thing for newbies like me. :)

What took away my worries about shutter life is simple math. I read somewhere that casual/hobbyist/occasional shooters (like me) shoot at about 1,000 clicks per month or 12,000 shots per year. So, if my camera (D300) has a shutter life of 150,000, it will take more than ten years for my shutter to die (that is, all other factors leading to shorter shutter life being on check). So instead of worrying about shutter life, I actually now worry whether I should be shooting more!

I really am not too concerned about shutter life. What I'm more concerned about is how much I have improved with my photography skills... so far it's still a long way to go for me and would probably take about 10 shutter replacements before I could call myself good at this.

I don't. I worry about my shot before anything else. Am I going to get the right exposure?

I use film, BTW. Still a long way before owning a DSLR. Or maybe I won't. :)

Yeah..Shutter life is for real. Nothing to worry about it though, for as long as every click you make in your shutter makes sense. :)

No..
But before, yes. I'm really worried because I spent my hard-earned money in buying the camera thinking that it will really get broken soon. That's because my camera's new that time. Now, I'm really focusing on how I can improve my photography skills and how I can manage my timing in photography.. I will buy another camera in the near-future so why not abuse my D40 today if I can have a D3x soon? HAHAHA!!! Using=improvements :)

Yes. I'm always thinking if the shot is worth pressing the shutter. :D

None, Zero, I dont care :Grin: