Shutter Actuation Life Expectancy

[alex b]

I am currently scouring ebay to purchase my 1st DSLR.

One thing I see being mentioned is the number of actuations & that the life expectancy of the shutter actuations on the Canon 450d is 100,000.

Does this mean that once it hits this the camera body is redundant ?

[MonkeyHanger]

alex said:

Does this mean that once it hits this the camera body is redundant ?

Not at all.

The figures quoted are an average. Some will die at 10,000 and some will do 200,000+. Most will do 100,000 without issues.

[Simpo Two]

Evidently they haven't got round to fitting a 'nobble' chip which goes ping at 100,001 actuations

[M-J-B]

Simpo Two said:

Evidently they haven't got round to fitting a 'nobble' chip which goes ping at 100,001 actuations

Oh I think you'll find they have

[Don]

Isn't there some odd internet meme (particularly in Japan) about Sony stuff dying just out of warranty period?

[K12beano]

MonkeyHanger said:

alex said:

Does this mean that once it hits this the camera body is redundant ?

Not at all.

The figures quoted are an average. Some will die at 10,000 and some will do 200,000+. Most will do 100,000 without issues.

I expect it is more than that, isn't it? IIRC, Nikon test their shutter units to 250,000 actuations and in a range of conditions. But clearly it depends upon treatment and use.

In extreme cold and damp or heat and dust you can probably expect it to vary, but follow the test conditions, the shutter should still be performing as it left the factory. By that time, I'd suggest a visit to Canon for a service. Unless you're considering a body with literally 300,000 actuations already I don't suppose it is worth worrying about it in the degrees of risk which you're exposing yourself on a secondhand body purchase.

Having said that, at the price of a decent body, I'd probably err on the side of a premium for a dealer 12 month warranty.......

[alex b]

Thanks for the info, so it is possible to service the body to enable it to carry on.

I'm looking at either a 1000D or a 450D, so nothing majorly expensive, but enough money to enquire about these things.

Thanks again

[GetCarter]

With Nikon equipment the Dx bodies have a shtter life expectancy of twice the Dxx, Dxxx or Dxxxx versions.

[itsnotarace]

alex b said:

Thanks for the info, so it is possible to service the body to enable it to carry on.

Yes but a replacement shutter will set you back approx £250 dependant on the manufacturer and model

[Simpo Two]

If I photograph 25 weddings a year and take 500 photos at each one, that's 12,500 photos a year. A camera rated at 100,000 actuations will therfore last me at least 8 years - and I use two cameras so that's 16 years.

Chances are you will outgrow the body long before you run out of shutter actuations!

[itsnotarace]

12,500 a year? I can clear that in a single day

[Simpo Two]

Turn burst mode off

[itsnotarace]

Hah, never!

I'll stick to sports thanks, having to do weddings would make my skin crawl

[MonkeyHanger]

K12beano said:

I expect it is more than that, isn't it? IIRC, Nikon test their shutter units to 250,000 actuations and in a range of conditions.

The OP asked about a specific Canon body, for which they quote 100,000. I know sweet FA about Nikon kit so i can't comment

[ian in lancs]

itsnotarace said:

12,500 a year? I can clear that in a single day

My D300s has just clocked over 10000 since October 2009 and over 1200 on my one month old D700 all in 7 months.

[Chicken Pox]

itsnotarace said:

12,500 a year? I can clear that in a single day

that arthritus sticking your finger down on the button is a bh isn't it



I'll

[RobDickinson]

I took 5k a year on my 350D about.

I'm just shy of 10,000 on my 7D now after 5 months.... Who cares, shuttr will cary on untill it stops then replace it or the body.

[LongQ]

alex b said:

Does this mean that once it hits this the camera body is redundant ?

Possibly not entirely redundant (or obsolete) if you hit that in the first 2 year after release - which for the 450D is about now I guess?

Thereafter you always run the risk the advances in what is on offer will make you think that the older stuff is or soon will be obsolete for your purposes.

Of course if you are running 1 second timelapse video creations thorugh a mains power supply the life expectancy may be a little shorter in terms of elapsed time.

[Simpo Two]

LongQ said:

Of course if you are running 1 second timelapse video creations thorugh a mains power supply the life expectancy may be a little shorter in terms of elapsed time.

Timelapse in elapsed time?

[tinman0]

alex b said:

I am currently scouring ebay to purchase my 1st DSLR.

One thing I see being mentioned is the number of actuations & that the life expectancy of the shutter actuations on the Canon 450d is 100,000.

Does this mean that once it hits this the camera body is redundant ?

Got to about 60k on my 400D before it bit me. But by then it was 3 years old, and had had a hard life, and got replaced by a mint s/h 400D for £234 off Ebay.

But you've got to be going some to get over 30k in my opinion.