What is shutter count, and why does it matter?

'What is shutter count?' is a popular question amongst new photographers. It's a phrase you often hear when browsing cameras or watching online tutorials, but it's easy to miss the definition if you haven't been shown. 

Here's our full guide to shutter count, and why it's an important photography term to understand. 

 

What is shutter count?

The shutter count on a camera relates to the number of times the shutter has been used to take a photo. In a nutshell, it is the number of photos the camera has taken in its lifetime. 

 

How to check the shutter count 

In most modern DSLR or mirrorless cameras, the shutter count is recorded by the camera’s internal firmware, and it is also recorded in the EXIF data of each photo taken. 

Therefore, the easiest way to check a camera’s shutter count is to look at the EXIF data of the most recent photo. 

Alternatively, you can connect the camera via USB to the manufacturer’s software and find it that way.

Related: The 3 essential camera filters and how to use them

 

Why should you know your digital camera’s shutter count?

Why does it matter, then? It matters because the shutter is a mechanical device that can wear out over time, like your car engine. 

Knowing the camera’s shutter count is like knowing the mileage on a car you want to buy or sell. It is important to know this if you are planning to buy a used camera or you want to sell your own. 

Like a used car, it can help determine the camera’s value and indicate how much it has been used and what life it can have left.

Replacing a camera’s mechanical shutter is significantly cheaper than replacing a car’s engine. Therefore, while a camera shutter may be close to the end of its life, it can still be replaced quite easily. 

Although, the cost can be quite high concerning the camera’s value, so you will want to weigh up the repair cost against a newer camera. 

Also, like a car, it could be obsolete by the time the shutter reaches its lifespan—unless a trigger-happy sports, action or wildlife photographer has used it.

 

What is the mechanical shutter?

The film or sensor must be exposed to light when taking a photo, but only when capturing the image. 

Therefore, when not in use, it must be covered completely by a black curtain. 

When you take a photo, the curtain or curtains open to expose the sensor to light for the time it takes to correctly capture the image. This can be anywhere from 1/8000 sec to 30 seconds and even several minutes and is known as the shutter speed.

In most cases, photos are taken using a fraction of a second. Additionally, cameras can also shoot multiple photos one after another. 

High-end cameras can shoot up to 20fps (20 photos in one second, which means the shutter opens and closes 20 times in just one second). 

Now, the mechanics of it are very complicated. Numerous moving parts fire off in sequence and, in the case of fast shutter speeds, extremely rapidly. 

Imagine the toll this takes on all those tiny moving parts. This is the primary reason your shutter has a limited life and why knowing the shutter count is so important.

Related: A complete guide to lens distortion in photography

 

What is considered a high shutter count?

All modern cameras come with a life expectancy attached to the mechanical shutter. At the lower end, it’s usually 50,000 to 100,000 clicks. Mid-range is up to 200,000, and high-end cameras are up to 400,000. 

 

Is a high shutter count an indication of a hard life?

While a high shutter count may seem like an indication of a hard life, many other factors can determine the condition of a used camera. 

Just like a used car, if it’s a good quality make and model, has been well looked after, regularly cleaned and serviced, it can still be in good working condition. 

However, if it’s been driven like a madman (a trigger-happy photographer), the shutter could be in bad condition from being fired rapidly on ultrafast continuous mode. 

Conversely, it may have a low shutter count, but the owner could have travelled a lot with it, not kept it in any protective case and generally treated it carelessly. 

If the owner has young kids and didn’t keep it out of reach, they could well have messed around with it or knocked it off tables. 

 

What is the difference between a mechanical and an electronic shutter?

The difference between these two is, in fact, quite important. 

The mechanical shutter uses many moving parts to open and close the curtain that covers your sensor (or film in older cameras). These are the parts that can wear out over time and eventually break. 

On the contrary, the electronic shutter has no moving parts and will not suffer the same fate. It typically has a longer lifespan. 

This, of course, applies to more modern mirrorless cameras. A DSLR will not have an electronic shutter. 

However, most mirrorless cameras do come with the option of using both. You can choose to shoot with the mechanical shutter alone, electronic first curtain or full electronic shutter. The electronic first curtain setting still uses the mechanical shutter. 

Therefore, when determining the shutter life of a mirrorless camera, you need to consider the shutter count of the mechanical one only. 

Thankfully, the camera manufacturers record which shutter was used in each photo, thus recording the shutter count of the mechanical and electronic separately.

Naturally, this means that if you buy a used mirrorless camera where the owner tended to shoot either exclusively or mostly using the electronic shutter, this camera will still have a longer life.

This doesn’t mean that if someone has a mirrorless, they will be shooting this way. 

There can be a drawback to using the electronic shutter when photographing fast-moving objects or panning—this is rolling shutter distortion. 

A photographer will still tend to use the mechanical shutter in this instance to avoid this problem. For this reason, be sure to differentiate between the mechanical and electronic shutter count when considering the purchase of a mirrorless camera. 

 Related: The essential features of every digital camera

 

Is it possible to wind back the clock?

In the old days, when you bought a car from a dodgy car salesman, it could be difficult to know if the mileage was genuine. They had cunning ways of winding back the mileage clock to make it seem like the car had seen less use than it had.

Is it possible to do the same with the shutter count on a camera?

Of course, nothing is impossible—but it would be highly unlikely. 

Firstly, as stated, the shutter count is also recorded in the EXIF of the latest photo. Thus, you can insist on seeing the seller’s recent photos taken from the camera. 

Additionally, this is all recorded in the camera’s firmware, which is inside the camera’s hardware and not accessible through any of the settings or external software. It would take a very skilled hacker to get in and do this.

 

Why is it useful to know the camera shutter count?

Essentially, the primary reason is to determine the camera’s value. Whether you are looking to buy or sell, the shutter count can be a determining factor. You can also use this knowledge to bargain down the asking price of an old camera with a high shutter count.

 

Specialist camera insurance through Ripe Photography

Taking your new camera out on a shoot? You may want to protect your it alongside your accessories through specialist photography insurance. 

At Ripe, we arrange bespoke cover that can be tailored to fit your exact requirements, so you only ever pay for what you need. You can cover up to £60,000 of equipment for theft and accidental damage so that you can continue your shoots with peace of mind. 

Click here to learn more about specialist camera insurance, or hit the button below to get an online quote today.