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Used A9 with 324k shutter count. Keep or sell?

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FelixCatana

FelixCatana

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Long story short:

I bought a used A9, in good condition and under warranty until June 2024, but it has 324K actuations! Should I sell it and buy a less used one?

The rest of the story:

I've been using a D750 for the past 6 years to shoot weddings part-time. I almost bought a new A7III this Black Friday, but I decided to look for a used A9 instead. A speed demon for a very reasonable price: amazing realtime AF (which the A7III lacks) and overall faster operation thanks to the advanced electronic shutter (60 AF calculations per second).

Basically, I want to shoot my primes worry free and focus more on the composition and interacting with my couples. The D750 often has almost there images when it comes to focus, especially with my Sigma 35 1.4, although I love this lens when it clicks.

I won an eBay auction for an A9 that is under 5-year European warranty until 21/06/2024 for 1950€ ($2150). I was so happy with winning the auction that I overlooked too easily the fact that the seller skilfully avoided the shutter count question. I should have been more thorough, but life goes on.

I was ecstatic when I received it and played a lot with it with a Tamron 28-70. A week later, when I checked the shutter count, I felt a void in my stomach. I first thought it was a mistake, then triple checked with different tools. The camera has 324.844 actuations... It still boggles my mind how you could get to this number with an A9. The only theory I have is the guy shot timelapses, but why use an A9 for that, and why not do it use the almost perfect e-shutter instead?

I know the shutter is rated to 500k, but it's very demotivating to use a 300k shutter regularly. I often use strobes indoors and outdoors, so the mechanical shutter will see some use.

It's still a pretty attractive camera thanks to the 2024 warranty, original box and documentation, so I could rather easily resell it here in Paris and get a less used one (under 20-30k actuations). Should I do that, or should I just suck it up and keep using it?

What do you guys think?
 
The warranty covers the shutter failure, right?

If yes, then it's not bad, you could use it, and actually hope that the shutter fails before June 2024, lol ... at least that's one good motivation to push you to take more photos.

You could of course resell it now and get another one, but that one might not be under warranty.
 
I have an original A9 and I don't know if it records silent shutter as a actuation or not. I have never used my A9 with the mechanical shutter and no moving parts of the shutter are used so I question if you need to worry or not about the shutter count. If silent shutter actuations are counted than I wouldn't worry about it. I can't believe someone would buy an a9 and use it with mechanical shutter because it limits the FPS unless they were using it with strobes.
 
pollup said:
The warranty covers the shutter failure, right?

You could of course resell it now and get another one, but that one might not be under warranty.
Click to expand...
I guess the warranty covers shutter failure but I don't think I'd be using that much mechanical shutter. It might just break long after the warranty expires.

Yeah, most of the used ones are out of warranty, that's what influenced me to buy this one (before knowing about the 324k...). But used A9s are also usually low on shutter count so it's less important that they're no longer under warranty
 
RGBCMYK said:
I have an original A9 and I don't know if it records silent shutter as a actuation or not.
Click to expand...
A9 doesn't record silent shutter in the shutter count. I have tested it myself. The 324k are actual mechanical shutter actuations 😔
 
FelixCatana said:
RGBCMYK said:
I have an original A9 and I don't know if it records silent shutter as a actuation or not.
Click to expand...
A9 doesn't record silent shutter in the shutter count. I have tested it myself. The 324k are actual mechanical shutter actuations 😔
Click to expand...
I fail to imagine what use case might have contributed to those 324k shutter actuations, haha..I bought a used A9 a year and a half ago and it had less than 1500 shutter actuations, which it still does. One reason why I really like the A9 compared to my other camera the A7rii is that it controls banding under electric lights and rolling shutter when panning significantly better when e-shuttering so it's just perfect to leave in e-shutter mode as far as I'm concerned.

Which is to say: the shutter isn't likely to break if you never use it :)
 
Last edited:
I never use the mechanical shutter on my A9. Unless you need to use a flash, I can't see why you would want to. IMHO the A9 is good enough in low light that you don't need a flash, but that's probably a personal preference.

Personally, I would be thrilled to buy a decent A9 for under 2,000 € - paid 2,500 € for mine. I don't care how many actuations it has since I don't need the mechanical shutter.
 
Becksvart said:
FelixCatana said:
RGBCMYK said:
I have an original A9 and I don't know if it records silent shutter as a actuation or not.
Click to expand...
A9 doesn't record silent shutter in the shutter count. I have tested it myself. The 324k are actual mechanical shutter actuations 😔
Click to expand...
I fail to imagine what use case might have contributed to those 324k shutter actuations, haha..I bought a used A9 a year and a half ago and it had less than 1500 shutter actuations, which it still does. One reason why I really like the A9 compared to my other camera the A7rii is that it controls banding under electric lights and rolling shutter when panning significantly better when e-shuttering so it's just perfect to leave in e-shutter mode as far as I'm concerned.

Which is to say: the shutter isn't likely to break if you never use it :)
Click to expand...
the only thing I can think of is... the previous owner used it for timelapse and used it in mechanical shutter...
 
Possibly worth considering how much a new shutter would be if you had to replace it. If you sell the camera with 324K actuations that may affect your resale price so you will probably loose on what you paid for it originally and then you will probably have to pay more than your paid originally for a replacement. You are covered for the next two years anyway so it may be just better to stick with what you have .
 
Sure, a less shutter count would have been preferable, but

1. This shutter has proved to be reliable after so many actuations😊

2. When you shoot mechanical only with flash, I don't think you will add much to the count

3. If it fails within the next 2 years you are covered

4. If it fails after that you can still use it in silent mode or pay around 500 usd for replacement

or

5. You may connect it to a power bank and run timelapse with mechanical shutter until the shutter quits and then claim warranty 😁

Cheers
 
Gandalf2401 said:
Sure, a less shutter count would have been preferable, but

1. This shutter has proved to be reliable after so many actuations😊

2. When you shoot mechanical only with flash, I don't think you will add much to the count

3. If it fails within the next 2 years you are covered

4. If it fails after that you can still use it in silent mode or pay around 500 usd for replacement
Click to expand...
Let's just hope it doesn't get stuck like this when it fails :-D

43f1a88be3b840b1b8b847d243a5ba4a.jpg.png
Gandalf2401 said:
or

5. You may connect it to a power bank and run timelapse with mechanical shutter until the shutter quits and then claim warranty 😁
Click to expand...
Haha, like you said this shutter has proved to be reliable after so many actuations so I think I might set a world record of mechanical actuations with a powerbank + timelapse :-D

Overall, everyone's answers here have given me much more confidence in my A9, thank you!
 
I switched to Sony in January and chose a new A7RIIIa for the reason of a longer MTBF shutter over the A7III.

My Canon 5DMKIII has 408K shots and still works perfectly absolutely no signs of weakness.

If you use it in eShutter most of the time, you'll make a zillion good pictures, and the mechanical shutter will hold out for a long time to come.
 
FelixCatana said:
Long story short:

I bought a used A9, in good condition and under warranty until June 2024, but it has 324K actuations! Should I sell it and buy a less used one?

The rest of the story:

I've been using a D750 for the past 6 years to shoot weddings part-time. I almost bought a new A7III this Black Friday, but I decided to look for a used A9 instead. A speed demon for a very reasonable price: amazing realtime AF (which the A7III lacks) and overall faster operation thanks to the advanced electronic shutter (60 AF calculations per second).

Basically, I want to shoot my primes worry free and focus more on the composition and interacting with my couples. The D750 often has almost there images when it comes to focus, especially with my Sigma 35 1.4, although I love this lens when it clicks.

I won an eBay auction for an A9 that is under 5-year European warranty until 21/06/2024 for 1950€ ($2150). I was so happy with winning the auction that I overlooked too easily the fact that the seller skilfully avoided the shutter count question. I should have been more thorough, but life goes on.

I was ecstatic when I received it and played a lot with it with a Tamron 28-70. A week later, when I checked the shutter count, I felt a void in my stomach. I first thought it was a mistake, then triple checked with different tools. The camera has 324.844 actuations... It still boggles my mind how you could get to this number with an A9. The only theory I have is the guy shot timelapses, but why use an A9 for that, and why not do it use the almost perfect e-shutter instead?

I know the shutter is rated to 500k, but it's very demotivating to use a 300k shutter regularly. I often use strobes indoors and outdoors, so the mechanical shutter will see some use.

It's still a pretty attractive camera thanks to the 2024 warranty, original box and documentation, so I could rather easily resell it here in Paris and get a less used one (under 20-30k actuations). Should I do that, or should I just suck it up and keep using it?

What do you guys think?
Click to expand...
Why are you using the mechanical shutter? Are the 324k actuations with the mechanical shutter, a combination of mechanical and electronic, or all electronic?
 
I hear you when you found out it had a lot of clicks, it does give you pause as to why you would want this camera now.

But, if looks good and like all others are saying that you will mostly use the electronic shutter, I would just blast away. Besides, you have a warranty, so don't worry about it.

I have an older Ford f-150 that me and my daughters fixed up and has over 200k on it. But it runs good and we like it. We got a great deal and it has paid for itself already, so I don't even worry about it. If the engine fails at some point, then that is that. I could always pull an engine from a scrap yard for 500.00 (minus install - ha).

Like your shutter, the 5.4l Triton could last up to 500k so I blast away with the thing. But you are in a better spot because you have a warranty and I do not.
 
Jb502 said:
Why are you using the mechanical shutter? Are the 324k actuations with the mechanical shutter, a combination of mechanical and electronic, or all electronic?
Click to expand...
The shutter count which is recorded on the A9 (and I'm guessing similar cameras) only counts the mechanical actuations. There is no way of knowing the electronic shutter count, not that it matters though :)
 
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