X-E1 Shutter Count

[BingoCharlie]

Sorry folks, I know this has been asked before but I've not seen a definitive answer.

New X-E1. To my knowledge, there's no way to "see" the camera's shutter count. Photo numbering on the SD card started at 1401. Does this indicate the camera came with 1400 shutter activations or is Fuji just being weird/quirky and starting the file numbering at 1400?

Thanks in advance for any guidance. The camera was purchased from Crutchfield and it doesn't seem like they would re-sell an open box item as new, but you never know.

 

[dark13star]

My first X-E1 came from Amazon and it had clearly been used. The count was off, as with yours, and it had many settings already set. It didn't start up asking for Language, date, and time. Amazon apologized and exchanged it without an issue, even though I told them I neededmitmfor a 1 week trip first

 

[HB1969]

There's no way of finding out the shutter actuations from the xe1 as far as I know.

I've been told that nikon write that data into their exif file but fuji and canon (probably lots of other manufacturers) don't.

The file number can be affected by lots of things so it's a poor way of determining the shutter actuations...These include whether file numbering is set to "reset" or "continuous" and also (at least for canon) if you put a card in that has a different file number than the one stored in the camera's memory. Canon camera's will continue from which ever number is higher. I don't know if Fuji camera's do the same.

All I can say about your camera is that it has been used at least once before. Sorry I can't be any more helpful than that :-(

 

[Albert Valentino]

I bought mine from Amazon and it did look like it was used before and returned as som ethings were opened already. But I kept it.

As for shutter count, no idea how to tell but I think this is less of an issue than with DSLR which has moving parts like the mirror that flips up to take a shot.

 

[Brad P]

I had the same issue recently. I received an X-E1 from an eBay seller who indicated he had received it as a gift and had used it just a few times. When I saw the first image number (over 8000) I obviously had my doubts. I confirmed that formatting the SD card I was using had no effect on this number; subsequent images just incremented from the previous. I returned the camera and purchased a new one from B & H. The first image number on this new camera was 0001. So that confirmed for me that the image # on the used camera was an accurate indicator of the shutter count. There is an option in the menu to change this (continuous or renew). With the latter the image number is reset to 0001 after formatting or inserting a new SD card.

 

[MrFresno]

There is no way to tell the accurate shutter count on Fuji cameras. The file number tells you nothing about the number of shutter actuations. A file number of 8000 might mean the camera has taken only one image or it could be thousands; it is impossible to tell.

 

[BingoCharlie]

Thanks, all. The camera DID ask me to set the language, time, date, etc, which gave me some comfort. The plastic bag the camera came in also had a silver sticker with "Fuji" written all over it that appeared unbroken.

 

[BingoCharlie]

Here's a question: does Fuji use yellow tape for some of their bags in the box? A few of them (batter charger, etc) were sealed with bright yellow tape. Seemed a little weird.

 

[nboyer]

Brad - It's really difficult to say. Allow me to give you a feasible scenario. Let's say that the eBay seller really did receive it as a gift, stuck in an SD card that he had shot over 8000 images with another camera just to test it. The gifted camera would pick up from the image count on the card. You receive the camera with the false image count recorded on the camera and assume that the camera had been greatly used. I'm not saying that is what happened and one can never be too careful about an eBay transaction, but it's not always a clear cut scenario. I'm not at all faulting you for returning the camera, I may have done the very same thing, but the situation is ambiguous for sure. I would think that Fuji must have some way of determining the shutter count, it's just not likely available to the public. Cheers. -Norm

Brad P wrote:

I had the same issue recently. I received an X-E1 from an eBay seller who indicated he had received it as a gift and had used it just a few times. When I saw the first image number (over 8000) I obviously had my doubts. I confirmed that formatting the SD card I was using had no effect on this number; subsequent images just incremented from the previous. I returned the camera and purchased a new one from B & H. The first image number on this new camera was 0001. So that confirmed for me that the image # on the used camera was an accurate indicator of the shutter count. There is an option in the menu to change this (continuous or renew). With the latter the image number is reset to 0001 after formatting or inserting a new SD card.

 

[Tom Schum]

My X-E1 came to me new from B&H in New York City.

I kept the box and all packing material. Looking at all this I seem to remember the body inside a plastic bag that had a Fujifilm anti-tamper sticker holding it together. As soon as I removed that, it was plain to see that the bag had been opened. Not likely I could put it back together and make it look like it was new.

There was also some bright yellow tape holding some bags closed, but they were for charger and accessory items.

Camera asked for language etc when I turned it on the first time, if I remember correctly. The first image I saved was DSCF0008, so my counter probably started at zero. I think I formatted the SD card when I first put it into the camera. After 3-4 months I am only up to 4006.

I have two SD cards and swap them from time to time. This does not change the image numbering however.

My guess is that you have a used camera.

 

[dark13star]

I think the anti-tamper tape is the best indicator. I forgot to mention that it had clearly been opened on the Fuji I returned.

 

[Brad P]

With all due respect I want to comment on the suggestions that the X-E1 can read the image file name on an SD and can use this to increment the internal counter. There's no question that the camera can extract information from the inserted SD card; if the relevant setup menu item (Frame No: continuous or renew) is set to renew then the image number is reset to 0 if a new or newly formatted SD card is detected. However, when this menu option is set to continuous (which is the default and which was the setting on both the used camera and the new camera I referenced) then it would make no sense for the image number to jump all over the place, depending on what was on the inserted card when the number is supposed to be continuous. I'm not saying this is impossible but usually the simplest explanation is closest to the truth.

I did do the following experiment using two different SD cards. On the first card the last image # was DSCF0148. Then I replaced it with a new SD card and took three pics; the image numbers on this new card were 149-151. Then I re-inserted the original card on which the last number was 148. I took two more pics on this card and their numbers were 152 and 153. So at least I can be assured the camera was not creating the last two image names based on what it found on that card. If that had been the case the image names should have been DSCF0149 and DSCF0150. Of course one can always argue that the camera will only reset to a higher number, not a lower one. I can't disprove that on this evidence but again it's not likely to work that way.

 

[BurpeesAreHard]

Brad P wrote:

With all due respect I want to comment on the suggestions that the X-E1 can read the image file name on an SD and can use this to increment the internal counter.

I don't have an X-E1, just an X100. On an X100, you can use your computer's file system to set the number to anything you want and then put that image on the card and the camera will take off from there. BUT - this only works immediately after you install new firmware. On an X100, new firmware installation wipes out any persisted settings, apparently including the image count. I see in the list of X100s improvements that number 45 is "No formatting on the setting when updating FW." so I guess you can't do that any more. As I say, I don't know about the X-E1, but if it works the same way as an X100, a technician might upgrade the firmware just before shipping, then put in any old handy SD card for testing.

 

[Brad P]

I have to take back all that I've said before. I took an SD card an renamed the image name to a number in the 5000's. After taking additional pics the image counter has clearly continued to increment from the new, high number that I placed on the card. And there doesn't seem to be anything I can do to get the number back down to where it should be. I noted that when I changed the number, the camera created a new folder (105_FUJI) because the number I created was in the 5000's. There also was a folder named 101_FUJI but when I changed the image number back to 160 and took more pics, it didn't use the 101 folder but rather the 105 folder with the newly created, 5000+ number. Oh well - serves me right. Let's hope I don't need to sell the camera and try to convince a buyer that it has a low shutter count.

 

[Brad P]

As soon as I posted I realized that I could just change the setup menu item to renew rather than continuous and put a newly formatted card in. I did this and the image number was reset to 0.

 

[HB1969]

It sounds like Fuji does the same thing as canon camera's when it comes to file numbers and are easy to reset to what you want it to. I found the same problem many years ago when I used a card from my canon P&S (which had a file number in the thousands) in my (then) new canon dslr. The numbering system continued from the higher number on the card. I found a fix after a google search so this may work for the fuji...

1. Format a card or use a new one.

2. Change the numbering system on the camera to "reset" and take a single frame. The number should be 0001 in folder 100.

3. Transfer the card to a computer and change the number of the image AND the folder to what you want the numbers to continue from. So according to Brad P's experience on how the image numbers and folders work on the Fuji, if you want the numbers to continue from 2354, change the file number on the card to DSCF2354 and the folder to 102_FUJI.

4. Change the camera's frame numbering back to "continuous". Place the card with the altered number back in the camera and take another shot. The number of the new shot should be 2355.

Brad, I think if you want the numbers to continue from 160 then you should use the following changes: Change the number of the file to DSCF0160 and the folder to 100_FUJI. Hopefully that would work. Good luck.