Do shutter cycles matter?

Ask a :

1) Used camera dealer and they will tell you that they don't matter in the least.
Is that why the majority of UK dealers list shutter cycles against used cameras?
2) eBay buyer and they will tell you that they are extremely important
that's the United Kingdom ,,,,, in the United States if you ask a major dealer like KEH what the shutter number is - love or money wont get you an answer .

its a taboo subject that they don't want you to be asking about
 
You can always replace the shutter mechanism (or have a pro do it). It costs a few bucks, sure, but it'll be way cheaper than replacing the camera.
Costs more than a few bucks, l had mine replaced many years ago, cost over £200, new camera was about £400. It is not just the parts, it is the labour as well.
 
You can always replace the shutter mechanism (or have a pro do it). It costs a few bucks, sure, but it'll be way cheaper than replacing the camera.
Costs more than a few bucks, l had mine replaced many years ago, cost over £200, new camera was about £400. It is not just the parts, it is the labour as well.
Indeed, and you need to go to Canon service, not in all cities.

also when they say shutter cycle ; it also imply shutter button, mirror, and just like food doesn 't expire at midnight of expiration date ; you may get more or less clicks out of a camera

mirrorless seem to last longer (panasonic promise 400 000 clicks on S-1 bodies)

ps except when i needed latest tool (Nikon D1, Canon 1D mk II and 5Ds) ; i always bought used and only two shutters (6D and 1Ds Mk II) showed signs of coming failure but kept clicking for for few months before i got rid of them.

My advice : i aim for low shutter count but if you dont shoot everyday 1000 frames ; dont worry BUT always have a back up on paid jobs.
 
I have often seen people ask whether it is better to buy a camera with low shutter cycles or doesn't the shutter count matter.
If you have a very high shutter count on purchase (e.g. over the recommended shutter life) then it will affect the resale value and/or how easy it is to sell. Whether that matters depends on how long you keep it for and what the depreciation has been since you bought it.
 
Ask a :

1) Used camera dealer and they will tell you that they don't matter in the least.

2) eBay buyer and they will tell you that they are extremely important
It matters when dealers are buying but not when selling, haha.
 
Let's look at the question this way:

A local seller offers you a choice between two identical cameras that look and feel exactly the same in every way. The seller is asking the same price (very fair and well within your budget) for either one, and will not bargain or haggle, and does not offer a guarantee after the purchase, although he does allow you to test them before making a decision. You've tested them thoroughly and they both operate perfectly. The only difference is that one has a shutter count of 5,000 and the other has a shutter count of 200,000. Which would you choose to buy if you wanted one?
 
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It is, as in so many things, the Clint Eastwood question - "Are you feeling lucky?" Failures are (said to) be a bathtub curve. A shutter that has several thousand clicks is a better bet than a brand new one but as time goes on less so.
 
About 10 years ago I was going through a phase of buying and selling cameras. I was selling them on ebay. I was surprised at the number of questions I got asking what the shutter count was. One person told me that without knowing the shutter count he could not place a bid.

Shutter count isn't important to me, but it is to other people.
 
About 10 years ago I was going through a phase of buying and selling cameras. I was selling them on ebay. I was surprised at the number of questions I got asking what the shutter count was. One person told me that without knowing the shutter count he could not place a bid.

Shutter count isn't important to me, but it is to other people.
I wonder how he reacts to the Sony and Nikon cameras that don't have mechanical shutters.
 
About 10 years ago I was going through a phase of buying and selling cameras. I was selling them on ebay. I was surprised at the number of questions I got asking what the shutter count was. One person told me that without knowing the shutter count he could not place a bid.

Shutter count isn't important to me, but it is to other people.
I wonder how he reacts to the Sony and Nikon cameras that don't have mechanical shutters.
Then it is not a problem. Can't fail if there is not one. Replacing the shutter can be quite expensive.



Most uk sellers have the shutter count.

The price is lower on high shutter counts. Would you buy a camera with 250k or 20k shutter count?
 
About 10 years ago I was going through a phase of buying and selling cameras. I was selling them on ebay. I was surprised at the number of questions I got asking what the shutter count was. One person told me that without knowing the shutter count he could not place a bid.

Shutter count isn't important to me, but it is to other people.
I wonder how he reacts to the Sony and Nikon cameras that don't have mechanical shutters.
Then it is not a problem. Can't fail if there is not one. Replacing the shutter can be quite expensive.

Most uk sellers have the shutter count.

The price is lower on high shutter counts. Would you buy a camera with 250k or 20k shutter count?
I'd buy a flagship camera with nearly 400,000 cycles, I did, my first D4, it went on as long as I wanted it and was still fine when I sold it.
 
About 10 years ago I was going through a phase of buying and selling cameras. I was selling them on ebay. I was surprised at the number of questions I got asking what the shutter count was. One person told me that without knowing the shutter count he could not place a bid.

Shutter count isn't important to me, but it is to other people.
What fails in cameras is mechanical parts, especially those that move.

Of course that may not be important to you. Sellers of cameras with high shutter counts love people like you!
 
About 10 years ago I was going through a phase of buying and selling cameras. I was selling them on ebay. I was surprised at the number of questions I got asking what the shutter count was. One person told me that without knowing the shutter count he could not place a bid.

Shutter count isn't important to me, but it is to other people.
What fails in cameras is mechanical parts, especially those that move.

Of course that may not be important to you. Sellers of cameras with high shutter counts love people like you!
If one reads the web sites of the likes of MPB, Park Cameras, B&H etc. cameras are described by cosmetic condition, shutter count is now generally shown too. It wasn't always thus. Pricing tends to follow shutter count and condition. Without any idea of shutter cycles one might be tempted to pay more for a camera described as Excellent without knowing that it had spent its entire life on a tripod in a studio taking 1,000 shots a day for two years. Likewise a well used looking camera might have been around the world a couple of times but only taken 30,000 images.

Cosmetic condition isn't necessarily a good indicator of mechanical condition.
 
I have often seen people ask whether it is better to buy a camera with low shutter cycles or doesn't the shutter count matter.

I've used the term "cycles" because every time you press the shutter button the shutter cycles from closed through open back to closed. That's one cycle but so is opening the shutter for live view or video. Additionally battery ultimate life is given in charge cycles, though the manufacturers don't often tell us what that life is. Nikon's life counter is, I understand, based on full charge cycles. The life of a Xenon flash tube is measured in cycles too. So, if it's OK I'll use cycles.

The simple and obvious answer is "it depends". Let me explain, if a camera has an expected shutter life of 150,000 cycles, common for a consumer product, then shutter cycles might be of more significance than would be the case with a flagship camera offering 400,000 cycles. However, if you take around 10,000 shots a year that consumer camera with 50,000 cycles will last you around 10 years before reaching its expected life. If you keep, or intend to keep, a camera for 10 years that's not likely to be a problem.

If you're looking at a flagship camera with 200,000 cycles and you take 10,000 images a year that's 20 years life. I bought my first D4 with nearly 400,000 cycles and an expected life of 400,000 cycles, it lasted five years before I sold it, still working.

Thus, to answer the question, it depends: On the camera, the photographer and the budget. I wouldn't let high shutter cycles put me off if everything else was OK.

I should perhaps point out that my 10,000 images a gear are spread between three bodies.
I say yes and no. yes in the sense that if it has its original shutter, it may be of relevance if you're buying/selling a camera. If it has a shutterless design (like the R3, Z8 and z9) then it has little to no significance in my view, other than how heavily the camera may have been used but beyond that not really relevant.

Now I'd say that for the most part, many people probably don't get to 150k cycles or even 100k cycles before they upgrade, so I never found the estimated shutterlife to be of much concern. I mean at the rate I shoot my Zf, which has a mechanical shutter and the camera I use most out of the two I own (the z8 being the other one but it doesn't have a shutter), it will probably be fine for the next 5 years at least, at about 25,000 shots per year, and at about 20,000 shots under it's belt now being 1.5 years old. When the time comes, I'll just have the shutter replaced on it (I think someone told me if Nikon does it it's about $350 or so) and then I'll be good for probably another 7-8 years, so I'm not that worried about shutter count.

I was with my D750 but that's because some people were reporting shutter failures as early as 50k and others 75k, although back then I was maybe only shooting 8-10k per year, but it was still a concern because the camera was (at the time) $2000+, plus it was rated at only 150,000 cycles. So that was perhaps the only one I worried about. When I moved to the Z system, I stopped worrying about it. (My D750 was traded in for a Z6 with about 60,000 on the shutter but I knew someone whose D750 made it to 152k clicks and then he put a new shutter in it -- had someone do it for him for about $200, and it still works today, although today it's his backup camera to his Z7 II so it likely doesn't get much use).

So I would say that for some people, shutter cycles might matter but only when buying/selling gear or if you're a heavy shooter (perhaps pro) then you may want to pay attention especially if you're doing say 50k clicks a year as you will need to perhaps take some preventative measures later on (have a backup camera, or have your camera serviced) as you get closer to the MTBF rating (usually around 200,000 for modern cameras). But for most people, particularly enthusiasts, it's not something that someone should really worry about that much about (again, aside from the buy/sell scenarios). But also with buy/sell, condition of the camera is also an equally important factor, so it's not just about shutter count.

--
* PLEASE NOTE: I generally unsubscribe from forums/comments after a period of time has passed, so if I do not respond, that is likely the reason. *
 
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shutter replacement imply they still have the part and a repair centre near

ps : i am looking at getting an extra body and choices are a Canon 5D mk IV at 100 000 clicks out of promised 150 000 for 650 $ or a Lumix S1R also at 100 000 click but promised for 400 000 clicks, for 800 $ + 100 $ for the adapter to use my Canon lenses.

not same AF speed for for what i do its OK
 
About 10 years ago I was going through a phase of buying and selling cameras. I was selling them on ebay. I was surprised at the number of questions I got asking what the shutter count was. One person told me that without knowing the shutter count he could not place a bid.

Shutter count isn't important to me, but it is to other people.
What fails in cameras is mechanical parts, especially those that move.

Of course that may not be important to you. Sellers of cameras with high shutter counts love people like you!
They probably do.

Over the years I've bought at least 15 or 16 used cameras all with mechanical shutters. Canon, Olympus, and Nikon. All of them served me well without any problems.
 

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