Should I be worried about shutter counts?

[agp]

When purchasing (or selling) a used DSLR, should I be worried about the shutter count? Is shutter count just a ticking time bomb and when it gets close to X the mirror will probably break? Should I stop taking photos of the leg of my chair just because I'm bored? What about for mirrorless cameras?

What are your thoughts?

 

[jaomul]

No definitive answer. A shutter can go any time. I had a 1d mark 2 that had 438000 plus on its shutter rated at 200000. I pit a few thousand more on and it never missed a beat

 

[Overread]

It's a bit like miles on a car. There is no set value at which they'll break; some will break early and some will seem to go on forever. However you'd likely want to check the estimated limits and get a camera that isn't pushing too close to those limits. 20K photos on a 100K rated camera is not much - big number but its still got a huge part of its life left.

 

[agp]

Then are mirrorless (and digital) cameras off the hook? What's the next thing that most like an engine on those cameras?

 

[786soul]

Then are mirrorless (and digital) cameras off the hook? What's the next thing that most like an engine on those cameras?

I don't think they're off the hook, just less mechanical issues 'technically' for the bodies because there's no mirror mechanism flipping around. There are other things that can fail though.

 

[gsgary]

If you don't take any photos your shutter will never go and it will be worth more when you sell it

 

[imagemaker46]

I think some of it depends on the camera. I replaced the shutter on my Canon 1D mkll after it blew apart, the second shutter blew apart a couple of years later. I think when you are shooting at or above 6fps, the chances are greater that the shutter will go.

 

[agp]

What was the cost of replacing a shutter, both money and time-wise?

 

[786soul]

What was the cost of replacing a shutter, both money and time-wise?

Don't want to be too blunt or anything but shutter count issues don't warrant this much thought. Cameras these days are built quite well. I'd only really worry if you're buying second hand and the shutter count is above 50k.

To give you a round about estimate, shutter replacements would probably cost in the range of about 200-300 USD including parts and labor.

 

[JerryVenz]

It's the SHUTTER that fails (never heard of anyone with a mirror failure) most often as it's more complex.

I had my shutter fail on my Fuji Pro S5 ( Nikon body ) at only 55,000 trips--and that was just doing portraits and weddings--with NO high-speed sports, no work in dirty environments. It cost me $350.00 to have it replaced. Glad we had a back-up body with us since it failed DURING A SESSION!

So, you never know, just because the manufacturer says your shutter is good for 150,000 trips--it's only an average and don't expect them to stand behind the claim.

 

[KmH]

The shutter curtains (there are 2 curtains) and their associated mechanicals are very light weight and can wear out during the camera useful life.
As Jerry mentions don't confuse the main mirror with the shutter. They are separate parts and replacing a main mirror is a lot simpler than replacing a shutter.

Shutter replacement costs are in the $200 to $300 range, depending on the camera make/model.
Today's consumer grade DSLRs have shutters with 100,000 to 150,000 actuation estimated life times.
Pro grade DSLRs have shutters rated in the 400,000+ estimated life range.

To a large extent shutter longevity is affected by the environmental conditions the camera is used and stored in.
High temperatures and high humidity shorten shutter life.
Don't leave your camera in a hot car, and use desiccant packs in your camera bag.

 

[minicoop1985]

If you don't take any photos your shutter will never go and it will be worth more when you sell it

Actually... If you leave a Canon EOS 35mm body (or a myriad of other bodies that use rubber bump stops for the shutter)... If you don't take any photos and the rubber dries out a bit, you've got a sticky mess on your hands. And your shutter's stuck closed.

I definitely agree with everyone else-don't worry too much about it.