Shutter Rating Accurate?

feRRari4756 · Feb 22, 2009

Hey guys i have a Canon 30D and I have took 10,000 pictures since Christmas Time. I know the Canon 30D's shutter is rated at 100,000 until it needs to be replaced, but how accurate is that really?

Like not with 30ds in general, but Canon in general. Do the shutters normally last longer or shorter than what theyre rated?

Thansk

Josh66 · Feb 22, 2009

Since Christmas 2008? 10,000 pictures in 2 months?!

What could you possibly be doing that requires 5000+ pictures a month?

uplander · Feb 22, 2009

O|||||||O said:
Since Christmas 2008? 10,000 pictures in 2 months?!

What could you possibly be doing that requires 5000+ pictures a month?

Pushing that button on the camera that makes that funny mechanical sound :lol:

AlexColeman · Feb 22, 2009

Do you just have it on the Highest FPS, and walk around activating it? And you should be good as for the shutter, usually they last the prescribed amount.

Josh66 · Feb 22, 2009

At the rate you're going, you'll need a new camera by this time next year. (Maybe sooner.)

Big Mike · Feb 22, 2009

It not so much a life rating of the shutter...but an average rate of failure. Your shutter may fail long before that or long after. 100,000 is just the average.

Josh66 · Feb 22, 2009

Big Mike said:
It not so much a life rating of the shutter...but an average rate of failure. Your shutter may fail long before that or long after. 100,000 is just the average.

50% of the cameras will fail at the rated amount. The other 50% will be sooner or later.

(at your current frame rate, you have another 18 months, maybe. call it 1-2 years)

feRRari4756 · Feb 22, 2009

O|||||||O said:
Since Christmas 2008? 10,000 pictures in 2 months?!

What could you possibly be doing that requires 5000+ pictures a month?

Haha I know it sounds crazy, but I have taken that amount. I have not just like wasted these either taking pictures of stupid things with like 20 of each scene on like 5fps.

I just use it a reall lot. Now that the intial "excitement" is over, I am starting to not use it ALL THE TIME.

Since thats an average, I think mine will last about 36 more months. I am not going to continue taking this much pictures.

Another Question:
Like I got to shoot alot of basketball games for people. I shoot maybe 150 pictures in a 45 minute game. Is this like overly excessive? Like theyre all good shots, but do I really need like 30 of people shooting and like 30 of people running and like 30 of people blocking and stuff? Like they are all good, but alllook the same. Like would I be fine taking 20 or 30 pictues total in a 45 min game? (I am not selling themor anything.)

I guess Im not asking if it would be fine for my situation, but does this seem ridiculous to you if I am not selling them?

gsgary · Feb 23, 2009

My 10D has gone past that, i met a chap a few years ago who had 2 that were over 200,000

robbie_vlad · Feb 23, 2009

I think taking 20-30 pictures for your own personal use is about right. If you arent using them for commercial purposes, then there really doesnt seem a reason to shoot quite that many IMO.

tsaraleksi · Feb 23, 2009

robbie_vlad said:
I think taking 20-30 pictures for your own personal use is about right. If you arent using them for commercial purposes, then there really doesnt seem a reason to shoot quite that many IMO.

What difference does it make? Replacing your shutter is a $200 proposition, not really a good reason to not shoot.

If you're shooting for someone, then why not shoot as much as you want? In a regulation length basketball game, if I'm shooting with strobes I'll shoot ~250-300 frames, if I'm shooting ambient, it depends on the camera I'm using but with my 1D2N I would shoot maybe 500-600 frames a game. The result is more keepers, and more standout shots. The only way to get great sports photos is to shoot them. Shooting every play will net you more and better results than any other method.

I've had to have the shutter on my 1D2N replaced-- it went out way early, at about 70k, and was within a year of purchase so it was done under warranty. Apparently that was a common problem for that model of camera, but once the shutter is replaced it is fine-- I've gone well over a second 70k with no trouble. The camera is ~1 1/2 years old nearly 200,000 exposures on it, and my 5D2 has already rolled over the file numbers (ie 10,000+).

Shoot more, get better, get better photos. It's a pretty simple proposition and being stingy on the shutter is just silly.

Josh66 · Feb 23, 2009

feRRari4756 said:
Another Question:
Like I got to shoot alot of basketball games for people. I shoot maybe 150 pictures in a 45 minute game. Is this like overly excessive? Like theyre all good shots, but do I really need like 30 of people shooting and like 30 of people running and like 30 of people blocking and stuff? Like they are all good, but alllook the same. Like would I be fine taking 20 or 30 pictues total in a 45 min game? (I am not selling themor anything.)

I guess Im not asking if it would be fine for my situation, but does this seem ridiculous to you if I am not selling them?

I know what you mean. I guess we've all probably done that at some point.
Sometimes when you're shooting you forget that the picture you just took is going to be almost exactly the same as the 10 before it.

I try to just remember what I'm doing and what I already have enough pictures of. But with digital, I guess it doesn't really matter. There is no cost (other than wear & tear on the camera); it's not like those 10,000 clicks cost you between $800 & $1400 (what the equivalent amout of film would have cost, which isn't as much as I thought it would be).

I guess I just don't shoot as much as a lot of other people. 100 pictures in a week would be a lot for me. I think the only time I've taken that many in one day was at an air show (and 75% looked the same

).

MBasile · Feb 23, 2009

O|||||||O said:
50% of the cameras will fail at the rated amount. The other 50% will be sooner or later.

(at your current frame rate, you have another 18 months, maybe. call it 1-2 years)

thats not quite how averaging works, but ok!

I'm guessing the original poster got the camera for Christmas, correct? My advice is to learn the camera and use fewer frames per picture. The only time I use (and take full advantage of) the continuous shutter is when I'm shooting something like a race or a dance show. When I got my first camera I would fill up the card pretty quickly, but now, even taking pictures at my friends dance shows I have become more critical of when I push the shutter button. One of the reasons is that after a while (as with your basket ball games) all the pictures start to look the same. They may be good, but I could have 5 shots that all, for the most part, look the same.