Shutter actuations on Secondhand Bodies

wibbly

wibbly

Messages
5,191
Name
Dave
Edit My Images
Yes
So if as appears to be the case a lot of us are happy with secondhand bodies, what kind of shutter actuations are acceptable to you on a secondhand body?

Upto 5k, 10k? What sort of figure do you draw the line at and walk away to look on another day?
 
When I was looking for a used D90 I wanted less than 7,500 at most, but ideally 5k was the mark I was looking at. I ended up buying one brand new anyway though as the cost compared to a second hand one with that many actuations was only £100, worth paying for the warranty.

I guess you have to balance it out with how much you're looking to pay.
 
i personally don't get all the fuss about shutter actuations.

i would imagine that the manafactures test the shutter mechanisms well into 6 figures. I would find it hard to believe if they didn't.

wouldn't put me off buying a camera, but what would is the general external condition which is a better idea of how hard a life its had.

but thats just me, i'm not a hardened tog, but i have been designing, commision,maintaining plant and equipment for 20 years, just not camera's!

Al
 
I bought a Mk2n at 80,000 and that didnt bother me at all, ive since got a Mk3 thats got approx 7-10,000. the way i saw it is if the camera was going to have problems it should have had them sorted out by the time i got hold of them (80,000 possibly a bit high!)
 
I've just bought a D2x with 30K on the clock; only just bedded in and for £700, it's a steal:)

It's nice to get one as close to box-fresh as possible but when a deal comes your way you just have to weight things up and if the condition is good, the shutter actuations isn't as much of a problem.
 
condition is more important, actuations are largely irrelevant to me , i've just bought a D300 with 22,000 on it, as long as it's working that's all that matters.

I sold a mint 40D with 2000 clicks on it, about 6 months later I got an email telling me the shutter had failed at 8,000 clicks, it's not like car mileage so it doesan't matter, it's not as if the camera is knackered, given the cost of lens repair a new shutter in a really cheap fix
 
The two things tend to go together though. Cameras with high shutter actuations in a short period tend to be harder used and in less generally good condition than a body with few clicks. If you're buying remotely then shutter actuations is the best guide you have.
 
To make any real judgement you need feedback about the actual failure rates. The only wear related failures I am aware of are the shutter buttons on X0D Canon shutter buttons and these failures can effect very low use bodies and not worry high use items.
 
awp said:
The two things tend to go together though. Cameras with high shutter actuations in a short period tend to be harder used and in less generally good condition than a body with few clicks. If you're buying remotely then shutter actuations is the best guide you have.
Click to expand...

Sometimes they do... but I do mainly HDR, which often involves 9 shutter actuations per photo. I guess it would be like buying a car that had done all it's miles on a motorway rather than around town when I sell it. I wonder how many people have actually had a shutter fail and on how many clicks?
 
awp said:
The two things tend to go together though. Cameras with high shutter actuations in a short period tend to be harder used and in less generally good condition than a body with few clicks. If you're buying remotely then shutter actuations is the best guide you have.
Click to expand...


Perhaps, but I saw a D2somethingorother recently with 20k or so on it that looked as if it had been dragged behind a truck :shrug:

in fact wasn't it on here? :suspect:


No....must have been Fleabay
 
Your more likely to find a tatty body with 100,000 clicks than you are one with 1,000 clicks....but they'll all be different.
 
I think that if the shutter count is reflected in the price then it doesnt really matter ;)
 
Just bought a nikon D80 off the forums here and has 30,000+ clicks and is as good as gold ,never put me off.
 
i had a canon shutter fail on me at 50,000 clicks once....i had a currys warranty on it though so new shutter, no problem.

i seriously don't get these people who buy a 1d body etc then advertise it for sale a year later with only 2,000 clicks....really whats the point in buying it then not using it?

anyway my experience has me beleiving that its best to worry about external condition...you could buy a 50d with 5,000 clicks and the shutter gives out tomorrow. its a recommended lifespan given by canon, but they can go at anytime.
 
My d200 was bought with about 42k on the clock, its now pushing 60k and my d2hs was about with about 25k. The saving i made would cover replacing the shutter since its only approx 140 quid
 
Gordon Scott said:
Sometimes they do... but I do mainly HDR, which often involves 9 shutter actuations per photo. I guess it would be like buying a car that had done all it's miles on a motorway rather than around town when I sell it. I wonder how many people have actually had a shutter fail and on how many clicks?
Click to expand...

yes, but you set up each photo slowly and carefully... however some of us run and gun, but still pummel the shutter at 8fps, so it's all the same really.

I regard it as an odometer for the camera, much the same as a car's... shows how much it's been used, but other than that, I don't care at all really. If I ever need a shutter replacement, so be it, but it (along with visual condition) is not really an issue with my camera purchases, as I know that I'm going to work my kit pretty hard anyway. My two D300's, I more than doubled the actuations that were on them when I bought them in the first fortnight of having them :P
 
Gordon Scott said:
I wonder how many people have actually had a shutter fail and on how many clicks?
Click to expand...

without any good info on the above it's all just speculation.

comparing it to a car is a good analogy, but seriously, looking deeper into that; if you don't change the oil in a car it wont last for as many miles, you could drive a car like you have stolen it for very few miles etc etc. A shutter is a shutter, there is no servicing regime applicable, and regardless if its at 8fps or one click a minute its doing exactly the same operation.

Al
 
seventythree said:
without any good info on the above it's all just speculation.

comparing it to a car is a good analogy , but seriously, looking deeper into that; if you dont cange the oil in a car it wont last for as many miles, you could drive a car like you have stolen it for very few miles etc etc. A shutter is a shutter, there is no servicing regime applicable, and regardless if its at 8fps or one click a minute its doing exactly the same operation.

Al
Click to expand...


It's intersting only one person has had a shutter fail in the responses above. Cars are often replaced because they wear out at the end of their natural life and fail MOT's beyond economical repair. I think it is often the case that digital cameras are replaced / not used because technology in new cameras has improved so much that they are simply not attractive to use any more; not broken (unless you drop it of course!).
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top