Shutter life?

S

stepheno

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I read a thread a while back about the 20D, 30Dand 5D and respective shutter lives. Since then I've not been shooting when I feel like it, but rather consciously of how many actuations I've used.

Then, in the Photo Critique forum Ghandi wrote "Shot about 100 frames and ended up with one I was sort of pleased with". Am I now being paranoic about number of actuations and shutter life? Opinions welcome. PS I've a 20D.

regards
 
I've had my 20D for nearly a year and have 10600 clicks so far, based on the picture count being on 600 after resetting itself at 9999.

I don't even consider shutter wear. I might slow down shooting on a day if I think I am going to run out of card space but not because the shutter is getting worn. I have more time now and expect to be taking a lot more shots. If I get a few good ones it might be worth wearing the shutter out :)

If it needs replacing after a few years then so be it. How much can it cost £150? £200? With the rate of new models coming out it is hard to see a camera being kept long enough to wear it out anyway.
 
It's a consideration isn't it? I think we need to remember that using digital has removed all the constrictions on film and cost and we tend to shoot many many more images than we would have done with film, so we shouldn't be surprised that shutters now take a severe battering in a shorter time than they used to.

Your 20D should be good for about 100K exposures according to Canon, so you shouldn't be too concerned. I don't want to sound like a smart arse here, but I don't think I've filled a 1 gig card up yet and I sometimes go out with two. You should have a pretty good idea when you press the shutter whether the shot is in the bag, and now of course we can review the shot on that handy LCD screen. Shooting off loads of 'maybe' shots in the hope of getting a good one is useful sometimes, but something to avoid doing on a regular basis.

Trying to be a little more selective about the shots you take, will probably do more for your photography than anything else anyway, but your 20D should be good for the equivalent of shooting a 36 exposure roll of film every day for around 8 or 9 years.... and that's a lot of shooting. :)
 
It's pretty easy I believe to replace a complete shutter unit, and Canon charge about 300 quid upwards depending on model, but there are indepedent repairers who offer a cheaper service.
 
I don't worry about it to be honest. I used to shoot around 500 frames every weekend when I was doing wedding photography, we did that for 18 months each saturday, the camera was used many weeks on fridays too (approx the same actuations again) and all through the week in the studio. That 10D is still working faultlessly now almost 4 years on and god knows how many actuations it has actually done.

It could be that it was agood one or that it was average however each camera is only guaranteed for 12 months anyway and after that you are looking at covering the costs of any repairs yourself. You may never have to have it replaired but I certainly wouldn't let that become a worry and reduce or stop my enjoyment of my equipment in any way.
 
Don't worry about it either, got about 12000 actuations after 7 months, hope to do more this year.
 
CT said:
Trying to be a little more selective about the shots you take, will probably do more for your photography than anything else anyway
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Excellent point CT. That with Robert and Steve's comments has convinced me not to worry....but I will be more selective from the shot point of view. Thanks.

regards
 
Well... at the end of the day it's a tool to be used and regardless of what we pay, cameras aren't worth a great deal after they're 5 or 6 years old. ;)
 
Nice to know it's not just me who is excessively paranoid ;)

From my point of view, I also have the 'it's a tool and there to be used' attitude to my camera and always have since I started shooting. My cameras normaly end up full of dust, sand, mud, dented and scratched. It's not that I'm careless with them. They just get used.

I think the shutter actuations for digital cameras are a very ball-park figure. I've heard of people's failing before the total, and there are plenty of early d series canons still going strong. I guess it's just an average after all.

As an aside. I generally try not to shoot from the hip and sort it out later. quite the opposite really, I'm probably a bit too careful and considered. It was just on that particular shoot the light was very tricky, the waves abnormally random and it took many shots to get the exposure even aproaching correct!

Still learning after 18 years!
 
Gandhi said:
Still learning after 18 years!
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And me after a lot more! I don't think you ever stop - or really scratch the surface. :)
 
It fascinates me as much today as it did when I was kid, in fact even more so I think with the advent of digital. Can't be bad can it? :D
 
The last two comments are interesting. I've only ever know digital and I often wonder if I have missed out by not going through the film era.
regards
 
stepheno said:
The last two comments are interesting. I've only ever know digital and I often wonder if I have missed out by not going through the film era.
regards
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That's interesting actually. You've missed out on the stumbling around in the dark by the light of a safelight, tbe smell of the chemicals. There was something magical about it I suppose. You're also missing out on the incessant struggle with dust spots on prints and touching them out by hand, except it's no longer a problem, and if it was, it's a quick dab with a brush in Photoshop now anyway. I can honestly say I don't miss it at all, although I'm glad I did it.

We probably had a better idea of what was a good mono print because that's what it was all about, with endless test strips and different grades of paper to get the result you wanted. It must be tricky for anyone who's never done it to judge what's good or bad in a mono print, and there's so much you can do now, the real decision is when to just leave it alone.

Digital all the way for me though -it's exciting stuff. :cool:
 
CT said:
It must be tricky for anyone who's never done it to judge what's good or bad in a mono print, and there's so much you can do now, the real decision is when to just leave it alone.
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It is - there's been a lot of mono on the forum lately with different ways of converting - but the subtle nuances are lost on me...for the moment.

regards
 
CT said:
...there's so much you can do now, the real decision is when to just leave it alone.
Click to expand...
this is my biggest problem with digital. i love it and would for a minute think of swapping back to film, but... i never know when to stop. there are sooooooo many little things to adjust that i sometimes get lost, it comes to the stage where i want it printed and i don't know if it's finished, even if i like it!
 
CT said:
Trying to be a little more selective about the shots you take, will probably do more for your photography than anything else anyway
Click to expand...
While I fully agree with your statement, I think it really depends on what subject your shooting as to how feesable it is to be selective. If shooting say, certain wildlife, sports or motorsport, being trigger happy could make the difference between a good day and a bad one.

Even with all that, I think being selective comes naturally with experience of your equipment and the subjects you shoot... I guess you just have to hope experience comes before the shutter goes.
 
My D30 was owned by a pro-photographer friend of mine before I got it - he'd had it several years and it had had VERY heavy use. By the very nature of the pictures I take (Mainly at Speedway meetings) I tend to take a lot of short bursts. During the season in a busy week I can easily put 5 - 600 shots on the camera........I'm determined not to worry though. The sooner I knacker out the D30, the sooner I can justify giving the credit card a thumping for a new one! :thumb:
 
That’s the bests attitude witch, get the most out of what you have and don't worry about what might happen, if it does go wrong just replace it at the time :) It makes the photography much more enjoyable.
 
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