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How-to: Check Pentax camera shutter count and manufacture date online
Posted By: Adam, 12-22-2011, 04:56 AM

Your camera's shutter count and manufacture date are stored in the EXIF data of every photo you take. I've now added an online tool that reads this data and can tell you when your camera was built and how many photos it has taken:

Check Shutter Count & Camera Manufacture Date Online - EXIF Reader

Enjoy!
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02-08-2012, 01:10 PM   #16
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Can you paste the exif that it printed out? It's possible that a different key is being used for the shutter count. See if it's there elsewhere!


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02-08-2012, 07:03 PM   #17
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Another victory.

I have dial up. And apparently did not wait long enough for the up-load.
I changed my camera setting for a smaller file, submitted the photo and went to do my dishes.

Boy, am I glad I did.
First of all, I don't know anything about what I am doing, but with the kind and generous help of others, I've been able to get results.
My goal was to take pictures of silver dollars. Especially close-ups showing details.

Others gave me a recipe, but as I lack skill, I took about 100 photos to get one picture. Seriously. Changing the focus and settings ever so slightly between shots, and picking out the best one to serve my purpose.

Then I read about shutter count and feared I might be wearing out my camera. And having bought it used, I had no idea what kind of life might be left in a camera that I had not yet learned to use.

I ran the program, and my shutter count is 4,035. How is that for great? On a used camera!




One of my favorite photos so far. Showing a scratch. Not on the coin, but on the die used to make the coin.

Thanks all, now I need to research everything about macro photography. Lenses, stands bellows and adapters.
Kurt
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02-08-2012, 09:18 PM   #18
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Neat. It actually takes a while for this to work. At least on a machine like mine. *patting K20d.* Always knew you were a Capricorn, boyo.


Actually you need to be patient. But it works. Big file.
02-11-2012, 06:29 PM   #19
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Great utility Adam! What I don't understand is why the shutter count is not displayed normally when viewing the EXIF data? I use IrfanView with the EXIF plug-in for viewing and resizing images. It displays quite a bit of the EXIF data but not the shutter count. It doesn't display the manufacture date either. I'm using a Pentax K100D that I purchased through Henry's Photo in Canada. It's still a young-in according to your utility since it's shutter count is 3,832 and was manufactured 2008:08:05. BTW, is the date format displayed as YYYY-MM-DD or YYYY-DD-MM? You might wish to display that on the utility's page...

02-13-2012, 08:14 PM   #20
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Thanks for this great tool Adam! It's very helpful indeed.
03-02-2012, 05:36 PM   #21
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Found it in PhotoME

QuoteOriginally posted by Adam Quote
Yup, doesn't look like it's there for the *istD, but maybe the proprietary Pentax software can read it?
I don't see it in the bundled Pentax software.

FWiW, PhotoME (version 0.79R17) has the same issue -- I can see the shutter count for a K-7 image, but not for an *ist D image.

PhotoME doesn't display shutter count by default, but if you press Ctrl + f to display the "Find" box at the bottom of the PhotoME window, and then enter "shutter count" (without quotes), it will display it if it's there, as it is for an image taken with my K-7.

But for an image taken with one of my *ist D cameras, the Find box turns red as soon as you get to "shutter c", and no fields are displayed except for the "overview" of common fields at the top (the one field that is dislayed if I type in just "shutter" has nothing to do with shutter count).


I'd say it appears that the original 2003 *ist D just doesn't store the shutter count. Again, this refers to the original 2003 *ist D, NOT the DS or DL.


Greg
03-02-2012, 09:32 PM   #22
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Update and correction on my last post:

PhotoME DOES show the total number of shutter actuations for *ist D files. However, it's in a different field.

It's in a field named "Frame Number". That might sound like it's just the picture number used for the image filename, but it's not. For my two *ist D cameras, PhotoME shows a "Frame Number" of 21909 and 25413, for shots numbered/named 7446 and 2098 respectively. So clearly it's not just the picture number used for the image filename

21909 and 25413 sounds about right for the total number of shots I've put on those cameras, so I would say it does seem to be the total count of shutter actuations.

To see that field in PhotoME for an *ist D file, press Ctrl + f to display the "Find" box at the bottom of the PhotoME window, and then type in "frame number" (without quotes),

Files from my K-7 do not have that "Frame Number" field.

03-09-2012, 07:52 PM   #23
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Thanks for that. Nice utility.
03-30-2012, 01:35 AM   #24
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I wish I had known about this online shutter count software much earlier. I now feel let down by B&H from whom I had bought my K20D as a new Order # 1010547382 dated 04/21/2009. The Shutter Count reads 626, when read off the 2nd photo taken from this camera. The manufacturing date reads 04/15/2008, Firmware version 1.01.00.05. Hence it was not the latest production run from the factory - about a year old. Being an Advisor in one of the largest conglomerates in the world, I know what these dates imply.
I now recall why I had doubts when I unboxed the camera, but let it go as every thing was intact. But each plastic pack was opened including the cables, manual, CD etc., and repacked. In fact I found 2 or 3 dust spots on the sensor and the viewfinder but did not have any idea then as I was new to a DSLR, the K20D being my first.
I need some new lenses and perhaps the K-5, but now I will think twice before buying from B&H - why did you have to do this to a Sr. Citizen and a lover of Pentax SLRs from my first Spotmatic days?
03-30-2012, 07:14 AM   #25
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Nanhi, Adam's utility did not let you down, quite the opposite, it enlightened you and through you everyone else about the unethical business practices that are practiced by this site's "favored" camera equipment supplier!!! My personal thinking is that several things should happen as a result of what you've brought to light...

1) There should be an investigation into B&H's business practices and claims to possibly expose a supplier that might be misleading everyone.
2) B&H management should conduct an internal audit to insure that they truely are selling NEW equipment when claimed to be new and not used or demos.
3) If it is found that B&H is making false claims in their advertising, they should be immediately banned from this site.
4) B&H should immediately ship you a truly new, not previously opened or used camera which is what you had purchased.

Just my thoughts...
03-30-2012, 04:52 PM   #26
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I will do my best to update the system so that it works with the *ist D...hopefully exiftool can read that field (it should be able to)!

Adam
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04-09-2012, 10:31 AM   #27
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Excellent !
I wanted the shutter count of my dead K10, and I tried Photome, Opanda and various online utilities all without any luck. I shoot RAW and use M42 lenses almost exclusively so I was thinking the full exif wasn't available without an AF lens on the camera, I could find shutter count and full exif on images shot with the DA50-135, but I haven't used that lens for over 2 years !

But this utility found ALL the data and shutter count, and I now know my K10 died at 62,681.
04-09-2012, 10:59 AM   #28
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Thanks Whitelotus9 Sir and all my Pentaxian friends reading this thread, as to why B&H should sell shop returns or demo cameras with shutter count over 600 or 700 in the guise of NEW equipment.

There are (2) B&H Reps - Mr. Chuck Capriola & Mr. Henry Posner on the Pentax Forum - and I am surprised they are keeping so quiet. And i am (or was) an avid B&H fan having bought (2) other cameras from them in the past.

I could have kicked up a big row for B&H on Linkedin and other forums, as I was then an Advisor in one of the world's biggest conglomerate. I had doubts when I unboxed the parcel, but chose to be a gentleman. And as I said before, I was new to a DSLR, the K20D being my first, and had no inkling then about sensor dust or this great piece of software.
05-11-2012, 03:32 PM   #29
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Sweet, thanks
05-11-2012, 07:52 PM   #30
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My K-x is above 20,000 Shutter Actuations now.

I also think the camera is dieing, I get random glitches where I have to take the batteries out and the screw drive is making scary noises.
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