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08-20-2010, 12:38 AM   #1
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how many shutter cycles are to many on a used slr

with the clumsily people i have working for me know i find my insurance rates going up due to equipment failure. i buy alot of used equipment including slrs. every one says check the shutter cycles on the camera. how many cycles are yo many?

08-20-2010, 03:02 AM   #2
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DSLRs are built to take 100,000 photos on a single shutter- so take that number at face value and compare the actuation count of whatever you're buying to that.

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08-20-2010, 05:01 AM   #3
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QuoteOriginally posted by mikejax19 Quote
with the clumsily people i have working for me know i find my insurance rates going up due to equipment failure. i buy alot of used equipment including slrs. every one says check the shutter cycles on the camera. how many cycles are yo many?
Make sure you do not rely on the picture counter. Easy to reset in the menu.
All Pentax camera's record the actual number of actuations in their EXIF data.
You can use PhotoMe (PhotoME - Exif, IPTC & ICC Metadata Editor) to find that info.

All new camera's will have a few hundred actuations done for factory calibration and testing when the camera comes out of the box.

Cheers, Bert
08-20-2010, 02:10 PM   #4
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thanks for the advice

08-20-2010, 10:26 PM   #5
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QuoteOriginally posted by Adam Quote
DSLRs are built to take 100,000 photos on a single shutter- so take that number at face value and compare the actuation count of whatever you're buying to that.
That's a good general rule but not all cameras are created equal. I would trust prosumer level cameras like the K10/20D or equivalent from other manufacturers for more cycles than an entry level camera. There seems to be a general correlation between shutter quality and general build quality.
08-21-2010, 07:16 AM   #6
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QuoteOriginally posted by mysticcowboy Quote
That's a good general rule but not all cameras are created equal. I would trust prosumer level cameras like the K10/20D or equivalent from other manufacturers for more cycles than an entry level camera. There seems to be a general correlation between shutter quality and general build quality.
To my knowledge, the K-7 is the first (and only so far) Pentax dSLR where Pentax felt confidant enough to actually list a 100,000 shutter-activation rating.
08-22-2010, 08:18 PM   #7
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shutter count

Thank you bymy141 !

I had wondered what the shutter count was on my K10D and the "PhotoMe" program works really good. It is reeely easy to use! I downloaded the program, imported the photo , and found my shutter count. I just bought my K10D (used) and the shutter count is 11295. Is that a lot or gently used?

08-22-2010, 08:38 PM   #8
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QuoteOriginally posted by jonhock Quote
Thank you bymy141 !

I had wondered what the shutter count was on my K10D and the "PhotoMe" program works really good. It is reeely easy to use! I downloaded the program, imported the photo , and found my shutter count. I just bought my K10D (used) and the shutter count is 11295. Is that a lot or gently used?
Generally speaking, I would say it's not a lot in the grand scheme of things.

Whether or not it's gently used or not is another question that can't really be answered based on shutter count. I hit 10k on my Kx in the first few months I had it, but it was very gently used and the vast majority of those shots were test shots of dozen of different lenses. On the other hand, someone could have a camera with only a few hundred shots on the shutter but the camera could have been dropped, abused or just generally mistreated.

If everything on your K10D is working fine and if it doesn't appear to have any issues, I wouldn't worry about the shutter count.
08-22-2010, 08:40 PM   #9
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please don't confuse a used slr with a used dslr. just saying. : ).
08-23-2010, 12:27 AM   #10
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QuoteOriginally posted by jonhock Quote
Thank you bymy141 !

I had wondered what the shutter count was on my K10D and the "PhotoMe" program works really good. It is reeely easy to use! I downloaded the program, imported the photo , and found my shutter count. I just bought my K10D (used) and the shutter count is 11295. Is that a lot or gently used?
In past press releases, from when the K10D was introduced, Pentax wrote that the camera's shutter was designed to last for 100,000 actuations.
So, with the counter showing just over 11k I would not worry too much.

- Bert
08-23-2010, 12:31 AM   #11
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My K10D has slightly more than 22,000 shutter actuations. Bought it brand new. Still going strong, now in the hands of my daughter.
08-23-2010, 11:43 AM   #12
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I bought a used so they say K100D. I have 2,000 shots on it was 1,400 when I got it it's like brand new. Think maybe I lucked out. And lovin it everyday
08-24-2010, 07:51 PM   #13
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Thanks a lot guys!
Actually, I wasn't so much concerned about the shutter count as I was just curious. That is, of course, unless the shutter count had been 150,000 or so. It's pretty much that I've heard the term "shutter/actuation count" enough that I just absolutely had to know what mine was. As far as the gentle use thing goes, that doesn't sound like a lot of clicks to me and the camera itself doesn't look like it's ever been out of the box. There are absolutely no scratches, marks, bumps, nubs, or any other nefarious markings anywhere. Not even on the screen. It came in it's original box with the packing and such in place and included the charger, Pentax battery, usb cord, both books, and the cd. I'm very happy with it

Last edited by jonhock; 08-25-2010 at 05:54 PM.
08-25-2010, 05:51 AM   #14
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QuoteOriginally posted by jonhock Quote
Thanks a lot guys!
Actually, I wasn't so much concerned about the shutter count as I was just curious. That is, of course, unless the shutter count had been 150,000 or so. It's pretty much that I've heard the term "shutter/accuation count" enough that I just absolutely had to know what mine was. As far as the gentle use thing goes, that doesn't sound like a lot of clicks to me and the camera itself doesn't look like it's ever been out of the box. There are absolutely no scratches, marks, bumps, nubs, or any other nefarious markings anywhere. Not even on the screen. It came in it's original box with the packing and such in place and included the charger, Pentax battery, usb cord, both books, and the cd. I'm very happy with it
No thanks.
You are a lucky fellow, with a camera like that, I own one myself.
Happy shooting with your new gear!

- Bert
08-30-2010, 09:34 AM   #15
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Just saw this article:

pentax k10d | Camera Shutter Life Database
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