Is my shutter count a lot?
Compare the count with the model’s rated shutter life. Under about 30% of the rating is light use, 30–60% is normal, and above 80% means a shutter service is getting closer.
Light use 7% of a 150,000-cycle rating
Well under the rated life. On its own the count is no reason to worry.
Don’t know the count yet? Read it from a photo (Nikon, Sony, Pentax, Fujifilm).
Shutter count vs rated life, at a glance
Share of the rating used. Find your count in the left column and the model’s rating along the top.
| Shutter count | 100,000-cycle body | 150,000-cycle body | 200,000-cycle body | 400,000-cycle body |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7,000 | 7% Light use | 5% Light use | 4% Light use | 2% Light use |
| 10,000 | 10% Light use | 7% Light use | 5% Light use | 3% Light use |
| 20,000 | 20% Light use | 13% Light use | 10% Light use | 5% Light use |
| 50,000 | 50% Normal use | 33% Normal use | 25% Light use | 13% Light use |
| 100,000 | 100% Near the rating | 67% Well used | 50% Normal use | 25% Light use |
| 200,000 | 200% Past the rating | 133% Past the rating | 100% Near the rating | 50% Normal use |
| 300,000 | 300% Past the rating | 200% Past the rating | 150% Past the rating | 75% Well used |
Where the rating comes from
Manufacturers test shutters by firing them until they fail and publish a durability figure for many bodies, usually in the specification sheet or launch press release. Typical published figures run from around 100,000 cycles for entry-level DSLRs and mirrorless bodies to 400,000–500,000 for professional sports cameras such as Canon’s EOS-1D X line. Sony and several others don’t publish figures for most models, so use the closest similar camera as a guide.
A rating is an average from testing, not a guarantee and not a cut-off. Use the percentage the way you would use mileage on a car: one input to the price, next to the body’s condition and any service history.
What the bands mean when buying used
- Light use (under 30%): the count is not a concern.
- Normal use (30–60%): typical for a camera that has been shot regularly.
- Well used (60–80%): fine at a fair price; keep a shutter service in mind.
- Near or past the rating (80%+): price in a shutter replacement, or ask for proof it was done.
Mirrorless bodies used mostly with the silent electronic shutter, or mostly for video, can show a low mechanical count despite heavy use, and a replaced shutter resets the counter. Ask for the service history and check that the body serial in the file matches the camera. Brand notes: Nikon · Sony · Canon · Fujifilm · Pentax.
Questions people ask
Is 10,000 shutter count a lot?
No. On a body rated at 100,000 cycles, 10,000 is 10% of the rating; on a 200,000-cycle body it is 5%. It is light use for any interchangeable-lens camera.
Is 20,000 shutter count a lot?
No. It is 20% of a 100,000-cycle rating and 10% of a 200,000-cycle rating: light use. Check the rest of the camera (sensor, buttons, lens mount) as you would with any used body.
Is 50,000 shutter count a lot?
It is half the rating of an entry-level body rated at 100,000 cycles, and a quarter of a 200,000-cycle body. Normal use, not a red flag on its own.
Is 300,000 shutter count bad?
For an entry or mid-range body it is well past the rating and a shutter replacement is likely to come up. For a professional body rated at 400,000 cycles it is about three quarters of the rating.
What is a good shutter count for a used camera?
Anything under about a third of the model’s rated durability is light use. More useful than any single cut-off is the percentage of the rating, the price, and whether the shutter has been serviced.
Do electronic shutter and video add to the count?
Generally no. Mechanical shutter counters count mechanical cycles; silent electronic-shutter frames and video are often not counted, so the camera may have taken more pictures than the number shows.
Does a camera stop working at its rated shutter count?
No. A durability rating is a tested figure from the manufacturer, not a built-in limit. Many shutters run well past it and some fail earlier. When one fails it can be replaced by a service centre.