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|| SportsShooter.com: Member Message Board
Actuations, oh my!
Ronda Churchill, Photographer
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Las Vegas | NV | United States | Posted: 1:47 AM on 04.03.07 |
->> So yes, I am trying to find the answer to a question I see has caused a lot of photographers grief, or so it seems... I want to know how to find the number of actuations on two of my camera bodies: a Canon 20d and a 1D Mark II.
I have looked at past SS threads on this topic, and though they were helpful I still can not find the magic number. I have visited a few sites containing free downloads that other members have posted but I run into the problems that they are for Windows platform only or that the program does not work/dead end. I am cautious to download just any old software. (Have a wonderful program? Please do tell which is the best.)
Also, can you really find the actuations on a 20d? It seems more challenging. And once this number is found on any body, what is too high? This "high number" obviously constitutes as more frames shot thus more use, but can a "high mileage" camera still perform well?
Any information is helpful!
Best,
R. |
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Marie Hughes, Photographer
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Fremont | CA | USA | Posted: 2:30 PM on 04.03.07 |
->> This Mac program works with both my 1D and 1DM2. I don't have a 20D so I can't swear it works for that, but it says it does:
http://homepage.mac.com/aozer/EV/
What doe this number mean?
Think of the actuation number like mileage on a car. While the actuation number gives you an idea of how much use a camera has gotten, it isn't going to tell you how much more the camera can take. Just like some cars will go forever, so will some shutters.
Canon rates their shutters and if a shutter dies before its guaranteed actuation count is reached, they will replace it for free. After that point, it will cost you.
Event photographers tend to really grind on their shutters. I know some who keep an eye on their actuations and sell off the camera when it gets close to the maximum that Canon will warranty. Others keep theirs until the shutter blows or they want a new model. If you have a workhorse camera, you might want to replace the shutter when it goes -- as long as the rest of the camera is in good shape, it's cheaper than buying a new one. |
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Seh Suan Ngoh, Photographer
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Singapore | SG | Singapore | Posted: 2:37 PM on 04.03.07 |
->> Marie,
I really doubt if Canon *guarantees* a minimum shutter count before replacing it. It'd be called, "goodwill".
Can I count on you to pay for a shutter replacement if my 1D blows before the 100K or so shots? |
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Pedro Diaz, Photographer
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Miami Beach | FL | United States | Posted: 2:38 PM on 04.03.07 |
->> I just recieved my Mark II from canon, was $207.67 the shutter
to replace it. |
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Howard Curtis Smith, Photographer
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Easton | PA | USA | Posted: 3:45 PM on 04.03.07 |
->> I am no expert, but as far as I know, the 20D does not store the actuations in the metadata of a photo so there is no software solution for finding the number of actuations.
If you use PhotoMechanic you can find the number of actuations on any 1D series camera by putting {act} in any field of the IPTC caption template, and having the program apply captions on ingest. {act} will be replaced by the number of actuations.
Knock on wood, my 1D mk II has over 220k actuations and it is still going strong. I have heard of lens contact pins, and the lens locking pin failing, but I have yet to have that happen. I have heard little of the mirror assembly failing.
Can anyone who has had the bad luck of having to replace the shutter, mirror assembly, or other part on a 1D series camera share what it cost to have the parts replaced and how old the camera was when the part failed?
If my memory serves me the MTBF (mean time between failure) for the shutter on the 1D and 1D mk II is 150K actuations, 1D mk IIn 200k, and the new mk III, 300k. If your actuations are above these numbers then you are shooting on borrowed time.
The 1D mkII is a landmark digital camera for Canon. The files are big enough, and the image clean enough (at least in day time), that it should be useful until Canon decides not to repair it anymore. The new mk III should not make the mk II into an expensive paperweight like the mk II did to the original 1D.
Hope this helps. |
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R. Grabowski, Photographer, Photo Editor
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Roselle | IL | USA | Posted: 4:56 PM on 04.03.07 |
| ->> As for actuations, you can actually change them. I set one of my camera's with my settings such as rgb mode, saturation, custom functions etc... and instead of going through each of these steps for my second body, I used the save settings mode on my Mark II and saved them to a flash card and then imported the settings to my second body and when I looked at the actuations they both started with the same numbers. One jumped from 39,000 to 92,000 which is what the camera had that I used to load the settings. |
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Robert Catto, Photographer
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Wellington | NZ | New Zealand | Posted: 6:04 PM on 04.03.07 |
->> In Capture One Pro you can see the actual count for a 1DMkII, I discovered recently - not just the number since the last time the counter rolled over, I mean. There's a way to find it in CS2 as well, but you have to multiply one number by 65536 then add the next number over.
In C1, open a folder of images that includes the most recent frame you've shot; in the thumbnail window, click the [(i) button up above the thumbs, and have a look at the capture id that comes up. On my MkII, it's the serial number of the camera and the actual shutter count - which is currently 198,544 as of this afternoon...
No idea if that would work on a 20D; it doesn't on my partner's 400D files (they jump by 16, and repeat the numbering over & over); so I'm assuming it's only a 1-Series function.
R |
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Andrew Bright, Photographer
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Auckland | New Zealand | New Zealand | Posted: 6:51 PM on 04.03.07 |
->> For what it's worth (which may be nothing), when I sent my year old D200 into the local Nikon importer for repairs to a blown power supply, their tech guy rang me up and told me it had only shot 1000-ish images. I sat there and told him that my wall of 70,000+ archived images on CD and DVD would like to argue that figure. So while not conclusive proof, it seems that they can, sometimes get it wrong.
You gotta wonder if some Japanese whiz kid hasn't, or will at some point develop counter rewinding software?
You could take that idea a step futher; how long before you can buy third party/aftermarket operating software; fancy a different AF or exposure algorithim for your D4X? Sick of Canon brand menu architecture and menu styles? All available right here, Sir, for the low, low price of.... |
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Andrew Bright, Photographer
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Auckland | New Zealand | New Zealand | Posted: 6:57 PM on 04.03.07 |
->> Marie: where in the following info from Simple EXIF viewer do I find the shutter actuations of my D200?
File name: 001141 PIK_2414 v3 FORMULA JUNIOR.jpg
File size: 2955623 bytes (3872x2592, 2.4bpp, 10x)
EXIF Summary: 1/20s f/3.2 ISO1600 17mm (35mm eq:25mm)
Camera-Specific Properties:
Equipment Make: NIKON CORPORATION
Camera Model: NIKON D200
Camera Software: Adobe Photoshop Elements 4.0 Macintosh
Maximum Lens Aperture: f/2.8
Sensing Method: One-Chip Color Area
Focal Length (35mm Equiv): 25 mm
Image-Specific Properties:
Image Created: 2007:03:13 22:48:49
Exposure Time: 1/20 sec
F-Number: f/3.2
Exposure Program: Manual
ISO Speed Rating: 1600
Exposure Bias: 2 EV
Metering Mode: Pattern
Light Source: Unknown
Flash: No Flash
Focal Length: 17.00 mm
Color Space Information: Uncalibrated
Image Width: 3872
Image Height: 2592
Rendering: Normal
Exposure Mode: Manual
White Balance: Auto
Scene Capture Type: Standard
Gain Control: High Gain Up
Contrast: Normal
Saturation: Normal
Sharpness: Normal
Subject Distance Range: Unknown
Other Properties:
Resolution Unit: i
Exif IFD Pointer: 174
Exif Version: 2.21
Image Generated: 2007:03:10 20:50:59
Image Digitized: 2007:03:10 20:50:59
Image Compression Mode: 2
DateTime Second Fraction: 98
DateTimeOriginal Second Fraction: 98
DateTimeDigitized Second Fraction: 98
Digital Zoom Ratio: 1 |
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Marie Hughes, Photographer
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Fremont | CA | USA | Posted: 9:30 PM on 04.03.07 |
->> I'm not sure why you are asking me? In case it isn't clear, I didn't write that program; I just use it on my 1D.
On the 1D, the Camera Actuations field is part of the Image-Sepcific Properties.
P.S. to Seh... my Canon rep disagrees with you. ;) |
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Seh Suan Ngoh, Photographer
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Singapore | SG | Singapore | Posted: 9:51 PM on 04.03.07 |
| ->> Shucks.... if only my local Canon office guaranteed my shutter... |
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Ronda Churchill, Photographer
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Las Vegas | NV | United States | Posted: 2:58 PM on 04.04.07 |
->> The headache continues...
No, I think there is no way to figure out the 20d actuations. I was merely curious since it was a workhorse and I'm getting rid of it.
I've got plenty of options for the MkII to figure it out.
Thanks guys!
R. |
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Andrew Bright, Photographer
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Auckland | New Zealand | New Zealand | Posted: 7:07 PM on 04.04.07 |
| ->> You recommended/publicised it as a solution, Marie. |
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