Finding out your camera shutter count is not only interesting (you'll find out how trigger-happy you really are!), it can also be an important thing to know for practical reasons.
If you’re looking to sell your camera (opens in new tab), it’s a good idea to find out your camera shutter count – which is how many shots your shutter has racked up. Even if you don’t want to get rid of your camera any time soon, it’s an interesting figure to know, as it shows how much use your camera has had – and it might surprise you.
Some brands make it easier to find out your camera shutter count than others – but no matter which brand you own, there should be a way to find out. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but at least one of these platforms should work for your camera.
Some trade-in retailers will require you to provide the camera shutter count in order to receive a quote or trade, although if you really can’t work out how to do it they will have the correct software to do so.
Professional DSLRs such as the Canon EOS 5D IV (opens in new tab) and Nikon D850 (opens in new tab) have a shutter life expectancy of 150,000 and 200,000 respectively. That might seem like a lot but, if you’re a sports or wildlife photographer shooting with a fast burst mode, you can quickly rack up the number of photos you’ve taken.
Mirrorless cameras work a little differently, since they don’t have a mirror to flip up and down, which means they should theoretically have a longer life expectancy. You can also shoot using an electronic shutter, which doesn’t affect the shutter count at all. Fujifilm advertises the Fujifilm X-T4 (opens in new tab) of being able to take around 300,000 shots while the Canon EOS R5 (opens in new tab) has an expected lifespan of an enormous 500,000 actuations.
Shutter count information is stored in your EXIF data just like ISO, shutter speed and aperture is. There are a few different ways to work out what your shutter count is depending on what camera you have, but most cameras will be compatible with camerashuttercount.com (opens in new tab) . You can use tools.science.si (opens in new tab) if you're a Sony user or Apotelyt.com (opens in new tab) if you shoot Fujifilm.
If you're lucky enough to own a Nikon and one of the best MacBooks (opens in new tab), finding out your shutter count couldn't be easier. Simply open an unedited JPEG in Finder, click 'show inspector', select the Nikon tab and there it will display the number of actuations.
Some cameras don't embed the shutter count information into the EXIF data, which can make it slightly trickier to find, but when there's a will there's a way. Olympus cameras, for example, have a secret menu and a particular set of steps to follow to reveal the shutter count, while the Fujifilm X100V (opens in new tab) actually displays it in the menu.
If you want to keep track of your shutter count it might be worth investing in some shutter count software such as ShutterCount (opens in new tab) from Dire Studio, which is really cheap and it's compatible with most cameras. When I worked at Wex it was the program we used to test all cameras being traded in, as shutter count can obviously affect the value of the camera.
If you are thinking of upgrading your gear, we'd recommend these 10 things you must do when you sell a camera (opens in new tab). And if you're looking to buy one of the best used cameras (opens in new tab), be sure to look at the shutter count before you part with your money!
Read more:
Best professional cameras (opens in new tab)
Best DSLRs
Best mirrorless cameras
