Different camera brands shutter actuations

[bcody]

Is there a website, or an unbiased individual, that can comare the average amount of shutter actuations in the life of nikon vs. canon? Obvious like bodies to like bodies. I know it is just an average. If anyone wants to throw in another model,(pentex, sony maybe) please do, I am curious. BUT I do not want to make it nikon vs canon, which is better, can we agree for this post to disagree with some on this? thanks.

[Carl Stone]

Originally Posted by bcody

Is there a website, or an unbiased individual, that can comare the average amount of shutter actuations in the life of nikon vs. canon? Obvious like bodies to like bodies. I know it is just an average. If anyone wants to throw in another model,(pentex, sony maybe) please do, I am curious. BUT I do not want to make it nikon vs canon, which is better, can we agree for this post to disagree with some on this? thanks.

The manufacturers offer shutter life expectations for their models. I've never heard of a single source that would give this info across multiple brands.

[ldelacruz]

Do you mind sharing what you will use the info for if you find it?

[tc95]

I don't know if shutter life is the best way to determine if you buy one camera over the other....

My 2 cents....It is what feels right to you...what you are willing to work with...and what headaches you are willing to overcome...No camera is perfect...(well I have never used a Hasselblad H4D-50 or a Leica S2...which I would venture to say they come pretty darn close...)...Just pick the one that feels right in your hand...

But I would use this website as a good indicator of what the different camera systems can do....DxO-Mark....

Hope this helps...

[bcody]

Tony, I am just curious, I have my camera know it inside and out and am very comfortable using it. I know what my next camera will be, and wll hopefully have it in my posession in a few months. Your right, you need to work with what works for you. That said, I was curious if some had a more reliable shutter then others, and if the professional d-slr's got more shots then the entry level, as an average not including human handling, or mishandling.

[zebulus]

There is this site:

Camera Shutter Life Database

Though just FYI, most camera makers will tell you that they grade their shutters around 100K clicks.

[bcody]

Just wanted to add, great web sites, thanks!

[Tom]

I'm not a fan of DxO mark. I, and many others, find their ratings fairly useless. For instance, they rate the D90 higher than the D700 and D3 on dynamic range.

They only use 100% crops. Why not use something a little more real life to test?

Say you shoot a horizontal, then crop it to vertical. Check the noise from the resulting file on each. We should be judging the real life applications, not the mastubatory pixel-peeping from the files. While a 22MP file from the 5D2 may have more noise than a 12MP file from a D700, you can't tell until you drop it deep to 100%. But it ignores the corresponding increase in detail you would get from a 22mp camera like a 5D2.

Just not a real good way to judge a sensor. I am more interested in real world results.

[johnastovall]

What's the big deal about shutter activations? If it wears out, and you like the body, etc. have it replaced. Cameras (at least the better ones) are made to be repaired.

[jtriron]

Originally Posted by johnastovall

What's the big deal about shutter activations? If it wears out, and you like the body, etc. have it replaced. Cameras (at least the better ones) are made to be repaired.

Stovall,
You are correct, My older D200 is approaching 100K shutter activations, and it will cost me around $300.00 to replace the shutter when it fails, then the D200 will last me another year or so of the high volume work I do.

[Carl Stone]

Originally Posted by bcody

Tony, I am just curious, I have my camera know it inside and out and am very comfortable using it. I know what my next camera will be, and wll hopefully have it in my posession in a few months. Your right, you need to work with what works for you. That said, I was curious if some had a more reliable shutter then others, and if the professional d-slr's got more shots then the entry level, as an average not including human handling, or mishandling.

Yes, the pro level models have more reliable shutters. It was the same for film models. You can find this info on Nikon's website. A quote concerning the D3 from their site below:

"Nikon's self-diagnostic shutter system: Tested to 300,000 cycles, this system is a clear indication of advanced engineering and durable construction."

The D300 is tested out to 150,000 actuations. Entry level models are not going to be as reliable. You get what you pay for.

[zebulus]

Originally Posted by Carl Stone

Yes, the pro level models have more reliable shutters. It was the same for film models. You can find this info on Nikon's website. A quote concerning the D3 from their site below:

"Nikon's self-diagnostic shutter system: Tested to 300,000 cycles, this system is a clear indication of advanced engineering and durable construction."

The D300 is tested out to 150,000 actuations. Entry level models are not going to be as reliable. You get what you pay for.

They say 100K for entry level I do believe, they may live to half of that, they may live to twice of that. Just depends.

Ive heard of D40's living to 500K. My D100 died at around 100K.

[Carl Stone]

Originally Posted by zebulus

They say 100K for entry level I do believe, they may live to half of that, they may live to twice of that. Just depends.

Ive heard of D40's living to 500K. My D100 died at around 100K.

The test numbers are meant to be viewed as an average. Pro models are built to higher standards, using better materials, thus resulting in a longer life expectancy. As had been mentioned, shutters can be repaired or replaced, it's not a big deal. If one fails while the camera is under warranty then the cost is not a concern either.

[zebulus]

Originally Posted by Carl Stone

The test numbers are meant to be viewed as an average. Pro models are built to higher standards, using better materials, thus resulting in a longer life expectancy. As had been mentioned, shutters can be repaired or replaced, it's not a big deal. If one fails while the camera is under warranty then the cost is not a concern either.

Very true.

But it is something people should be aware of. I wasnt when I bought my first DSLR, a very used Nikon D100. The shutter failed shortly after I got. I should have seen the warning signs, like the shutter sticking, but I had never used a DSLR before (I said DSLR, I have been shooting 35mm film SLR's since I was about 8) and I thought it was user error.

Then when the shutter finally died, ill admit, I cried. I cried like a little girl. It took me months to save up for a new SLR.

[Carl Stone]

Originally Posted by zebulus

Very true.

But it is something people should be aware of. I wasnt when I bought my first DSLR, a very used Nikon D100. The shutter failed shortly after I got. I should have seen the warning signs, like the shutter sticking, but I had never used a DSLR before (I said DSLR, I have been shooting 35mm film SLR's since I was about 8) and I thought it was user error.

Then when the shutter finally died, ill admit, I cried. I cried like a little girl. It took me months to save up for a new SLR.

Everything mechanical has a lifespan, and that includes film SLRs. Buying used means taking a risk. Software can reveal the shutter count on at least some DSLRs, and a camera repair tech can get that info from some film SLRs, the Nikon F5 for example.