Shutter count questions

It's the number of times the camera's shutter has fired, also called the actuation count. It works like a car's odometer: the best single sign of how much a camera has been used. Mechanical shutters are rated for a set number of cycles, so the count tells you roughly how much life is left.

Yes. There's no account, no app to install and no limit on how many cameras you check.

No. The reader is ExifTool compiled to WebAssembly, and it runs inside your browser tab. Your photo is read from your own disk and never sent to a server. The only download is the reader itself, about 8 MB, the first time you check a photo.

Most Canon EOS DSLRs, like the 7D Mark II, 5D Mark III and 80D, don't write the count into their photos. Canon keeps it inside the camera. For those bodies, connect the camera by USB in Chrome or Edge and ShutterOdo asks the camera directly. The EOS R5, R6 and R6 Mark II do include it in their photos.

Compare the count with the model's rated life. A camera at 20% of its rating has used a small part of its expected life. Shutters often run well past the rating and some fail early, so treat it as a guide, not a guarantee. See rated shutter life by model.

It depends on the camera. Canon's R5, R6 and R6 Mark II count electronic and mechanical shots together. Some Nikon Z bodies record mechanical shots separately, and ShutterOdo shows both. Sony bodies may not count silent shooting.

A count read from a photo can be edited by someone determined to do it. When buying, ask the seller to take a new photo of something you choose, like a note with your name, and send the original file. A shutter replacement also resets the count, which is fine if it was done by a service center and documented.

Photo reading works in any current browser on desktop or phone. USB reading needs Chrome or Edge on a desktop, or Chrome on Android with a USB OTG adapter. Safari and Firefox don't support WebUSB.

Yes, for photo-based cameras. Open ShutterOdo in your phone's browser and pick an original photo copied from the camera. USB reading on a phone works only in Chrome on Android with a USB OTG adapter.

Yes. After a reading, download the result card as an image or PDF, or copy a one-line summary. The serial number is hidden on the card unless you choose to show it.

Only in your browser on this device. ShutterOdo has no accounts and no server copy. Clear it any time from the list under the checker.

Only on some models. The EOS R5, R6, R6 Mark II and PowerShot G5 X Mark II write it into each photo. Most EOS DSLRs, including the 7D Mark II, 5D Mark III and 80D, don't, so you need the USB method.

The 5D Mark IV doesn't share its counter over USB or in its files. Canon service can read it during a repair or check-up.

No. ShutterOdo opens a read-only session, asks for the counter and closes. It doesn't change settings or touch your memory card.

Yes. NEF and NRW raw files carry the same maker notes as JPEGs.

File numbers like DSC_0412 reset at 9999 and when you reset numbering. The shutter count never resets except after a shutter replacement.

The total includes every exposure. The mechanical count includes only shots taken with the mechanical shutter, which is the one that wears out.

No. Sony doesn't show it anywhere in the camera's menus. Reading the photo's maker notes is the only way without a service visit.

Yes. All ARW types carry the same maker notes.

The file was probably edited or exported, or it came through a messaging app. Use an original file copied from the card. If it still fails, copy the technical log and email it so we can add your model.

Yes, if the camera saved the DNG itself. A DNG converted on a computer usually loses the Pentax maker notes.

Some Fujifilm bodies reset the image count after a firmware update. The shutter itself hasn't changed.