
It’s also common for camera shutters to last far longer than their official rating.
#WHAT DOES SHUTTER COUNT MEAN PRO#
In most cameras, the shutter is rated for at least 100,000 to 200,000 shots, and the top pro models are rated even higher. Shutter mechanisms are built for a large number of actuations. After all, the last thing you want is to have your shutter fail during the middle of an important shoot. If your camera is starting to get some age on it or you are looking at buying a used piece of gear, it can become important to check your shutter count to know how close you are to reaching the shutter’s limit. When this happens, you may have to either send the camera back to the manufacturer to replace the shutter mechanism. Over time, these movements lead to wearing out of shutter parts. In order to stay open for such a short amount of time, it needs to start moving very quickly and then stop moving just as fast. This process also often moves incredibly quickly.įor example, if you’re taking a picture in the bright afternoon sunlight, your shutter may only be open for 1/1000 of a second or less. Then, a curtain will move from top to bottom, exposing the sensors, followed by another curtain covering it. The mechanism that flips a DSLR’s mirror out of the way, built from tiny and delicate parts. It’s an important number that indicates the life expectancy of your camera. Shutter count is the number of photos that your camera has taken. A typical DSLR can withstand over 100,000 actuation in its lifetime. The entire process from mirror up to mirror down is known as one actuation. Sometimes a shutter speed can be so fast that your camera sensor won’t be entirely exposed at any one time. This process can vary in time depending on the length of your shutter speed. The below video illustrate the working sequence of the focal plane shutter.

After that, another curtain will fall down, covering up the entire sensor, and then finally the mirror flips down to its original position. Then the first curtain moves from top to bottom exposing the sensor beneath. This is why the viewfinder goes black for a short amount of time when taking photos. When you click the shutter button, the mirror flips upwards to allow light to pass to the sensor.
#WHAT DOES SHUTTER COUNT MEAN SERIES#
When you look through a DSLR viewfinder, you are essentially looking through a series of mirrors that get their light directly from the lens.

The shutter of a DSLR camera consists of three basic parts the mirror, the bottom curtain, and the top curtain. Like any mechanical device, the shutter experiences wear and tear, and eventually, it will fail. This is one actuation and adds one to the shutter count. Each time you take a photograph the shutter mechanism moves back and forth across the sensor at a precise rate according to the shutter speed you selected. The photo below shows the basic designs for both DSLR and the mirrorless camera.ĭSLR cameras have a mechanical shutter mechanism to cover and expose the digital sensor. They’re interchangeable-lens cameras you can swap out the lens and attach another type of lens. While DSLRs and mirrorless cameras have many characteristics that differentiate each other, they do share one important feature that separates them from all other types of cameras. A camera’s lifespan also depends on many other factors, such as care, servicing, and environmental conditions. It is the same situation as when you are evaluating the conditions of a used car you always check the vehicle’s mileage. Knowing that moving mechanical parts will be worn faster because of friction and wear, the main factor to establish a life span of a camera is figuring out its shutter count, which is the number of times the shutter has fired. The most important parts are the shutter mechanism and the motor that flips up the mirror in a DSLR. Modern cameras have complicated electronics, but only a few moving mechanical parts.
