How to check the shutter count on your camera

Shutter count is how many times a camera has actually fired. On a DSLR that is a mechanical part with a working life, so the number tells a buyer roughly how much of the body has been used - far better than "barely used, like new".

How you read it depends entirely on the brand, and that surprises most people. Here is the short version.

Nikon and Pentax: it is in the file

On most Nikon and Pentax bodies the count is written into the EXIF data of every photo. Take one fresh shot, copy the unedited file off the card, and open it in any EXIF viewer - a free online one is fine.

The word "unedited" matters. If the photo has been through Lightroom, Photoshop, LINE or a phone gallery app, the field is usually gone. Always use a file straight off the card.

Sony: usually readable, sometimes not

Most Sony bodies also record the count, but it sits in a maker-specific block rather than the standard EXIF fields, so a basic viewer may show nothing while a Sony-aware tool shows the number. If two tools disagree, trust neither and try a third file.

One catch on mirrorless bodies: many of them can shoot with an electronic shutter, and those frames may not be counted the same way as mechanical ones. A low number on a mirrorless camera does not automatically mean a lightly used camera.

Fujifilm: depends on the model

Some Fujifilm bodies expose the count in EXIF, and on some models it can be shown with a button combination at power-on. Which one applies to you depends on the exact model and firmware, so check your model specifically rather than trusting a general answer.

Canon: not in the photo

This is the one that catches people out. Canon does not put the shutter count in EXIF on most bodies, so no amount of looking at your JPEG will find it. The usual routes are a small desktop utility that reads the body over USB, or a Canon service centre.

If you are selling a Canon body and you cannot get the number, say so plainly rather than guessing. "I could not read it, here is the purchase date instead" is fine. A made-up number is not.

What counts as high?

There is no single number. Entry-level, mid-range and professional bodies are built to different ratings, and manufacturers publish a rated life for many models - look up the rating for your model and compare against that, not against a number you read in a forum about a different camera.

Two things worth knowing:

• A count well inside the rating is normal wear, not a defect.
• A shutter can be replaced. A camera past its rating is not scrap - it just carries a known future cost, and that is what a buyer prices in.

How much does it actually move the price?

Less than most sellers expect, and less than sensor condition or visible damage. On a body with a very low count it helps. On a body somewhere in the normal range it barely registers. It matters most at the extremes and on professional bodies, where the count is the main clue to how hard the camera has worked.

The other things that move the number are covered in what actually decides a used camera's price.

Before you sell

Read the count, write it down, and give it to the buyer before they ask. It saves a round of messages and it tells them you are not hiding anything. If you cannot read it, say that instead - guessing is the one thing that will cost you.

Want a price for the body you just checked? Find your model here, or send the count and a photo on LINE and we will answer by hand.