What is your Shutter Actuation Count?

[Bail]

For the EOS Canon users. You can see how many times the shutter actuated using a hex editor and a RAW file.

Tools needed:
- Hex Editor (XVI32 Preferred You can download it here (http://www.programmersheaven.com/download/21568/download.aspx) FOR FREE!)
- RAW Image file from your camera

Baiscly what your doing is getting the number located at 95D and 95E and converting it from HEX to DECIMAL. If you do not know exactly how to do this. I will show you below

Step By Step Documentation using Xvi32.

1.) Load Xvi32
2.) Go to Tools>Options>Data Inspector (it's a TAB)
3.) Click "big-endian (MOTOROLA)"
4.) Click "OK" Button to exit out of the options
5.) Go to File>Open>"CHOOSE YOUR RAW IMAGE FILE" then click open
6.) Go to Address>Goto (Or CTRL+G)
7.) Click "Hexadecimal" then TYPE "95D" into the box below
8.) Click "OK"
9.) Then go to TOOLS>DECODE NUMBER
10.) LOOK at "XX XX As Word" (XX Being your numbers located in 95D,E).
11.) The number next to it is your Actuation number.

Here is an example of one of my images
http://www.jeffreybail.com/dps/xvi32.jpg

So this is telling me that I took 6149 Pictures.


Note: If you see two sets of Numbers @ 95D+95E don't assume it's that the actuations has it's in HEXADECIMAL and has to be converted to DECIMAL!! CONVERT!

Also I do not know how to do this on other cameras besides the 20D, 30D.
I assume it's on the EOS Series cameras. Not sure about any other.

[googlit]

If you're running WinXP, you can get Preview Extractor (http://drchung.new21.net/previewextractor/) to check the shutter fire count of your Nikon DSLR...

In my brief search, I couldn't find a similar program that runs on Mac or Linux. :(

[Nicole]

If you're running WinXP, you can get Preview Extractor (http://drchung.new21.net/previewextractor/) to check the shutter fire count of your Nikon DSLR...

In my brief search, I couldn't find a similar program that runs on Mac or Linux. :(

You could try Simple EXIF Viewer (http://homepage.mac.com/aozer/EV/) for Mac (only seems to work with jpgs though). It says that it reads the shutter actuation, though it wouldn't cooperate with my d50 (maybe Canon people will have more luck with it :))

[googlit]

Thanks for the tip! I used EXIF Viewer and it worked fine for me—I also use a D50. Here's a screenshot of where it tells you...

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/140/328482394_7d65bcf386.jpg

I'm up to 13,266. :)

[Nicole]

Thanks for the tip! I used EXIF Viewer and it worked fine for me—I also use a D50. Here's a screenshot of where it tells you...
I'm up to 13,266. :)

I think my problem was that iPhoto is eating some of my EXIF data :p I pulled up an unmodified shot and it was all there. I'm only to half of your shutter actuations googlit (Somewhere around 6500 when I finally got the number)

[EntityDesigns]

Itried your method it didnt work with my Canon EOS Rebel XT raw files, the easier way to do this is upload your last image onto flickr (making sure you didnt edit the image in any program like photoshop because some programs like photoshop will remove some exif data. Then once it is loaded onto flickr go to the photos page and click "More Properties" on the right side of the page, that will load all the images information my camera has taken 7108 photos.

[googlit]

awesome... I'd forgotten how much EXIF data Flickr pulls down.

Aagh, but it doesn't look like it pulls the actuation count for me (Nikon). oh, well. It's a good first place to look, though. :)

[Through the Veil]

awesome... I'd forgotten how much EXIF data Flickr pulls down.

Aagh, but it doesn't look like it pulls the actuation count for me (Nikon). oh, well. It's a good first place to look, though. :)

It pulls it off. I use a D50 as well...

Click on more properties...

then go about 3/4 of the way down the gray box...

and find:

Total Number of Shutter Releases for Camera:

[googlit]

hmm... I don't know what the deal is with mine, but it isn't there. I double-checked. I shoot JPG and usually upload using Flickr Uploadr. Maybe the data is getting eaten somewhere in the transfer... though that seems unlikely to me.

See all the EXIF data (http://flickr.com/photo_exif.gne?id=310428342) that Flickr shows me.

[Bail]

Itried your method it didnt work with my Canon EOS Rebel XT raw files, the easier way to do this is upload your last image onto flickr (making sure you didnt edit the image in any program like photoshop because some programs like photoshop will remove some exif data. Then once it is loaded onto flickr go to the photos page and click "More Properties" on the right side of the page, that will load all the images information my camera has taken 7108 photos.

Sorry If I mislead you. I thought it would work on all EOS Series camera with the exception of the Mark 1D which there is a german program that will tell you the info.

I know the method I posted above will work on the 20D for sure. Possibly the 30D too.

hmm... I don't know what the deal is with mine, but it isn't there. I double-checked. I shoot JPG and usually upload using Flickr Uploadr. Maybe the data is getting eaten somewhere in the transfer... though that seems unlikely to me.

See all the EXIF data (http://flickr.com/photo_exif.gne?id=310428342) that Flickr shows me.

I don't see any shutter count for mine either. I shoot raw, process to JPG (when it comes to the web) and upload. I don't see it.

-----------------------
As for nikon users. I am not sure how you check your actuation count. That's why I posted it in the "Canon" Section, Because it's canon related.

[Willybuoy]

A heartfelt thanks for this information. Worked like a charm. I was curious how you determined where to look in the raw file. Is the raw file layout documented somewhere?

[Saralonde]

When I download images to my computer, it gives them a name such as "IMG_6514.jpeg". Is this the same as number of actuations?

[Nicole]

When I download images to my computer, it gives them a name such as "IMG_6514.jpeg". Is this the same as number of actuations?

It depends :p For me, it's not the same because for a while I had my camera set to reset the numbering after I deleted the images. So, if you've done that, then the number probably isn't the same as your shutter actuations. My shutter actuation count is about 1500 higher than the file number I get on my photos.

[Saralonde]

No, I don't think I've reset the numbering (I didn't even know you could do that) so I guess that would be my actual count.

[hitkaiser]

Thanx for the info, its 2313 for me

Since mid Nov 2006
It doesn't feel like ive taken that many though! Perhaps its due to all the deleting...

[rpoffenberger]

Neat to know. Mine is 3200.