Rebel shutter mechanism - I'm worried :(

[DocFrankenstein]

I am just wondering. Does the rebel has a mechanical shutter or an electronic one?

What I am concerned about is that I take a lot of pics with it. Sometimes dozens to test a new accessory/lens or something else. The test subjects vary from door knobs to random pieces of trash I have lying around.

This results in my better understainding of my equipment, but also in thousands of jpgs with digital garbage.

Does this wear out my rebel?

[robertwgross]

Does the rebel has a mechanical shutter or an electronic one?

The Rebel is a Canon film camera. The Digital Rebel is a Canon digital camera.

Technically, it is called an electromagnetic shutter assembly, so it is mostly mechanical. An electronic shutter is more of a precise timing function within a sensor chip of a digital camera.

If you take lots of shots, yes, you are wearing out your camera. Every camera is different, but you see estimated life expectancy on the shutter assembly of anything from 10,000 to 50,000. This is worthy of note, since most digital shooters shoot more than film shooters.

---Bob Gross---

[DocFrankenstein]

Technically, it is called an electromagnetic shutter assembly, so it is mostly mechanical. An electronic shutter is more of a precise timing function within a sensor chip of a digital camera.

If you take lots of shots, yes, you are wearing out your camera. Every camera is different, but you see estimated life expectancy on the shutter assembly of anything from 10,000 to 50,000. This is worthy of note, since most digital shooters shoot more than film shooters.
I meant to ask about the 300D.

But I've taken about 3500 pics already with 2 of my digitals. And only had them since late April. And I am continuing to shoot more and more every day. :(

So what happens when the shutter explodes? Bye bye camera? And I only have the 1 year plan, so it will probably break after the 1 year mark. :(

I am very concerned.

[Jesper]

If it breaks, the shutter can be repaired, although it will probably cost a few hundred $. I wouldn't worry too much about what might happen as long as it hasn't happened.

[DocFrankenstein]

I'm gonna have nightmares now!

One of the reasons I've got the DSLR is that I can be as trigger happy as much as I want. Now I'm gonna feel like I'm killing my rebel when I do tests or shoot and know that I'm not going to print the pic.

Should've gotten the warranty, cause the pic count is gonna be in 6 order digits in a few years. :(

[robertwgross]

When you buy a new automobile, you know that it has a finite life expectancy also. But do you get concerned and lock it up in the garage? Probably not.

I would say to use the camera with intention, and don't just fire off a hundred frames to see what happens.

In the event that you "use up" the shutter mechanism, and let's say it fails at 12,000 frames...
... then send it into Canon and let them replace the mechanism for a flat fee.

It is possible that the flat fee will be too high for what you think the camera is worth then, or it is possible that the flat fee will be like getting your 150,000 mile automobile overhauled to keep it on the road.

Your mileage may vary.

---Bob Gross---

[tommykjensen]

Don't worry. A danish user asked Canon directly and the response was that the shutter has been tested for 50.000 shutter releases. So You still have a long way to go.

Those waranties is a waste (in my opinion) because You probably have bought a new/different camera anyway in a few years!

[DocFrankenstein]

When you buy a new automobile, you know that it has a finite life expectancy also. But do you get concerned and lock it up in the garage? Probably not.

I would say to use the camera with intention, and don't just fire off a hundred frames to see what happens.
I don't fire off too many times. But when I got the sigma, I wanted to test it A LOT. So I tried all different variations and apertures, diff light conditions... etc... So I did maybe 200 shots with it. All of them are gone now.

Now, thinking that it could've been 2% of my camera mileage is depressing.

In the event that you "use up" the shutter mechanism, and let's say it fails at 12,000 frames...
... then send it into Canon and let them replace the mechanism for a flat fee.

It is possible that the flat fee will be too high for what you think the camera is worth then, or it is possible that the flat fee will be like getting your 150,000 mile automobile overhauled to keep it on the road.
I know, I know. It's just was a surprise for me. For some reason, I thought rebel had electronic shutter. (no curtains, just the chip scanning the voltage)

That would give the body virtually unlimited mileage. I only wish...

[tommykjensen]

If You are that worried then maybe You bought the wrong camera and should have gone for a 10D or 1D MK II. But surprise surprise - if You really have bad luck those can fail after 10 shots - not likely but You just never know!

In other words - relax and enjoy a great camera :D

[ecobo]

Two friends of mine have both 10D cameras. They are pro-photographers and they shoot really a lot. The shutters of both cameras were broken in a same day(!!!) a couple of weeks ago. The one was approx. 90,000 photos taken and the other - approx. 120,000. So these shutters are realy robust. Both were replaced with new ones for approx. $100 each.
I think 300D and 10D use the same shutter. Am I right?

[ron chappel]

from all i've heard the 300D/Dribble shutter is not quite as good as the 10D-but not far behind.
The 50000 average shutter life sounds about right
Of course all this is put together from hearsay and 2nd hand comments :oops:
The worst i have heard of is a failure at 10000-but that one was obviously faulty

Doc F-even at a 50000 lifespan (you should get more)and about us$400 replacement cost ,that's less than one cent per exposure :shock:
To be honest i was kinda thinking along the same lines recently but when i did the maths i stopped worrying

[EoSD30fReAk]

I think 300D and 10D use the same shutter. Am I right?

NO they are definitly not the same!!! :lol:

the 10D shutter is IMO more robust



the both are tested for the same amound of shots but you have to be lucky i guess

some quit working after 100 shots and others still work fine after 100.000 shots

it's a mechanical thing and it can always die on you!

[msvadi]

Really, don't worry about that. I take about 1,500-2,000 pictures a month. And I intend to keep it that way. That's what the camera for, to take pictures. If the shutter dies before the warranty period ends, they fix it for free. And, if I remember correctly, shutter replacement is about $200.

[timmyquest]

i have a 3 year replacement plan with best buy, if my camera breaks and there is a better camera on the market, then i'm good. In fact when they release a new camera i may just have to kep taking photos so it does break.

[kb244]

i have a 3 year replacement plan with best buy, if my camera breaks and there is a better camera on the market, then i'm good. In fact when they release a new camera i may just have to kep taking photos so it does break.

The Best Buy service plan is what I got ( Tho they give you amuch harder time actually getting the service plan honored when something does go wrong when you are an employee for that store ). Main reason I have a rebel is because of it, had a Canon G3, dead pixel showed up on the sensor ( tho Took 2 hours just to rebuttle with a manager who thought i was trying to scam them even after technician already approved the replace ment ) , because won the fight, was able to use 600 from the G3 to put towards a digital rebel, so the service plan does come in very handy, wheter its dead pixel, or shutter, The Best Buy service, is a Performance service plan, basically means they cover everything except cosmetic damage[the Canon logo rubbed off etc] ( and except theft, incidental, etc )

Just keep in mind with the rebel at least, most of your money is going into the lens, its rather expected that you'll go thru a few camera body every few years or so while still keeping the lens that seem to last forever least until you drop them, or get a bullet through them hehe.

[DocFrankenstein]

lens that seem to last forever...
The way things are going, you're gonna want a new lens too. They are gonna make bigger sensors, and the law of diminishing returns will kick in somewhere from 300 to 600 megapixels for the 35 mm dSLRs. I doubt that the resolving capacity of the best L lens is gonna provide enough information for such a sensor.

Most of the L lenses right now show their faults even at 1Ds sensor. Pixel to pixel they appear quite soft.

So all of them will have to be re-designed even for 50 mp cameras which we'll see in 3-4 years...

[Mark Kemp]

I have a theory about extended warranties/service plans.

The makers of equipment, including Canon, must price their plans so that if you add up all the money they get from warranties it should come to more than the cost of doing all the service work. If not they would lose money and that isn't very likely. Essentially if say 1 in 10 of their products might need a service they can charge about one eighth of the average service cost for a warranty and they finish up ahead in the long term. A bit like the casinos, they might lose on one transaction but they come out ahead on average.

So it should be cheaper, over your entire lifetime, not to buy any extended warranties on anything at all ever and pay the one or two service costs for things that do break down. That way you don't pay the extra bit (the difference between 1/8 and 1/10 in my example) that is profit for the manufacturers.

The only downside is that the service costs are single big lumps and warranties are smaller and more spread out.

I suppose that every time anyone offers you a warranty you could put the money in an interest bearing account instead and then only use this to pay for repairs. In theory you should have some money left in the account when you are too old to worry about repairing stuff anymore and you can leave it to the kids.

[kb244]

lens that seem to last forever...
The way things are going, you're gonna want a new lens too. They are gonna make bigger sensors, and the law of diminishing returns will kick in somewhere from 300 to 600 megapixels for the 35 mm dSLRs. I doubt that the resolving capacity of the best L lens is gonna provide enough information for such a sensor.

Most of the L lenses right now show their faults even at 1Ds sensor. Pixel to pixel they appear quite soft.

So all of them will have to be re-designed even for 50 mp cameras which we'll see in 3-4 years...

It is funny that you say that considering the lens made for film or digital cameras, and film has a larger "sensor" so to speak compared to digital. (with the exception of some full frame digitals, like 1D)

[DocFrankenstein]

I have a theory about extended warranties/service plans.
Good theory. I buy extended warranties for mechanical stuff only. Ie a VCR, MD player... etc.

I considered rebel to be a non-mechanical. Maybe I was wrong...

[photoguynorth]

So it should be cheaper, over your entire lifetime, not to buy any extended warranties on anything at all ever and pay the one or two service costs for things that do break down.

Actually, it would be cheapest to only buy extended warranties for the things that will break. That part of my plan was easy, now I have to figure out how to tell when I'm buying something.

[Mark Kemp]

So it should be cheaper, over your entire lifetime, not to buy any extended warranties on anything at all ever and pay the one or two service costs for things that do break down.

Actually, it would be cheapest to only buy extended warranties for the things that will break. That part of my plan was easy, now I have to figure out how to tell when I'm buying something.

I have a foolproof way, I buy and use it for about 10 years then I can tell if it broke or not :D

I also strike all my matches and put the ones that light back in the box because they are the good ones.

[catastrophe]

Two friends of mine have both 10D cameras. They are pro-photographers and they shoot really a lot. The shutters of both cameras were broken in a same day(!!!) a couple of weeks ago. The one was approx. 90,000 photos taken and the other - approx. 120,000. So these shutters are realy robust. Both were replaced with new ones for approx. $100 each.


It's nice to hear that they are robust and not too costly to replace. I think we can all sleep easy and can fire at will. :)

[ron chappel]

i may just have to kep taking photos so it does break.

I can see that one not going to plan in the funniest way.

(Sound of shutter working overtime)
Snap,snap,snapity snap. "come on damn you, DIE!" :lol: :lol: :lol:

[DocFrankenstein]

Actually, it would be cheapest to only buy extended warranties for the things that will break. That part of my plan was easy, now I have to figure out how to tell when I'm buying something.
I just might have to do that with the MD player :D