Shutter lifetime

Hello everyone.
First of all I want to say I'm fairly new to photography and especially dslr's. I've been reading up a lot on everything there is to know.
Now I came across a wiki page (can't find the link anymore now). And it stated that the liftime of my camera (550D/T2i) is 100K clicks. I was wondering what I should expect once I get to this number. I've been trigger happy with mine and am getting close to 10K clicks after only 6 months of use and I find I haven't used it as much as I'd like to.
So does it die around 100K clicks? Can this be prevented/extended?

Thanks

Some cams die after 11,000 clicks, some after 200,000.
Most people been thinking about a new dslr long before the average shutter lifetime exceeded. If you use your cam as before, you have more than 4 years fun with the cam before you.
And: 10,000 clicks in 6 months means more than 50 pictures every day, weekday or sunday - rain or snow, ill or not. For most pictures from a dslr a little postprocessing is needed - when do you do all the work? Last but not least: winter is coming - not so much pictures probably.

alphatrix wrote in post #13137834
So does it die around 100K clicks? Can this be prevented/extended?
Thanks

Yes, you can stop using it... - put it in a safe place and remove the dust once a month!
What i want to say: no worries - take pictures!

Cheers
flop

teraflop wrote in post #13137966
Some cams die after 11,000 clicks, some after 200,000.
Most people been thinking about a new dslr long before the average shutter lifetime exceeded. If you use your cam as before, you have more than 4 years fun with the cam before you.
And: 10,000 clicks in 6 months means more than 50 pictures every day, weekday or sunday - rain or snow, ill or not. For most pictures from a dslr a little postprocessing is needed - when do you do all the work? Last but not least: winter is coming - not so much pictures probably.

Yes, you can stop using it... - put it in a safe place and remove the dust once a month!
What i want to say: no worries - take pictures!

Cheers
flop

I went a little overboard with the burst mode on an air show once (didn't have a clue how to get it right so I figured, burst away). I think that was worth about 3K pictures of which less than 200 survived. I'm still learning so I usually take multiple pictures of 1 subject then select. So that explains the rather large number.

alphatrix wrote in post #13137834
I was wondering what I should expect once I get to this number. I've been trigger happy with mine and am getting close to 10K clicks after only 6 months of use ...

Well, at that rate, you'll be at 100K in 4.5 years from now. I'd say you might be thinking of buying a new camera by then ... but if not, you can always get the shutter replaced.

Think of your shutter as brakes on your car. Eventually they wear out.

As the others have said. Use it, be happy and don't worry about things that you can't change.

When the shutter dies in X years, you will most likely feel the urge to get a new camera anyway, if you haven't already replaced it by then.
Most people tend to trade up from the xxxD series before the camera dies.

If you really wan't to keep shooting the same model, relax and think about how ridiculously cheap a 550D will be in 4-5 years time.

I regularly shoot between 2000-4000 pics in a weekend and with a major event, up to 20,000 over three or four days.
The rated number is only a guide, and is not a guarantee that it will reach or go beyond that figure.
I've done three shutters in various bodies over the years - two in my 10D which were well above the rated figure - 160k and 120k respectively.
That body finally died with 60k on its third shutter - poor thing was just worn out. Probably got covered in dust/rain/mud or was knocked once too often.
The other shutter was in my 1D MkII which was so close to the rated number, it didn't matter - 187,737. The MTB figure is 200K.
Since I had that shutter replaced in January 2010 I've put on about another 100k.
I've heard of shutters letting go with fairly low mileage and others with well above the rated figure.
The worst was a 1D MkIII with just four actuations.
A member of this forum had a 1 Series body (MkII, I think) that has gone well over the 1,000,000 mark.
A shutter is a mechanical component and can let go at any time - it's a fact of life.
I know that I'll be up for one in either my 1D MkII or 40D at some stage. When? Who knows.
As others have said, you're more likely to upgrade your body before you get close to the rated number.
Just use it and enjoy it. Worry about the shutter going out to lunch when it does.

Thats exactly what I was thinking. Since March I have 12,5k clicks on my 7D. When I started to time lapse I really got worried.

But honestly I don't care anymore. I fell in love with this hobby and if my camera dies tomorrow I either get it repaired or buy a new.
That beeing said I hope to exceed 100k before it stops working

If the shutter does wear out before you are ready for a new camera, it is much less to replace a shutter than to buy a new camera. Stop worrying and have fun.

nothing you can do about shutter life. It can die suddenly or last until the camera itself dies. don't let it hamper your fun. just go out and shoot!

sixsixfour wrote in post #13138689
nothing you can do about shutter life. It can die suddenly or last until the camera itself dies. don't let it hamper your fun. just go out and shoot!

Not much different than the human species. Live life to the fullest, you never know when your time has come.

^ only difference is we don't come with a "shutter life rated at xxx,xxx" disclaimer

sixsixfour wrote in post #13139864
^ only difference is we don't come with a "shutter life rated at xxx,xxx" disclaimer

Sort of.....
http://en.wikipedia.or​g …ntries_by_life_​expectancy

Gatorboy wrote in post #13138018
Think of your shutter as brakes on your car. Eventually they wear out.

VERY sound advice! Seriously: Everything mechanical will eventually fail. Don't worry about longevity. If it does fail, it can be repaired/replaced.