20D: Where Do You Read The Shutter Count?

I often see people quoting the shutter count from their camera as if from the digital read-out, rather than a straight number, which suggests they are reading it from the camera itself somewhere. I have tried to find the counter on my 20D, but I can't. How can I find it on my camera?

For example, I see people quoting, when asked via an eBay question, a number such as '212-1234', which I understand (I think) means 11,234 actuations. Where are they reading this from?

Thanks

Mike

We 20D owners cannot reliably read a shutter count. If we are the original owner of the camera and have been conscientious with our CF card management, we can determine the count or estimate the count. To my understanding, only Canon (and, maybe, authorized independent repair centers) can determine the shutter count from the camera. 1D series owners can determine the count with available software applications.

Okay, thanks I have seen it on numerous occasions where 20D owners are quoting that numbering format from somewhere though! I've even looked at the EXIF information in my EOS Viewer Utility and it still doesn't quote the image numbers in that XXX-XXXX format, just the four-digit image number.

Mike

Mike-DT6 wrote in post #4388339
Okay, thanks I have seen it on numerous occasions where 20D owners are quoting that numbering format from somewhere though! I've even looked at the EXIF information in my EOS Viewer Utility and it still doesn't quote the image numbers in that XXX-XXXX format, just the four-digit image number.

Mike

Take a look at page 61 of the manual. i believe that will help you understand where the numbers come from.

Thanks. I have actually read that, but it doesn't tell you where you can read the file numbering in that format.

I'm aware of the folder numbering system and that it's possible to put the folder number together with the last image number and come up with the XXX-XXXX number that way, but it appears from the way people are quoting the numbers that they are reading them from somewhere in that format. The reason why I say that is that some of the people appear not to know what the numbers mean, so I wouldn't have expected them to think of compiling the figures in that format unless they were reading them displayed like that.

Mike

It's all smoke and mirrors on a 20D - as an owner of the camera and using multiple CF cards - you can never know the count - no matter what pages you read in the manual.

Everything on a 10D/20D/30D/40D is a best estimate.

Yes, it was beginning to look like a bit of a mystery!

It's not a great issue; I was just curious, although it would be handy to know, when looking at used 20Ds to buy.

Mike

Mike-DT6 wrote in post #4388339
Okay, thanks I have seen it on numerous occasions where 20D owners are quoting that numbering format from somewhere though! I've even looked at the EXIF information in my EOS Viewer Utility and it still doesn't quote the image numbers in that XXX-XXXX format, just the four-digit image number.

Mike

Take a photo with your 20D, then bring the photo up and hit the info button. The file number is in the upper right corner. My latest reading is 126-2673. I'm not sure what it's telling me though.

This is why I try my best to use the same CF card all the time... gives me the correct number as long as I do that... won't always be possible, but I try to bring my laptop on long trips to dump the files instead of popping in my spare CF card...

You could try this
http://zecoj.com …on-eos-20d-shutter-count/

I've found it accurate with my 20d.

LA Smith wrote in post #5249305


Take a photo with your 20D, then bring the photo up and hit the info button. The file number is in the upper right corner. My latest reading is 126-2673. I'm not sure what it's telling me though.

Hello

Wow, it's ages since I last posted in this thread! Since then I have found out what it all means, so I think I can help you here!

126-2673

This tells you that your camera has 2673 shutter actuations, assuming that the counter hasn't been messed up by putting in an un-formatted CF card with the file numbering from a different camera.

The numbers you see are as follows: The first digit is the number of times the camera has displayed blocks of 9999 actuations (as counted in the final four digits); the second and third digits mimic the first two digits in the final group of four (the thousands and the hundreds); the final four digits are the number of shutter actuations within the current block of 9999. For example:

101-0150 = 150 actuations.

167-6750 = 6750 actuations.

199-9999 = 9999 actuations.

200-0000 = 10,000 actuations.

201-0150 = 10,150 actuations.

267-6750 = 16,750 actuations.

299-9999 = 19,999 actuations.

300-0000 = 20,000 actuations.

367-6750 = 26,750 actuations.

And so on . . . .


That's how I understand it. Someone please correct me if I have got that wrong.

Mike

They start with 100 (the Canon100 folder), then go to 101 after 10000 exposures.
So if 100-0150 is 150 exposures, then 101-0150 is 10150 exposures, and 367-6750 would be 2676750 exposures.

By then it would probably be all smoke of the mirrors, to (almost) quote another post above...

However, I think this has changed over time, so the reference above is perhaps true for a 20D? My 400D and 40D behave like I describe.

I tried the RAW file reading trick, for the 20D, on a file from the 40D. But it's not the same. These bytes were all zeros there, and I have indeed used the camera.

apersson850 wrote in post #5251262
They start with 100 (the Canon100 folder), then go to 101 after 10000 exposures.
So if 100-0150 is 150 exposures, then 101-0150 is 10150 exposures, and 367-6750 would be 2676750 exposures.

By then it would probably be all smoke of the mirrors, to (almost) quote another post above...

However, I think this has changed over time, so the reference above is perhaps true for a 20D? My 400D and 40D behave like I describe.

I tried the RAW file reading trick, for the 20D, on a file from the 40D. But it's not the same. These bytes were all zeros there, and I have indeed used the camera.

The 20D resets it's counter at 9,999. It also resets the folders, which are 100 photographer per folder.

Anders, yes, I was referring to the 20D, as was LA Smith with his post.

Mike

Ok I tried this website and downloaded the program, below is the final output from the software.
http://zecoj.com …on-eos-20d-shutter-count/

1B as shortint: 27
1B 35 as word: 6965
1B 35 as integer: 6965
1B 35 00 00 as longint: 456458240
1B 35 00 00 as 32 bit IEEE single: 1.49719690872098E-22
1B 35 00 00 00 00 00 00 as 64 bit IEEE double: 1.29557291947931E-177

It looks like it is showing my total actuations to be 6,965.
I know I have almost 100k actuations so I guess this isn't accurate. Also the raw image I used image number was 1077.CR2