How many clicks is too many clicks

I'm shopping for a used1D Mk II and the shutter counts vary from 10k all the way up to 250k. Logic tells me less is better and would like to get something < 20k.

At what point would a used camera have too many clicks for your comfort?

Well, you summed it up with your last sentence. It's about personal comfort. Personally anything over 5k, and I stay away, but I'm sure I'm not the norm. 10-20k shouldn't be an issue as long as the camera was treated well, and/ or has a maintenance history with it. 250k? Well, probably wouldn't buy it unless it was dirt cheap. Again though, it comes down to what you feel comfortable with.

A camera shutter can go out at any time - whether at 20k or 300k. Look at the shutter life expectancy below and pick what's comfortable for YOU.


Model - Rated Shutter Life
Canon EOS Digital Rebel XS / 1000D - 100,000
Canon EOS Digital Rebel T1i / 500D - 100,000
Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi / 450D - 100,000
Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi / 400D - 50,000
Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT / 350D - 50,000
Canon EOS 50D - 100,000
Canon EOS 40D - 100,000
Canon EOS 30D - 100,000
Canon EOS 20D - 50,000
Canon EOS 5D Mark II - 150,000
Canon EOS 5D - 100,000
Canon EOS 1D Mark III - 300,000
Canon EOS 1D Mark II N - 200,000
Canon EOS 1DS Mark III - 300,000
Canon EOS 1DS Mark II - 200,000

Shutter replacements run around $300 for CPS members.

At the current prices they are becoming disposables, and the price difference between a cherry example and a well worn beater are not that great IMO.

If you want to obsess about it, just depreciate the cost of replacing the shutter over its' rated shutter life. Figure that as part of the price.

That way, if you get a very high shutter count body, you can use it without worry knowing because even if the shutter dies, you have priced your purchase so you can afford to get a brand new one installed and still come out OK.

It depends.

If a camera with 10,000 costs £300 and one with 5000 costs £500 you could nearly buy a second camera for the price difference so I'd happily buy the 10,000.
If a camera with 10,000 costs £450 and one with 5000 costs £500 I'd spend the extra £50.

As it happens I actually paid £60 under the £400 going rate for a 40D when I got mine and it only had 2800 versus the 10,000 that the more expensive examples had.

I saw a site once (can't remember the URL) which has a user database of shutter clicks before failure.

At the time I was still using my 30D and it varies from 4 clicks to somebody who said his had done over 1MILLION click (bit hard to believe) and somebody has 1Ds MKIII with 8,388,607 ( NO way, that's holding the button down at 5fps continually for 14 Months )

On a personal note 20K on a 1dmk III would be VERY low IMHO, but I'd not buy one with 200K unless it was nearly given away.

OK found the database http://www.olegkikin.c​om/shutterlife/

The short answer is whenever it dies.

Sam_M wrote in post #11552590
Personally anything over 5k, and I stay away

That's just ridiculous.
Using that logic, I'd be getting rid of my cameras at least once a week.
If shooting an event I do up to 4000 frames a day.

Why the obsession with shutter counts?
A shutter will go at any time. Now matter how much you baby your camera.
I've replaced 3 shutters at various times - two in a 10D, the first at around 160,000, the second at around 120k.
I replaced the one in my 1DMkII at 187,737 in Feb 2010. The new one has now done just over 50k since.
My 40D is sitting at around 110k.

The ratings given by Canon are not guaranteed but are simply an estimated mean number.