how do I know how many clicks camera has

magicpic

I have a 20d and how do I tell how many clicks the camera has? thanks janis

hgernhardtjr

Actually, you don't. Neither the 20D nor 30D has readable actuations using EXIF data through programs such as Opanda, etc. Perhaps Canon Service can read it somewhere in the code, but at this time no one has been able to decipher it.

If the folders have never been reset in the camera, the photo id number can give you a general idea, but that, of course, is not accurate.

Search the web on "shutter actuations" and you will find a lot of info. Read Ziggy's reply to a similar question here: http://dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=56420&highlight=%22shutter+actuations%22

Glenn NK

There are current posts on other forums on this issue - someone pointed out that different models (let alone different cameras) may use different EXIF codes for different things.

Apparently, one model puts the serial number in where some EXIF software interprets it as shutter actuations.

"Wow, I must have used the 5 fps setting a lot."

natephoto

magicpic wrote:

I have a 20d and how do I tell how many clicks the camera has? thanks janis

Try sending it in for a "cleaning" to canon service... I heard that that works if you ask.

Rockporters

When I sold my 20D, I used the file numbering/name for a rough estimate. If you're the original owner, and have never reset the file numbering/names (i.e. IMG_1684), you could use that to estimate. It may not be 100%, but it should get you pretty close.

z_28

magicpic wrote:

I have a 20d and how do I tell how many clicks the camera has? thanks janis

Only Canon Service may tell !
Sorry

If you are original owner and you keep ALL the photos in one folder,
you can check folder's volume.
Anyway this method doesn't help potential buyer even a bit !

Glenn NK

My 30D (essentially the same camera) has 11,728 shutter actuations. I bought it new; it took 10,000 shots then started over at number 1. The last image is numbered 1,728 (10,000 + 1,728 = 11,728). EOS Utility put them in folders numbered 2006-10-26 etc. Today's folder should be numbered 2008-01-02.

Rockporters

z_28 wrote:

If you are original owner and you keep ALL the photos in one folder,
you can check folder's volume.
Anyway this method doesn't help potential buyer even a bit !

Out of curiosity, why do you feel this isn't helpful for estimating number of clicks? Granted it may not be an exact science, but seems like you could get pretty close. Assuming of course you're the original owner and the numbering hasn't been reset... obviously there things that can come into play causing this not to be an accurate method otherwise.

I was the original owner of a 20D, and the file numbering/naming had never been reset. The files were stored in dated folders, and a new folder was created for each date, but the numbering did NOT reset with each new folder. In the end I felt it pretty accurately represented the number of actuations at around 3k for the two years I used it. The same system is being used for my new 40D, although it's been less than 4 months and I am at 4500 already, which is pretty accurate. Talk about snap happy .

Anyhow, I was just wondering why you feel this method can't be helpful to a potential buyer?

BigAl

If you haven't reset the numbering (and haven't used a card from another camera), look at the flash disk using a card reader with Windows Explorer (or the Mac equivalent) - NOT any of the Canon software. You'll find the following directory structure:
dcim>xyz>img_yzab.cr2
yzab would be the number of the current shot
the number of shots would be (x-1)*10000 + current shot number
ie a camera with the directory structure:
dcim>214>img_1432.cr2
would have taken 11432 shots

Not sure what happens after the xyz directory hits 999 - you would have taken way too many shots