topic Re: EOS 6D Mark II Should I replace the mirror assembly? in EOS DSLR & Mirrorless Cameras

EOS 6D Mark II Should I replace the mirror assembly?

KTL03 — Fri, 30 Jan 2026 15:55:20 GMT

I'm new to the community and had searched for my question, but didn't see any specific topics that answered it. I'm not new to Canon DSLR gear and had picked up a used 6D2 some time ago, but at that time, I didn't have the proper software tool to read the shutter & mirror counts even though the camera still functioned well when I tested it. Eventually, found a software that could read it and shutter count was >170k and mirror count was >110k. I ordered new shutter assembly and tripod mounting plate, and replaced them myself, but I had forgotten about the mirror assembly. Currently, the camera has been put back and works well.

Is it necessary or recommended to replace the mirror assembly?

In case anyone is wondering, one of the screws to secure the body to the mounting plate wouldn't come out and it was stripped during the dissembly process. I drilled it out and unfortunately, damaged the threads on the plate, thus, it was replaced as well.

Re: EOS 6D Mark II Should I replace the mirror assembly?

Peter — Sat, 31 Jan 2026 14:08:12 GMT

Why did you replace the shutter at all? Is it working correctly now even when you shoot 1/8000 sec? No black bars anywhere?

Re: EOS 6D Mark II Should I replace the mirror assembly?

justadude — Sat, 31 Jan 2026 15:00:12 GMT

I'm wondering the same. My original 6D had 260K on the shutter when I traded it in to the camera shop. They said they would resell it for a little less because of the count, but it was still working perfectly.

Re: EOS 6D Mark II Should I replace the mirror assembly?

KTL03 — Sat, 31 Jan 2026 19:48:06 GMT

Fair questions. I should've mentioned that the 6D2 was the first full frame DSLR I've picked up after having been away from photography for quite some time. The main reason why I changed the shutter was thinking if if it's rated for 100k activations and had exceeded by almost 2x, then the motor, springs, mechanics would probably need to be replaced to keep the camera going. The maximum shutter speed for the 6D2 is 1/4000 from what I can tell and read (unless I'm doing something wrong), but I don't typically use that fast anyway. Ultimately, it was more of preventive maintenance and curiosity on difficulty level.

Re: EOS 6D Mark II Should I replace the mirror assembly?

Waddizzle — Sat, 31 Jan 2026 20:33:00 GMT

“ The main reason why I changed the shutter was thinking if if it's rated for 100k activations and had exceeded by almost 2x, then the motor, springs, mechanics would probably need to be replaced to keep the camera going. “

Not a good reason, IMHO. Let it fall. The shutter life specification is a statistical average. It’s the same thing as MTBF, mean time between failure, which can be measured in units of time or some other unit of measurement.

Dirt is probably more likely to cause a shutter to fail than normal usage.

Re: EOS 6D Mark II Should I replace the mirror assembly?

KTL03 — Sat, 31 Jan 2026 21:11:25 GMT

I'm sure the specifications are likely conservative, but I don't know how the previous owner(s) may have cared for it, why let it fall (or fail) if I can do some preventive actions now?

Re: EOS 6D Mark II Should I replace the mirror assembly?

Waddizzle — Sat, 31 Jan 2026 22:03:26 GMT

“ In case anyone is wondering, one of the screws to secure the body to the mounting plate wouldn't come out and it was stripped during the dissembly process. I drilled it out and unfortunately, damaged the threads on the plate, thus, it was replaced as well.

I'm sure the specifications are likely conservative, but I don't know how the previous owner(s) may have cared for it, why let it fall (or fail) if I can do some preventive actions now? “

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Camerax don’t need preventative maintenance,nothing more than keeping it clean. Let the shutter fail. You don’t need to change out moving parts

“just in case.”

No need to second guess or outsmart fate. I hope your accident will the mounting plate was a teachable moment. Good luck in the future.

Re: EOS 6D Mark II Should I replace the mirror assembly?

KTL03 — Sun, 01 Feb 2026 16:18:19 GMT

Do you use the same logic when car manufacturers tell you the fluid is "lifetime" so you don't need to change it? Drive it until the vehicle fails and leave you stranded on the road? I've fixed worse things than a mounting plate, so don't assume it was a horrific incident for me.

Good luck to you in the future as well.