How do I get the shutter count for the 7d mark ii on windows 10

[Isac]

I'm looking for the shutter count on the 7Dii but am having a problem finding something that works. I would also like to know why Canon try their best to keep this a secret. This confuses me, as other manufacturers are onboard with having this important information easily available. Why would they be hesitant to share this vital information? It's extremely puzzling to me. Cheers.

[Isac]

If a camera has 150,000 shutter actuations then I could assume it has been well used and is coming to it's life's end and one that has had 5000, will probably tell me that it is relatively unused. Same a a speedo in a car, it doesn't tell the whole story but gives an indication of its use. To me, it's a good thing to know but others probably couldn't care less - and that's OK with me. Cheers. PS I found a way to see the shutter count so I'm a happy chappy!

[wq9nsc]

Glad you found the shutter count!

As to video hours, heat management is an issue shooting video with a DSLR because video generates far more internal heat buildup than still photography with the sensor, A to D converter, and associated processors running effectively at a continuous duty cycle while shooting video instead of the low duty cycle imposed by photography.  Mirrorless is a hybrid between the two designs and has some of the same thermal management concerns as shooting video (and shares some of the same hazards due to a sensor constantly exposed to sunlight/laser damage when in operation). Reviewers tend to attribute the electronic viewing screen in mirrorless setups as the reason for reduced battery life but the bigger current drain is from constantly reading the sensor and doing A to D conversion along with powering the supporting cast needed to provide the data capture, conversion, and processing functions.  That increased battery draw is converted into internal heat that has to be managed.

Canon's 1DX series are the best of their DSLR bodies at video heat management with their heat pipe design but even these bodies will get very hot in higher ambient conditions shooting sustained video clips.  A DSLR that has been used a lot for video will have a greatly increased rate of internal component aging.

Purpose built better video cameras and camcorders use forced air cooling to manage this heat buildup giving up some of the weather resistance of most DSLR bodies to provide sustained video capability without cooking the internals.  I use a Canon XF-400 camcorder for sports video and leave its fan set in the default mode of continuous rather than temperature triggered operation which comes at the cost of slightly reduced battery life but keeps the electronics running at a temperature far more conducive to a long life.

I would rather have a used DSLR with 50% of its expected shutter life used than one that had been used for hundreds of hours of video recording.

Rodger

[ebiggs1]

happy chappy!

Here is my point, I agree with you to a point, consider would you rather buy a used car with 150,000 miles on it or a car with 5000 miles on it?  Well of course you want the car with the much lower mileage. Right?  However, the odometer didn't tell you the low mileage car went through a flood.  It was submerged in swamp water for a week in New Orleans.

"I found a way to see the shutter count"

If the "way' was not a Canon Service Center it is probably wrong and/or inaccurate.

[RobertTheFat]

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@stebo wrote:

Much discussion about "does shutter count matter". 

Let the oldtimer fill you in, sometimes we are good for something:) 

I read "when it comes to video only hours matter"  Somewhat true.  Back in the film days mechanical shutters where used.  When you have mechanical moving parts hours or shutter counts do matter because the moving parts will wear down almost like clock work.  For the 7D mark ii there are no moving parts when recoding video so video recording hours do not adversely affect the useful life span of the camera.  For a still photographer on this camra the more actuations of the mirror moving out of the way of the sensor will wear those moving parts at the points of contact.  The camera can be rebuilt but I would rather buy a camera used for video knowing the mechanical moving parts of the camera are still pristine.  Sure electronic parts could fail but not likely vs mechanical parts will fail inevitably.  So I think it it is still important for now.  Give it a few years and it really won't matter when its all electronic mirrorless equipment.  Some may still think so becuease it has been a point of concern in the past, but I would never ask how many hours did you watch this television if I were to buy a used TV.

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I'm one of the oldest contributors in this forum, so I claim a right to quibble.  

I see your point about a camera used for video being a better bet because video is easier on the shutter. But the EOS 70D provides a counterexample of sorts. A significant number of 70D's have experienced a main board failure that's more expensive to repair than a broken shutter, and it's usually blamed on overheating due to high video usage. So you pay your money and take your chances; there's no sure winning strategy.

[naplesgc]

I've read all of this and I have no idea how the original poster even knows what to tell his forum readers. This has got to be the worst chase I've ever been on.