I know about the debates and posts about the lack of accuracy with the various attempts to obtain an exact and correct shutter count through various programs and means such as "EOS" or "ShutterCount "and the requirement to send the camera to the Canon repair centers as part of a service, but I have now been told by a local dealer, that since Canon stopped official support for the 1Ds mark iii as well as as the 1D, this count from a repair center is no longer a viable option.
My question is two fold: Why was it ever necessary to go through the expense of sending it to a repair center?
Is there some unique reason with the camera to keep it from being able to ascertain the count from other means?
Examine the history starting with 35mm film cameras. I am not sure of the exact start date, but for film cameras made in the 1980's and later, it is relatively easy to ascertain the number of rolls of film shot through it. While a roll of film may have 24 or 36 shots available, one may simply assume 100 rolls equals no more than 36 times 100 equalling 3,600 or less shutter count, perhaps as low as 2,400 shutter activations, if only the 24 shot rolls were used.
Now on to digital: Shuttercount and other programs give a fairly reiable shutter count for the 1 Ds mark ii and earlier cameras and models as well as later production cameras, but not the 1Ds Markiii (and another 1D model---1D mkIII )
Later production cameras that have video available, do present different issues but the 5D Mark IV will show an approximate count on the camera LCD with a >< sign, understandable with the video option.
Second part: Is it true that either the repair centers will not or can not perfom a shutter count as Canon has dropped official support based on the passage of time?
If so, then why is it that Canon has not made the means and method to perform the count generally available, either for free or at a price, to shooters, or at least, to the various dealers and unofficial repair shops?
I would prefer to think it is not to provide more incentive to replace the cameras with newer models, acting in the same type of method and with the intent and purpose as Microsoft has done with windows 7 to force upgrades [downgrades, in my opinion] to W10, with its spyware of keystrokes and other data going to their Cloud, Cortina, and even more worse, their forced upgrades that have wrecked drives and destroyed files and software, and with the latest upgrade has removed all barriers and guards to prevent forced upgrades.
See the posts in this thread that does not answer the above questions, only discusses the issues about where and how to get the count--from Canon only;
https://community.usa.canon.com/t5/General-Camera-Discussion/Shutter-count/m-p/34203/highlight/true#...
