"Camera Digital Exif Info" is a freeware provides a simple tool to check digital camera shutter count and basic EXIF info viewer. There are various EXIF tools around of course, but cool GUI application and simplicity are always a plus.
Shutter actuation is an important factor because it tells you the extent of wear the camera has undergone, and its particularly crucial when you are buying used cameras.
Almost all new digital cameras use the EXIF annotation, storing information on the image such as shutter speed, exposure compensation, F-number, what metering system was used, if a flash was used, ISO number, date and time the image was taken, white balance, lenses that were used and resolution.
All this Informations is usually embedded in the EXIF data of the picture files. EXIF is short for EXchangeable Image File", a format that is a standard for storing interchange information in digital photography image files using JPEG compression.
Some camera manufacturers like Nikon, Pentax, and Sony also add shutter actuations data fields that are used for seeing the total number of exposures or shutter actuations" cameras have.
The value of this counter and other fields such as the camera's serial number, when available, is encrypted in the Maker fields of the photo's EXIF data.
To find out your cameras shutter count or total number of shutter releases :
Take a photo as your wish, chose JPEG or RAW quality with small basic settings for small size. The image must be straight out of the camera and not modified by any image editor such as Photoshop or Lightroom. And to make the file smaller, it is best if the picture is taken at camera's lowest resolution setting in JPEG format, a JPEG taken with the lens cap on is just fine. Save it to your computer, and check it by clicking the Load Photo button.
At this moment, this tool supports Nikon's NEF, Sony ARW, Pentax pef, and of course, JPEG format:
SUPPORTED CAMERAS for reading shutter count:
- Nikon : may be valid for all nikon dslr since 2005.
- Canon: valid only for EOS-1D Mark III and EOS-1Ds Mark III, note that Canon doesnt store the shutter actuation details in the EXIF data. So for Canon, things are a little different, you have to connect your camera to a USB port on a PC; my canon program to check shutter count is CAMERA DIGITAL EOS INFO.
- Sony: only valid for some models like : DSLR-A230, DSLR-A290, DSLR-A330, DSLR-A380, DSLR-A390, DSLR-A850, DSLR-A900 DSLR-A450, DSLR-A500, DSLR-A550 SLT-A33, SLT-A35, SLT-A55, DSLR-A560, DSLR-A580, NEX-3, NEX-C3, NEX-5 SLT-A37, SLT-A57, SLT-A58, SLT-A65, SLT-A77, SLT-A77V, SLT-A99, NEX-3N, NEX-3N, NEX-3F, NEX-5N, NEX-5R, NEX-6, NEX-7, ILCE-7S, ILCA-77M2 ILCE-6300, ILCE-6500, ILCE-7RM2, ILCE-7SM2, ILCA-99M2
- Pentax: may be valid for all Pentax/Asahi cameras.
This tool is available as a stand-alone Windows win32 executable and a Macintosh OS X package.
