

This includes everything from date and time of capture to camera settings, lens data and-in some cases-the shutter actuation number. The EXIF information is metadata stored with every digital image file a camera produces. So whether you’re simply trying to gauge how much life may remain in your camera or you’re preparing to sell or buy a used body, here are four ways to determine the shutter actuation count of your digital camera. It’s just that it can take a bit of work to access it, and the type and amount of work can vary by camera model. All digital cameras do keep track of this information, however. Unfortunately, camera makers don’t exactly offer an odometer on their products to easily display how many actuations a shutter has delivered. Either way, knowing how many times the shutter has been released can be important to a photographer interested in his equipment. More expensive, professional camera models are typically built to withstand a greater number of shutter actuations (well upwards of a quarter of a million, in fact) while inexpensive consumer cameras aren’t built to withstand such use. And much as automobile usage is measured via total miles traveled, camera usage is measured by total frames exposed. Just like moving parts on automobiles wear out with use and time, the moving parts on cameras do too.
