It took me 700 days on the nose (I think, July 4th 2009 to June 3rd 2011) to hit 100K on my D90. That averages out to ~142 shots a day, which I don't recommend dishing out on a D90 - I absolutely beat the crap out of that thing and it showed. According to a NPS tech it had 5 'critical' errors (2 from the mirror, 1 from each of the shutter, aperture control arm and autofocus motor).

Seeing that I'm a college student hobbyist photographer, I can easily believe this shutter count on a body that shoots almost twice as many FPS, and is most often used by pros who like to grind the shutter button to a pulp.

For those that worry about the shutter count...
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150179301555828&set=a.10150155392760828.348758.49851405827&type=1&theater

I read a news article on how some dude got his Oldsmobile well over 1,000,000 miles without any major repair or overall to the engine... The point is that the shutter life expectancy is an estimate...

Isn't the D3 shutter life at 300,000? D300 = 150,000.

I know past firmware upgrades reset the shutter count for many Nikons.

NikoDoby said:
In fact I just inputted a false shutter number to prove my point ;^P

It's great that someone posts a site to track. But there will always be hoodlums who ... oh wait - nevermind ;)

Just topic seems just like worrying about how many miles you will get before you have to rebuild your car engine. The answer is - you will replace it before you ever get close.

I hear the D800 rumors have a massive shutter life expectancy too. Like at least 200,000. Either way, to get 150,000-200,000 shots its more than enough I have discovered :)

PB PM said:
Take a look at this site, it has some interesting data on shutter life. (specific link to the D40 in this case)
http://www.olegkikin.com/shutterlife/nikon_d40.htm

Yes, I found that site too.

I got a little suspicious of a D40 that does 300,000 shutter actuations. :D

But that's not a bad yardstick to gauge the lifespan of the D40. Looks like I should prepare for some shopping. :D

I never promised anything about the legitimacy of the site, just pointed to it. I'm sure there is just as much real data as false (like any wiki like site).

That site doesn't mean anything. Anyone can input whatever number they want. In fact I just inputted a false shutter number to prove my point ;^P

There was a guy who loved to shoot his Pomeranian puppies at full frames-per-second for several minutes every day. He killed several camera shutters (D70, D2X,D2HS) within a few months. I believe in one session he said he shot over 15,000 photos! In ONE photo session!

Nice link, Rob. A half-life of 300,000 clicks is not bad!

Take a look at this site, it has some interesting data on shutter life. (specific link to the D40 in this case)
http://www.olegkikin.com/shutterlife/nikon_d40.htm

adamz said:
@kanuck - I have app 190k articulations on my d3s and... it works like charm, was cleaning it at Nikon 2 months ago and they check it for errors, and didn't found any :) moreover, they said that once they had a d2 with almost 800k and it was still working. so don't be afraid of numbers, Nikon dlsr are made to last :D

I'm very curious at how many actuations a D40 can handle.

I'm around 21,200 right now.

Great to Know Adamz because I'd hate to replace it before the refresh comes out obviously. That being said, the camera acts the same as it always had good ol' Nikon :)

@kanuck - I have app 190k articulations on my d3s and... it works like charm, was cleaning it at Nikon 2 months ago and they check it for errors, and didn't found any :) moreover, they said that once they had a d2 with almost 800k and it was still working. so don't be afraid of numbers, Nikon dlsr are made to last :D

I agree for sports and multiple frames per second will definately get the shutter count up quite high over a period of time. My D700 is up to 167,000 actuations now in over two years of use. I have my fingers crossed that the shutter keeps on ticking until the D700 replacement is released rather than replace it.

adamz said:
@Nikoner - "...your camera is not your girlfriend , and is just a means to generate income to support your real girlfriend, life will be more fun and easy..." - I think a lot of ppl have problems with understanding this.

as for tiger mating:) - awesome to watch in RL

Supposedly it hurts a lot for all female felines because the male parts are all spiked and everything.

@Casperwb:

Okay, but remain forewarned, your "Ahem Ahem" may end up served in a soup in some Chinese restaurant.

casperwb said:

Nikoner: I agree with you, in my next life I would like to be a Tiger.

Hahaha!

@Nikoner - "...your camera is not your girlfriend , and is just a means to generate income to support your real girlfriend, life will be more fun and easy..." - I think a lot of ppl have problems with understanding this.

as for tiger mating:) - awesome to watch in RL

okay guys, I am willing to stand corrected.

It is nice to get a different point of view, as stated by most.

that is what I like about this forum

refreshing.

Adamz: point taken

Mike, that was very gently put.

brownwell: point taken

koshi: i agree with you on the sports point

Nikoner: I agree with you, in my next life I would like to be a Tiger.

@Casperwb:

Bear in mind that unlike landscape or street photography in sports you seldom have leisure of time, it is then and there or not at all. I have consistently done 6000 clicks on one body in 3 days at all day sporting events, like a conference meet. On regular game day I can easily reach 1000 clicks per match. With practice and intuition comes precision, this year I have far more keepers than the previous and so on. Other than that I sometimes do time-lapse series of ~ 2 shots per second for 30 minutes or more, that's almost 3600 shots in that half an hour. If I was shooting chess, sure I have the time to be a Picasso and compose all day. My camera is a frigging tool to get me the shots that I want, and which I know will sell, and thus put bread and butter on my table. As a profession if you hit that realization that your camera is not your girlfriend , and is just a means to generate income to support your real girlfriend, life will be more fun and easy.

Tiger mating lasts for 5 or 6 days being repeated 50 times per day every 5 to 15 minutes. Does it mean that the first, second, third or forth phuck was not good enough? So there, even if once or twice is probably enough its to ensure its progeny and legacy is carried on.

So don't hesitate, shoot, shoot, and shoot. And then shoot some more, and keep shooting. keep earning money on your investment and the trade it in for a new D4. (P.S. does not translate to keep making babies until wife runs dry and then trade her in for another fertile one)

BrownewellPhoto said:
Casper, I shoot weddings. I haven't bought the 70-200 vr and use the push-pull 80-200 from the early '90's. As a technique for getting more usable photos, I shoot in burst of three during the ceremony (where I can't use flash). The mere act of pushing the shutter button causes enough shake that the first and last photos are blurry, but the middle are sharp. If I picked and chose every shot during a wedding, 95% would be too blurry to use. I'm in the business to sell photos, if 95% of them are crap and I only get 3 or 4 shots of a ceremony, I'll be sued.

And, if I remember correctly from the film days, on a roll of 36 exposures, a photographer should hope to get 1-3 keepers. And that was shooting at 1-2 frames per second. If you shoot 7 frame per second, for 5 seconds, you're either going to end up with 35 worthless shots, or 35 shots ranging from acceptable to unacceptable, but I highly doubt you'll have just a single good photo out of 35+ images (unless you don't know how to focus). Again, these people make money from their ability to get good shots. Having 5 or 10 of the same scene at different time points simply gives a photographer more options to choose.

Basically, people who use their cameras to make money will use the techniques that allow them to continue to make money. Knocking people for using high frame rates is probably the most worthless argument against sub-par photographers that I've ever heard.

Agreed! I do bursts too for that (when Im not doing sports)

Casper, I shoot weddings. I haven't bought the 70-200 vr and use the push-pull 80-200 from the early '90's. As a technique for getting more usable photos, I shoot in burst of three during the ceremony (where I can't use flash). The mere act of pushing the shutter button causes enough shake that the first and last photos are blurry, but the middle are sharp. If I picked and chose every shot during a wedding, 95% would be too blurry to use. I'm in the business to sell photos, if 95% of them are crap and I only get 3 or 4 shots of a ceremony, I'll be sued.

And, if I remember correctly from the film days, on a roll of 36 exposures, a photographer should hope to get 1-3 keepers. And that was shooting at 1-2 frames per second. If you shoot 7 frame per second, for 5 seconds, you're either going to end up with 35 worthless shots, or 35 shots ranging from acceptable to unacceptable, but I highly doubt you'll have just a single good photo out of 35+ images (unless you don't know how to focus). Again, these people make money from their ability to get good shots. Having 5 or 10 of the same scene at different time points simply gives a photographer more options to choose.

Basically, people who use their cameras to make money will use the techniques that allow them to continue to make money. Knocking people for using high frame rates is probably the most worthless argument against sub-par photographers that I've ever heard.

IShootU said:
According to DP Review the D2x was announced in 16 Sept 2004. If'n this guy owned it from then until 16 Sept 2011 or 2555 days and used if everyday, he would have shot 270 pics a day 7 days a week(380/day 5days/wk). There must have been a staff of photographers using the poor thing.

Many weeks I'll shoot between 6,000 and 10,000 shots on one camera body (out of 3)... It is possible :)

Hi all,

How someone else gets their work done ought to be up to them.

The higher frame rates are in the cameras (and have been in them for some time) for several reasons.

I'm also guessing that folks that make a living taking wedding pictures would like the courtesy and kindness and respect of others, too, as much as anyone would.

My best,

Mike

@casperwb - if I were You I wouldn't state it so strong. the fact You take a lot of similar snaps doesn't mean You are clown. each and every one of us have different working styles. I like to sketch with my camera, and sometimes yes I pull the trigger too much. In other occasions I need only one snap.
As for wedding photos, yes sometimes You just have to stick Your finger to the release button - imagine what's worst, missing the particular moment or taking 5 instead of one snap. Similar situation is with wildlife photography. Great if You can take just one snap, but there are a situations where You simply don't have time to think about composition and need to fire all You have in order to get this one snap.