# Canon 5D Mark IV Shutter Actuation Lifespan



## jcr (Sep 11, 2016)

Does anyone know what the Shutter life is on the Mark IV? I'm assuming it's surpassed the 150K by now


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## pwp (Sep 11, 2016)

I'd expect the shutter will be unchanged from the 5D MkIII. I'm on my third shutter in my 5D MkIII. They tend to last around 130k. CPS verifies this is fairly typical. You might get lucky and get one that will do a million clicks and still run fine.

-pw


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## jcr (Sep 11, 2016)

pwp said:


> I'd expect the shutter will be unchanged from the 5D MkIII. I'm on my third shutter in my 5D MkIII. They tend to last around 130k. CPS verifies this is fairly typical. You might get lucky and get one that will do a million clicks and still run fine.
> 
> -pw



What did it cost you to get the shutter replaced ?


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## pwp (Sep 11, 2016)

I can never remember. It's a relatively modest amount, the inconvenience is a greater cost. 
Maybe around $300. That's a potentially unreliable guess.

Short shutter life of 5 Series bodies hardens my resolve to get a 1DX MkII. 

-pw


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## cphoto (Sep 11, 2016)

Same as Mark III: 150,000 

But I hope the real life number will be much higher: both of my MK IIIs have more than 350,000 each right now ( touching on wood! ).

CPS did not give me any option than replacing the shutter on my 7D when I sent it for cleaning and they saw the 177K actuations; cost to replace the shutter was $380, mostly labor cost.

-Christophe


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## Deleted member 378221 (Sep 11, 2016)

cphoto said:


> CPS did not give me any option than replacing the shutter on my 7D when I sent it for cleaning and they saw the 177K actuations; cost to replace the shutter was $380, mostly labor cost.


This seems like a ripoff. You sent in in for cleaning and they mandatorily replaced the shutter even though it was still running fine? No way I would have agreed to that...


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## jcr (Sep 11, 2016)

Well it's good to know that some people had over 200k click on the Mark III. I'm sure the mark IV will last me a long time. 


When I sold my Mark III it only had 41,000 clicks on it and I had it three weeks before street date. I plan on keeping my Mark IV longer this time.


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## xps (Sep 11, 2016)

Mine 5DIII shutter was replaced for about 500€ back in 2014 inclusive readjustment and sensor cleaning here in Germany.cThe reason was an scratching noise when the mirror moved back, caused by dust.


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## cphoto (Sep 11, 2016)

Loibisch said:


> cphoto said:
> 
> 
> > CPS did not give me any option than replacing the shutter on my 7D when I sent it for cleaning and they saw the 177K actuations; cost to replace the shutter was $380, mostly labor cost.
> ...



This is what I got from CPS at the time: at 257K actuations I knew it was a question of days before the shutter would fail, so I agreed to the replacement.

_*Description of Problem/Symptoms Updated estimate: unit has high shot count (257,800) and requires shutter replacement. Required service exceeds CMS. Check and clean all functions, repair to good working order. Cost reflects 20% CPS gold discount. *_


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## chuckk (Sep 12, 2016)

pwp said:


> I can never remember. It's a relatively modest amount, the inconvenience is a greater cost.
> Maybe around $300. That's a potentially unreliable guess.
> 
> Short shutter life of 5 Series bodies hardens my resolve to get a 1DX MkII.
> ...


What memory CF brand are you using with Mark IV?


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## pwp (Sep 12, 2016)

chuckk said:


> pwp said:
> 
> 
> > I can never remember. It's a relatively modest amount, the inconvenience is a greater cost.
> ...



I don't have a 5D MkIV, and will probably pass on it in favor of the 1DX MkII. 
Currently for my 5D MkIII, 7D MkII & 1D MkIV I use Lexar 64Gb 1066x 160MB/s UDMA 7 CF cards. B&H often have great bundle offers on Lexar.

-pw


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## Viggo (Sep 12, 2016)

My 1dx failed at 165.000 actuations. Bottom line is, you can never use the number Canon states for anything. We have extended 5 year warranty here so I didn't pay. But 165 is WAY off the 400 Canon thinks it should do. That number is an average


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## Murdy (Sep 12, 2016)

Only slightly off topic, but I had a 5D mk1 that failed at almost 900k and that was only because I got sand in the shutter, otherwise (I assume) it would have gone on longer. My mk3 is currently at 600k with no problems (famous last words).


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## pwp (Sep 12, 2016)

Murdy said:


> Only slightly off topic, but I had a 5D mk1 that failed at almost 900k and that was only because I got sand in the shutter, otherwise (I assume) it would have gone on longer. My mk3 is currently at 600k with no problems (famous last words).


Ditto with a 5D Classic...over 800k when I gave it to an assistant who used it for ages. I've never put a new shutter in a 1-Series, most have been retired at around the 500-600k mark, all original.

-pw


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## GMCPhotographics (Sep 12, 2016)

pwp said:


> Murdy said:
> 
> 
> > Only slightly off topic, but I had a 5D mk1 that failed at almost 900k and that was only because I got sand in the shutter, otherwise (I assume) it would have gone on longer. My mk3 is currently at 600k with no problems (famous last words).
> ...



Have you had the mirror glass fall out? Apparently (well according to DPR) it's a common issue on a 5D classic, although I've never heard anyone with this issue.


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## Murdy (Sep 19, 2016)

No problems with the mirror glass. I've never even heard of that happening, although I don't doubt that anything that can go wrong will go wrong at some point


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## pwp (Sep 19, 2016)

The mirror issue was a "thing" with 5D classics. Canon offered a recall.
https://www.canon.com.au/~/media/News/Support-News/Notice-2009-02-EOS5D.ashx
http://www.canonrumors.com/canon-issues-eos-5d-classic-service-advisory/
http://www.canonrumors.com/forum/index.php?topic=11646.0

My long retired high mileage 5D was unaffected. This will be the case for the majority of 5D classics.

-pw


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## ChairmanRoa (Mar 30, 2018)

I have a 5D MK III with current shutter count 276K (3 years old) and still going fine. I had a play with the 5D MK IV and the first thing I noticed was the shutter is noticeably quieter on the MK IV. Also the shutter mechanism doesn't transmit as much vibration through the body of the MK IV. So I guess some improvements have been implemented.


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## Sporgon (Mar 30, 2018)

pwp said:


> The mirror issue was a "thing" with 5D classics. Canon offered a recall.
> https://www.canon.com.au/~/media/News/Support-News/Notice-2009-02-EOS5D.ashx
> http://www.canonrumors.com/canon-issues-eos-5d-classic-service-advisory/
> http://www.canonrumors.com/forum/index.php?topic=11646.0
> ...



Yours probably was a later 5D with serial number starting 2 or 3 and had the mirror mod done at build. My first 5D from 2005 had the mirror fall off around 2010, so I was then the owner of a Canon FF mirrorless. Didn't like it


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## JPAZ (Mar 30, 2018)

My 5Diii was put up for sale at about 50,000 shutter clicks. Got a great deal on the 5Div refurbed with about 3000 actuations that I could not pass up. There is no question that the new camera's shutter is quieter. Hopefully, the new one is just as bulletproof / reliable as the old. 

For context, I once had to replace the shutter on an old Canon D50 after photos of volcanic dust (looked like snow) in Argentina. That was not too expensive, IIRC. That camera had nowhere near the seals and "weather proofing" as the 5Diii and now 5Div.


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## Kit Lens Jockey (Mar 30, 2018)

Weirdly enough though, I noticed that the 5D4 shutter in silent mode is just a little louder than the 5D3, despite the fact that it's quieter in normal mode... Go figure.

I hated the shutter sound of the 5D3 in normal mode. It sounded like something broke inside the camera every time you took a shot.


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## applecider (Mar 31, 2018)

Crackers this thread is old, since it is here I’d like to ask questions.

For those who’s shutters that exceeded the expected what were your shooting settings generally?

Were most shots single shot, multi shot, shot high speed, low speed, silent shutter? Mirror lock up?

If you were not machine gunning then how does one get shutter counts above 500k?


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## Hector1970 (Mar 31, 2018)

I’d find the 5DIV silent shutter to be louder than a 5D III.
Do Canon claim it to be more silent?
I think it’s too loud.
It’s one of the few faults I find with the 5DIV


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## Mt Spokane Photography (Mar 31, 2018)

The shutter life is a average expectation. It can vary widely, temperature is a big killer, so one exposed to high temperatures is undergoing a lot of stress. Hish shutter speeds also is tougher on a camera. Bumps and knocks can also affect the shutter.

All of these things plus more impact the life, so its impossible to set a actual number.

There is always infant mortality due to defective parts or assembly, if it fails right away, the warranty usually covers it as long as it has low actuation's.


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## Valvebounce (Mar 31, 2018)

Hi Mt Spokane. 
When you say high shutter speeds, are you referring to high frames per second, or 1/8000th sec shutter speed. I thought the increased wear of 1/8000th was a myth as the shutter blades travel at the same speed for a 1 second exposure as they do for 1/8000th sec exposure, just the delay between the first and second shutter changes. 
I can see where 10 or 14 FPS could be more wearing than 5 or 6 FPS. 

Cheers, Graham. 



Mt Spokane Photography said:


> The shutter life is a average expectation. It can vary widely, temperature is a big killer, so one exposed to high temperatures is undergoing a lot of stress. Hish shutter speeds also is tougher on a camera. Bumps and knocks can also affect the shutter.
> 
> All of these things plus more impact the life, so its impossible to set a actual number.
> 
> There is always infant mortality due to defective parts or assembly, if it fails right away, the warranty usually covers it as long as it has low actuation's.


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## ajfotofilmagem (Mar 31, 2018)

Valvebounce said:


> Hi Mt Spokane.
> When you say high shutter speeds, are you referring to high frames per second, or 1/8000th sec shutter speed. I thought the increased wear of 1/8000th was a myth as the shutter blades travel at the same speed for a 1 second exposure as they do for 1/8000th sec exposure, just the delay between the first and second shutter changes.
> I can see where 10 or 14 FPS could be more wearing than 5 or 6 FPS.
> 
> ...


The inertia will probably be greater when the interval between the first and second curtains is too short, right?


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## Isaacheus (Apr 3, 2018)

applecider said:


> Crackers this thread is old, since it is here I’d like to ask questions.
> 
> For those who’s shutters that exceeded the expected what were your shooting settings generally?
> 
> ...



Original 6d with 200 and something thousand clicks, most of the ones I put on are from timelapses, so a shot every couple of seconds or so, more often longer exposure times.

Not sure how many it had when I picked it up second hand but I've put about 15k on since June last year that way. It's been my second camera for the last 6 months, going to use it till it dies completely. Parts are starting to fall off


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## tinman0 (Apr 25, 2018)

Bought a 50D off eBay, that had clearly spent most of it's life as a football, shutter had 130k, it lasted 10k more in my hands before dying. A $200 shutter saw another 350k before it died and they refused to replace it "beyond economical repair". Code for "get lost".

Had a Rebel XTi (still got it in fact) with 375k and still going. Shutter button is dead to the touch but still works with AF!

Our first 7D died at 836k, shutter shook itself apart. Since then had a 7D2 at 1.03m and the mirror fell apart. CPS replaced the mirror assembly and shutter for about $300. They replaced the working shutter because they warranty the camera for 6 months, they won't work on a camera with a worn out shutter.

Got another 7D2 here with maybe 2-300k on the clock? Something like that.


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## wickedac (Jan 7, 2020)

This thread came up in a google search about 5D IV shutter life so I thought I'd chime in. Had a shutter start failing at 60,700. Here's an example, several images in a row had shutter blades visible in different parts of the image. At first I thought it was a light flicker issue, I didn't want to believe one of my cameras was failing on a wedding day! Luckily it happened early on so I didn't end up with a bunch of ceremony photos looking like this. Real bummer though considering I had expected it to at least be in the range of it's rating.


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