dbisch Loc: Central, Fl

Prior to ordering a Canon 7D from KEH I asked about the shutter count. I was told they did not give out SC because it was unreliable. I went ahead and ordered a 7D in EX+ condition (according to KEH this equates to 90 to 96 percent of original condition). When receiving the 7D I immediately checked SC and it was 87,000. I immediately called KEH to complain and again was told SC is unreliable. They asked if I wanted refund or exchange. I asked if I could know the SC of exchange and was told no. In defense of KEH they did send me a return shipping label and hopefully they will return my money, but I will not be ordering anything form them again.

MEB540 Loc: New Jersey

I have had great luck with used lenses from them. I ordered a 80-200mm Tokina lens and after 5 months the manual to auto focus clutch stopped working and they took it back and gave me full credit, with which I purchased a canon 80-200 L lens, they indicated that it was in Fair condition, but I rated it much higher then they did. Other lens I purchased from them have been wonderful.

Gifted One Loc: S. E. Idaho

For me KEH did everything that they said. Perhaps you are rating SC at a higher priority than most. Since you do not list your location I can only speak in generalities.

Perhaps you would be better served by buying a Camera off the curb. You may get one that has seen many miles and not many activations. I have procured much equipment curbside and some from the large retailers including KEH. Most all transactions have gone well some not so well. It's just business.

J. R.

haroldross Loc: Walthill, Nebraska

There is still plenty of life in that camera. It is rated for 150,000 shutter actuations. Of course, SC is only one variable, perhaps that is why you were told that the SC is unreliable. What kind of condition does the rest of the camera appear to be in? Does it look like it was abused? Was the price reasonable?

dbisch Loc: Central, Fl

As you point out Canon shutter count life listed as 150,000. 87000/150000 is 58% of useful life gone. How does that compare to KEH rating of 90 to 96% of original condition.

haroldross Loc: Walthill, Nebraska

I cannot answer for them but as I stated earlier, shutter count is only one of the factors in evaluating a 'used' camera body. I'm sure they would be happy explaining how they evaluated the particular camera body. KEH has high customer service standards. Perhaps you need to talk to someone else at KEH, someone on the management team.

Shutter replacement for the 7D under Canon's CPS Gold Level Program is around $275.00.

LFingar Loc: Claverack, NY

58% of it's RATED life. That shutter could easily go for twice that. Or it could fail the next time it is used. Same is true for any shutter in any camera. I don't believe that Canon or Nikon resets the shutter count when they replace a shutter. If that's the case, then for all you know that shutter might only have 1000 shots on it. KEH and all the other retailers rate based on function and overall appearance. I don't know if even they can tell if a shutter has been replaced. If everything worked as it was supposed to and it wasn't beat up or scratched then it earned it's rating despite the shutter count.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

They let you return it no questions asked and sent you a shipping level. What is the problem here?

Gifted One Loc: S. E. Idaho

The boy has a sore a$$. The camera did not come with 50 SC. Buy off the curb see what you get. Some ggod, some bad.

J. R.

jim quist Loc: Missouri

I had a canon 40d that I sold several years ago. the actual shutter count was a lot higher than what it was rated for.

SharpShooter Loc: NorCal

There is no way to know the shutter count of a Canon unles it goes to Canon.
Also, photographers are the worst of all when it comes to babying and keeping their gear covered so when they sell it, it looks like new, even-though very used. It's the same reason everybody wants 0 shutter counts on used equipment!!
You should bite the bullet and buy new(and not refurb), because used is just that, used, no matter how it looks!! ;-)
SS

tsilva Loc: Arizona

SC don't mean diddly.

you worried about it, buy new. oh, and you had better move too, 90% of all accidents occur within 5 miles of your home.

rpavich Loc: West Virginia

Why?

It looks like (from reading their FAQ's on shutter count)that they have some very valid reasons for doing what they do.

A high shutter count doesn't necessarily mean that the shutter has seen that many actuations. Even if a shutter is replaced, the count remains.

Quoting their FAQ's

For example, when purchasing a used car, you look at the odometer reading to determine how many miles it has been driven. Sounds logical, but is it an accurate way of determining how much a digital SLR has been fired?

Before I answer this question, I'll give a little background information... Shutter actuations predate DSLR's, but was previously not much of an issue. Digital technology has allowed consumers to fire camera shutters more frequently. Because of the expense of developing film and making prints, the shutter was simply not fired as much on film cameras. Now that a consumer can fire a shot, look at the image immediately, and delete the image if they choose, shutters are fired 10 fold (or more) than their predecessors.

Shutter actuation count ratings are usually available on the internet for many DSLR's. Just type in your camera model and search for the actuation count rating. An example is the Nikon D3. The shutter in this camera is rated for 300,000 shutter actuations. That doesn't mean the shutter will fail within one or two shots past the rating. It's just an average or guideline.
Accuracy is the one factor most people fail to take into account. If a consumer gets their shutter replaced by an independent repair shop, there is no reset button to start the shutter count all over again. The manufacturer may have the capability of resetting the shutter count, but, at this time, none of the manufacturer repair facilities have made that completely clear when questioned. For this reason, the shutter actuation count cannot be completely trusted. Fortunately, for you as a consumer, some of the most recent camera's will have the capability of having a shutter count and a mirror actuation count. This will eliminate the inaccuracy of actuation counts when a shutter is replaced.

So, in light of these facts, KEH does not give out shutter actuations when selling used DSLR's. All of our used equipment is tested before reselling it to a consumer. We give a 6 month, non-transferable warranty and a 14 day return period for the customer to return it if they are not happy with the camera. We also provide the availability of a 2 year MACK warranty for most of our DSLR's.

There are logical conclusions that can be drawn from actuation counts even though they are inaccurate. For example, if the actuation count is five thousand, you know that the camera has not been used very much. If the count is 500,000, then the shutter has probably already been replaced. Again, for this reason, we always suggest that the 2 year warranty be purchased with the purchase of our DSLR's.

Hopefully this will clear up some misinformation you may have previously read, and let you know what our policies here at KEH are in regards to shutter actuations.

End quote

http://www.kehblog.com/2011/01/shutter-actuations.html

I think you are misunderstanding and overreacting.

Rbode Loc: Ft lauderdale, Fla

KEH price for a 7D EX+ is $579.00, B&H price for a new 7D body is $749.00. $170 cleans up the SC worries.

The Villages Loc: The Villages, Florida

Unfortunitly the ratings given do not reflect the number of activations. You would think that it would. Like a car, the less mileage on a used vehicle, the more it's worth.

Recently purchased a Nikon Refurbished DSLR from Adorama. Like you, the first thing I did was to check the number of activations. Recorded at 48,000. Certainly still more life left in it, but had heard so many stories of members getting such with very low numbers, I returned. No problem, and the card was credited back in short order.

Think one needs to consider how old the model is. If it was rather new, the odds are that the number would be low. IF it were an older model. chances are its had more then a few clicks. The saving grace is knowing the retailer purchased from....so if there is a probelm, you'll be made whole.