Thanks for all the helpful replies. Automobiles clearly show their mileage. I had hoped that digital cameras would do the same. It seems that they don't. The data is available but they don't advertise that fact, neither do they make it easy to get at. If they did make it easy then KEH & other shops might not mind disclosing this data in their listings. It seems that Olympus cameras are an exception ... their click count is available by a simple series of clicks.

In my opinion, shutter count should be readily available on a dslr's menu. I think it would be a selling point. I would certainly be much more likely to buy a camera with this feature, all other factors being about equal.

What I learned so far from this thread leads me to ask 3 more questions-----

==> If I buy a manufacturer refurbished camera, does that mean that, for SURE, the shutter has been restored? If not, then why bother?

==> For future reference, just in case, is there a reliable shop in the western USA that more or less specializes in dslr shutter repairs and gives a decent warranty of their work?

==> Have I blundered into a reason why it might be best to go for mirrorless cameras in the future? Might not mirrorless cameras inherently have longer average lifespans for their shutters than is the case for mirrored cameras?

Many good responses have already been made, but I'll try to add a little extra value.

1) a) I own a few Nikons. One of them is a D300 dslr. How would I determine this camera's shutter count?

Lot's of ways since Nikon publishes shutter count in the EXIF data, if the file has not been modified in software. Different EXIF viewers may call the record by different names, and some EXIF viewers report different amounts of information. There is also software that can retrieve the information directly from Nikon cameras, although one regular contributor to UHH categorically denies that.

b) Is the technique the same for all makes and types of cameras?

No. Canon does not put shutter count information in EXIF data. It can be accessed in various ways, the easiest by software, on such package is EOSmsg (http://eosmsg.com/). It is not free, costing between $5 and $10 for each individual camera for as many readings as one wishes and supports many Canon, Nikon, Pentax and Sony cameras.

2) Could a seller *adjust* a camera's shutter count so as to misrepresent the usage of the camera? Is it impossible to fudge the count or merely difficult? Would "refurbished" play any role in a camera's shutter count?

To the best of my knowledge it is not possible. It is possible to edit the EXIF data in an image, but takes effort and deceit to do. Refurbished cameras - at least from the manufacturer - come with reliable shutter count information.

3) I read somewhere that the average life expectancy of shutters on recently made, good quality cameras is around 100,000 clicks. But I have seen cameras with much higher shutter counts than 100,000 rated as condition Excellent. What IS a reasonable shutter count max? 100,000 is not a bad number to work with a few may 75,000 and some 150,000 or more for high end models. It is simply an MTBF estimate (Mean or average time between failures) and no guarantee. It will depend upon your usage of course, and occasionally being lucky or unlucky, but if you capture 10,000 images per year then the camera should last about ten years, which is a long time in electronics. Shutter replacements are not horribly expensive if needed.

4) As far as I could tell, KEH gives their used cameras an adjectival rating (such as excellent, good, bargain, ugly) but do not give shutter count -- at least, not as I have ever seen. I wonder why?

I would speculate that their margins are not huge, so the cost of checking every camera would eat into their profits, and also mean that some cameras would probably languish in their inventory or have to have a significantly lower price.

5) Many Ebay sellers do not reveal shutter count. I even ran across an experienced seller with a 99.8% rating who wrote, "I don't know the shutter count." I avoid sellers who do not disclose click count, but I wonder if that is a fully valid criterion on my part?

I would speculate (again) that many do not know how to do that. Also there is the time constraint and the liability from providing too much information to a buyer, since anything deemed inaccurate is grounds for a return which erodes profits.

I hope this has been of some help.

Agreed, Nikon Service will never, ever, reset or roll back a shutter count. The shutter count reflects usage of the ENTIRE camera body and not just the shutter. There are many parts to the camera body that can be affected and it would be unfair to have the shutter count set at 0 when ONLY the shutter mechanism was replaced. How about the focusing motor (for NON-silent wave lenses?) or many other things. Yes, the shutter count is similar to the odometer on a car. The car odometer represents, not only wear and tear on the engine, but the transmission, suspension, body, electronics and everything else that may not have been replaced or repaired when the odometer was replaced. This is why Nikon doesn't do shutter count resets.

When shopping for used cameras, I always look for each camera's shutter count. In line with caveat emptor, I have a few questions.....

1) I own a few Nikons. One of them is a D300 dslr. How would I determine this camera's shutter count? Is the technique the same for all makes and types of cameras?

2) Could a seller *adjust* a camera's shutter count so as to misrepresent the usage of the camera? Is it impossible to fudge the count or merely difficult? Would "refurbished" play any role in a camera's shutter count?

3) I read somewhere that the average life expectancy of shutters on recently made, good quality cameras is around 100,000 clicks. But I have seen cameras with much higher shutter counts than 100,000 rated as condition Excellent. What IS a reasonable shutter count max?

4) As far as I could tell, KEH gives their used cameras an adjectival rating (such as excellent, good, bargain, ugly) but do not give shutter count -- at least, not as I have ever seen. I wonder why?

5) Many Ebay sellers do not reveal shutter count. I even ran across an experienced seller with a 99.8% rating who wrote, "I don't know the shutter count." I avoid sellers who do not disclose click count, but I wonder if that is a fully valid criterion on my part?

Thanks for any comments you may care to offer. Aloha from Hawaii. 😇

Perhaps I'm of a minority for this take on "shutter count". My Canon 5D MIII cost $3000 when purchased in 2013. The last time I checked, the shutter count was around 60,000. If the shutter needs replacing, Canon's approximate charge is $220. Compared to the original cost and/or value of the camera, $220 is not a huge expense. I pay almost as much for a service on my wife's 2012 Accord with 103,000 miles or my 1999 CRV with 151,000.

Many people consume a 6 pack of beer every other day. I don't, but if I did the yearly cost would be $1000+. Shutters are "cheap" compared to beer.
Just my opinion.
Mark

Perhaps I'm of a minority for this take on "shutter count". My Canon 5D MIII cost $3000 when purchased in 2013. The last time I checked, the shutter count was around 60,000. If the shutter needs replacing, Canon's approximate charge is $220. Compared to the original cost and/or value of the camera, $220 is not a huge expense. I pay almost as much for a service on my wife's 2012 Accord with 103,000 miles or my 1999 CRV with 151,000.

Many people consume a 6 pack of beer every other day. I don't, but if I did the yearly cost would be $1000+. Shutters are "cheap" compared to beer.
Just my opinion.
Mark