Do video recording and live view add to a DSLR’s shutter actuation count?
Asked 6/19/2011
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On a DSLR with a mechanical shutter, does every frame of video count as a shutter actuation? For example, would a 10-minute video at 30 fps add about 18,000 actuations? And what about live view—does that increase the shutter count too? I’m asking about cameras like the Canon 550D, but I’m wondering if this is generally true for DSLRs.
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
15y ago
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No, for a CMOS based dSLR, the shutter remains open during the video recording, so the shutter in use is actually electronic. B&H photo, by the way, have a pretty good article on some of the concepts. It's in reference to video recorders, but much, not all, of it applies to dSLRs as well.
Anyways, you do have an actuation for the act of flipping the mirror and opening the real shutter, but after that it's just sensor activity. A far cry from the 18,000 otherwise. :)
Originally by user472. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user472
15y ago
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No. On a typical DSLR, video and live view do not add one mechanical shutter actuation per frame. When video/live view starts, the mirror flips up and the mechanical shutter opens; after that, the sensor is read electronically while the shutter stays open. So a 10-minute video is not 18,000 shutter actuations.
In general, there may be a shutter/mirror cycle when entering live view or starting video, and another when exiting, depending on the camera’s design, but not one per recorded frame.
The main exception is if you create a video from a sequence of still photos, such as time-lapse. In that case, each photo uses a normal shutter actuation, so the total actuation count does rise frame by frame.
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