How to Check Olympus Shutter Count

Mechanical shutters have a limited lifespan. A shutter count will tell you how much a camera has been used.

Entry level cameras have an expected life of 100,000 or more actuations.

Professional cameras will be rated for 250,000+.

If you’re buying a camera, avoid cameras in bad condition. Signs of sand is bad because it will get into and ruin the shutter.

Salt water will cause corrosion. Check the screws on the bottom of the camera. Any signs of white or blue corrosion should be avoided.

These instructions should work for Olympus PEN and OM-D cameras. Also, the TG-5 and compact cameras made from 2009 onward.

In the video below I show how to do it on a Olympus EM-1 and E-PL6.

Steps to Check Shutter Count

1. Hold the MENU button down and turn the camera on.
2. Once the camera is on release the MENU button.
3. Press the MENU button again.
4. On the left, scroll to the SETUP MENU, which has the wrench icon.
5. Go to the DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS AND COLOR TEMPERATURE MENU, you can press OK or RIGHT.
6. Press RIGHT, INFO, and then OK
7. A screen that shows the model number of the camera will appear.
8. Press UP, DOWN, LEFT, RIGHT, SHUTTER, and then UP.
9. There are four pages of information.
10. Pressing RIGHT will get you to the screen that shows the shutter count.
11. The shutter count will be displayed on the top line.
12. Turn off the camera to exit the diagnostic mode.

Meaning of Letters in the Menu

• S is the number of times the flash has been fired.
• I don’t know what C is.
• U is the Ultra Sonic Filter count.
• I don’t know what V is.
• B is the number of shots taken using IBIS.

Pressing down should bring up page 3. Here you should see the serial number. It should match bottom of the camera under the CS.

The MCS represent information about the CPU and manufacture date. That displays the serial number of the camera.

Left is blank.

Up brings you back to the first page.

Importance of Shutter Count

The shutter count can refer to two things.

First, the number of times the shutter button has been pressed. This can be misleading if electronic shutter is used. The electronic shutter does not cause wear.

What you should care about is the number of times the mechanical shutter has been used. They have an estimated lifespan and will eventually fail.

Each shutter will have a different estimated rating. Entry level cameras are around 100,000 and pro models will be 250,000+.

I don’t buy cameras with shutter counts over 50,000. It’s too easy to find almost any camera with a low shutter count.

People buy cameras and barely use them. They sit on shelves or in drawers until they are sold, sometimes decades later.

Helpful Links

biofos.com has information on accessing hidden menus on older DSLR Four Thirds cameras and olders compacts.