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Archive 2011 · Canon 7D shutter count - impossible?

jp129
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p.2 #1 · Canon 7D shutter count - impossible?

People have found a way to check the shutter count on the 7D with a PC. I've tried it and it works perfectly.

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=983755

Information on how it can be done is posted in that thread.

Quoted from solara:
"Okay I finally got it to work. Here are the steps in case someone else wants to get their shutter actuations without having to learn too much about Linux.

1- Download Ubuntu 10.10 (I got the 32-bit version): http://www.ubuntu.com/desktop/get-ubuntu/download

2- Burn the ISO image to a CD (you can install to your hard drive after booting from the Ubuntu CD), or make a bootable USB drive like I did for faster boot-up times. I created the bootable USB drive using Universal USB Installer: http://www.pendrivelinux.com/univers...easy-as-1-2-3/

Note that the Universal USB Installer has an option to create a Persistence file. This enables any changes/programs you make to the Ubuntu environment to persist after a reboot. Otherwise, any programs you install (gphoto2, etc.) will disappear after rebooting the USB drive (like booting from the CD as well). I actually tried to create a Persistence file but for some reason Ubuntu wouldn't completely load up for me ... that's a problem for another day.

3- Download the following .DEV files (basically Ubuntu installation files): libexif-gtk5 and gtkam. GTKAM is the graphical user interface for libgphoto, and gphoto2 is the commandline version.

http://packages.ubuntu.com/natty/libexif-gtk5
http://packages.ubuntu.com/natty/gtkam

Once you've booted into Ubuntu, open up a file manager (just double-click on one of the drive icons on the Ubuntu desktop) and navigate to the drive where you've downloaded those two .dev files and double-click on them. This will launch Ubuntu Software Center and you can then install them (libexif-gtk5 first, and then gtkam).

And that's it. You actually don't have to install gphoto2 for gtkam to work (and the core files libgphoto2 are already a part of the Ubuntu 10.10 package - though it's an older version). Plug in your camera to the USB port, then unmount it (there's a button for that command on the pop-up window that will appear when you plug in the camera). Launch gtkam (it's under Applications > Graphics on the pull-down menu), scan for your camera if it doesn't appear automatically, and right click on it and choose 'View Camera Preferences'.

If you want the latest gphoto2 and libgphoto2, you can download the respective .dev files from the same ubuntu site I listed above (I used all the Natty versions). Note that you will also need to download libcdk5.dev for gphoto2 to install, and libgphoto2 requires libgphoto2-port0.dev and libjpeg62.dev.

So coming from a Windows background, I found using .DEV files the easiest way to install these programs in Ubuntu."

Edited on May 16, 2011 at 11:02 PM · View previous versions

May 16, 2011 at 10:59 PM

dwweiche
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p.2 #2 · Canon 7D shutter count - impossible?

That's encouraging if multiple folks confirm it works on Mac.

Now if Skibum ports it without people needing to, you know, buy a Mac, or without people needing to create a dual boot machine, or bootable Linux distro CD's from an ISO, or a bootable USB drive install, then he WILL be Mr. Popular!

(He is kinda popular already...)

May 16, 2011 at 11:00 PM

jp129
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p.2 #3 · Canon 7D shutter count - impossible?

It really doesn't take very long to do it, and it does not mess with your OS as long as you create a bootable USB drive with ubuntu on it.

May 16, 2011 at 11:02 PM

Steve Park
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p.2 #4 · Canon 7D shutter count - impossible?

I already started to download. It's pretty slow on my 15MBPS internet service. 22mins left...let's see how it does.

May 16, 2011 at 11:06 PM

jp129
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p.2 #5 · Canon 7D shutter count - impossible?

Steve Park wrote:
I already started to download. It's pretty slow on my 15MBPS internet service. 22mins left...let's see how it does.

Just follow the instructions and you'll be fine. I am not a Linux user, but I did not have any problems.

May 16, 2011 at 11:12 PM

dwweiche
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p.2 #6 · Canon 7D shutter count - impossible?

All I'll say is I've done Linux before, three different ways. Dual boot partitions, bootable CD ISO, and USB drive. And I won't do any of them again just to get a shutter count. However, if Skibum sends me a small .exe file that is virus free, then I'm his Beta-tester

May 16, 2011 at 11:14 PM

jp129
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p.2 #7 · Canon 7D shutter count - impossible?

dwweiche wrote:
All I'll say is I've done Linux before, three different ways. Dual boot partitions, bootable CD ISO, and USB drive. And I won't do any of them again just to get a shutter count. However, if Skibum sends me a small .exe file that is virus free, then I'm his Beta-tester

I understand your prerogative. To each their own. I don't mind the small inconvenience to verify if the seller's proposed shutter count on a body I am looking to buy is valid. For me, I would only check the shutter count if I was buying a used body or selling a body and disclosing the shutter count for the prospect buyer. I've had a few local sales pass off 40D/50D bodies with 60+ actuations for only having "under 20K actuations" using EOSinfo before.

I am very glad to have stumbled on a way to check the shutter count on the 7D. Sure it's not perfect, but it's there. Something that was not possible before. Even then, after creating the bootable USB, it only takes me roughly 5 mins to load everything and pull the shutter count off the body. Although, it would be great if someone could come up with a windows-based program to skip all that.

Edited on May 17, 2011 at 12:01 AM · View previous versions

May 16, 2011 at 11:52 PM

Steve Park
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p.2 #8 · Canon 7D shutter count - impossible?

....I don't seem to get it work ... can't burn a CD, won't install

May 16, 2011 at 11:52 PM

jp129
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p.2 #9 · Canon 7D shutter count - impossible?

Steve Park wrote:
....I don't seem to get it work ... can't burn a CD

There are instructions for creating the bootable CD on the uBuntu website. I can't offer any personal experience as I created a bootable USB instead, but I know a few members from POTN made bootable CD's.

May 16, 2011 at 11:55 PM

Steve Park
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p.2 #10 · Canon 7D shutter count - impossible?

I'll look into that tomorrow morning, thanks.
Looks like my CD burning program is frozen...

May 16, 2011 at 11:58 PM

skibum5
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p.2 #11 · Canon 7D shutter count - impossible?

dwweiche wrote:
If successful, are you prepared for the ensuing popularity?

hah, i have a lot of doubts that the mac or linux version actually work (in which case any windows port is obviously equally as useless) and i bet it just reads something that will be of dubious validity but i hope to be proven wrong

May 17, 2011 at 02:37 AM

skibum5
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p.2 #12 · Canon 7D shutter count - impossible?

dwweiche wrote:
That's encouraging if multiple folks confirm it works on Mac.

Now if Skibum ports it without people needing to, you know, buy a Mac, or without people needing to create a dual boot machine, or bootable Linux distro CD's from an ISO, or a bootable USB drive install, then he WILL be Mr. Popular!

(He is kinda popular already...)

although you'll probably be able to install a linux partition and get it working before any port

i'll take a look, hopefully only small portions of the source code will be involved in getting to the value, if the source is a mess it might take a while to figure it out

May 17, 2011 at 02:40 AM

coranda
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p.2 #13 · Canon 7D shutter count - impossible?

skibum5 wrote:
hah, i have a lot of doubts that the mac or linux version actually work (in which case any windows port is obviously equally as useless) and i bet it just reads something that will be of dubious validity but i hope to be proven wrong

I've used it on a Mac and it works. I've taken readings and they were as the camera owner expected. I have then taken shots and rechecked and it increments exactly as expected. I can confirm that it works for the 7D, 5D II and 1D IV.

May 17, 2011 at 05:50 AM

skibum5
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p.2 #14 · Canon 7D shutter count - impossible?

coranda wrote:
I've used it on a Mac and it works. I've taken readings and they were as the camera owner expected. I have then taken shots and rechecked and it increments exactly as expected. I can confirm that it works for the 7D, 5D II and 1D IV.

have you tried swapping around different batteries and CF cards used in other bodies of the same model without reformat and stuff?

it would be cool if the program works

May 17, 2011 at 01:34 PM

dwweiche
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p.2 #15 · Canon 7D shutter count - impossible?

I am a liar.

Even though I have about a million more important things to do, I created another boot-able USB drive thanks to the fine folks over at pendrivelinux.com. Ubuntu 11.04 with a 2GB persistence partition. I'm actually using it right now as I type this.

My experiences were the same as last time. Generally a pain in the a** to actually get things running somewhat smoothly. On my newer desktop, Ubuntu booted, but I could not get wireless to connect to my home network. On my laptop, the damn thing didn't boot the first time, spitting out all sorts of errors. Second time, using a different USB port, it did boot, and the laptop did connect to my wireless router. So, all-in-all, the pain I expected, but my past experiences and trial-and-error finally got me running again. But I digress...

So, I got the libexif and gtkam packages installed that were mentioned and linked above. Ran them, connected my 7D, finally got it to detect the dang thing, checked camera properties, and it spit out 15315 for a shutter count... And, I actually kind of believe it. If I only based my shutter count on my image number, my last image taken was IMG_2826, I know I've rolled over once. That would be 9999+2826, or 12825 images.

I don't *think* I've ever reset the image counter. So the two numbers are about 2500 apart. Is it possible to get the shutter count to increment without taking and saving an actual image? And could I have done that 2500 times? I don't think so, but, I can't argue that it's decently close, in my opinion.

So, were this Mythbusters, I would give a resounding "Plausible"

May 18, 2011 at 12:25 AM

dwweiche
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p.2 #16 · Canon 7D shutter count - impossible?

Oh, and thanks DavidG. coranda, and jp129. I stand (probably) corrected

May 18, 2011 at 12:30 AM

Steve Park
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p.2 #17 · Canon 7D shutter count - impossible?

Someone help!

I made a bootable CD, booted from it and had Ubuntu installed. But after I restarted my PC in Ubuntu, the darn thing asked me to "login" with password!

Please help me to get over this. Thanks for your help.

May 18, 2011 at 12:56 AM

Gochugogi
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p.2 #18 · Canon 7D shutter count - impossible?

I just total the number of 7D files on my hard drive and, hot damn, that's the approximate number of shutter cycles. I rarely delete and I'm the original owner so it's pretty accurate.

May 18, 2011 at 02:31 AM

sweetal
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p.2 #19 · Canon 7D shutter count - impossible?

Thanks to jp129, followed the instructions pretty much to the letter and worked like a charm. Burned a CD for now to test, will probably create a bootable USB with persistence for future ease of use and faster access.

Weird thing is, gtkam never did work for me, never found any of my cameras. Luckily, gphoto2 command line worked fine and was able to pull down the shutter counts:

7D: 7147
5DII: 17238

Pretty accurate as EOSInfo confirmed the shutter count on the 5DII. One last bit of weirdness, I thought I saw some people were able to pull down the shutter counts for their 1DIV. Whenever I tried it, I kept getting a segmentation fault and a core dump. Couldn't even "list-config" and on "auto-detect" would only find a PTP Camera instead of recognizing the model. Anyone else get this? Any help would be appreciated.

Alan

May 18, 2011 at 02:46 AM

sweetal
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p.2 #20 · Canon 7D shutter count - impossible?

Hey Steve,

When I look at the Ubuntu installation instructions, there should have been a step where you set up a user login and password, right after selecting keyboard configuration. Can you not log in with that password?

Alan

Steve Park wrote:
Someone help!

I made a bootable CD, booted from it and had Ubuntu installed. But after I restarted my PC in Ubuntu, the darn thing asked me to "login" with password!

Please help me to get over this. Thanks for your help.

May 18, 2011 at 02:58 AM

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