Find your camera shutter actuation count using gPhoto2

2013-09-27

This guide provides a method to ascertain the shutter actuation count for the following Canon camera models:

  • Canon 1D Mark II
  • Canon 50D
  • Canon 5D Mark II
  • Canon 5D Mark III
  • Canon 7D
  • Canon T2i

Additional compatible models may exist. Please share if you have verified this method with other models.

Mac OS X

gPhoto2 can be installed via MacPorts or Homebrew. The following instructions detail the installation process using MacPorts. Please ensure you have an active internet connection.

  1. Download and install the XCode Developer Tools for your version of OS X from the Apple Developer website. If already installed, proceed to the next step.
  2. Navigate to the MacPorts website, download the .pkg installer, and follow the on-screen instructions to install it on your computer.
  3. Launch the Terminal application.
  4. Update MacPorts if necessary by executing the command sudo port -v selfupdate.
  5. Install the gphoto2 package by executing the command sudo port install gphoto2.
  6. Verify the successful installation of gphoto2 by typing gphoto2 --version.
  7. Connect your camera to the computer via a USB cable.
  8. After a few seconds, execute killall PTPCamera. This step is required every time the camera is connected to the computer to terminate any processes associated with the USB device.
  9. To retrieve the number of actuations for the connected camera, type gphoto2 --get-config /main/status/shuttercounter.
  10. If your camera model is compatible, the shutter actuation count will be displayed.

Linux

gPhoto2 can be installed using the package manager of your Linux distribution.

For CentOS, RHEL, and other distributions that utilize the yum package manager, use the command:

yum install gphoto2

For Debian, Ubuntu, and other distributions that utilize the apt package manager, use the command:

apt-get install gphoto2

If your Linux distribution does not offer gphoto2 as a precompiled package, you will need to download and compile it from the source.

Windows

Using a Virtual Machine

If you are familiar with virtualization software such as Virtualbox or VMWare Workstation, you can opt to install or use an existing virtual Linux installation. Install gphoto2 from within the virtual machine.

Using a Live Linux distribution

A Live Linux is a bootable CD or DVD that contains a complete operating system. You can boot from the Live Linux and run gphoto2 from within the operating system without installing it on your computer. Some popular Live Linux distributions allow persistent storage on a USB drive, which allows you install packages which will persist between reboots. You could install gphoto2 this way.