Determining Shutter Actuations on an M8

[brill64]

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Guy,

 

From what I remember, a frame of velvia used to cost me about $0.50 (film+development). So, your 19K frames in velvia would've cost you $9500.00.

 

It looks like you just paid both of your cameras if you think you were shooting film the whole time.

 

Every frame you shoot from now on is free

 

-tanka

did you forget about the external storage drive and computer you bought to download images to, the 24"++monitor to view them, the software to calibrate colour temperature of the monitor, photoshop/lightroom/capture 1 and multi-various plug-ins to edit and make the image look like it was shot on film again, not to mention general power consumption and regular upgrades etc., maybe i was born a cynic but that little list hopelessly exceeds the figure you mention spent as savings on film

[simonpg]

Normaly any camera coming from the factory is reset to L100 000 so the first image taken with it is numbered L100 001. It is normal for the camera to have SOME shutter activation when new. All 3 of the M8's I've had had between 70 to just under 100 activations when new. but the first image I took with them were L100 001

I suspect your dealer let someone take some shots with your camera before it was sold to you. 87, it seems, before you got it. 87 from 152 is 65 activation at the factory which looks normal.

 

Does this mean that a demo camera with "continuous numbering" menu setting for image numbering likely provides the number of actuations?

 

For example in this case if the last image number is L1002000.DNK, then it's likely the camera has had 2000 actuations?

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[ampguy]

I don't think there is EXIF info for the M8 on shutter actuations for WB, etc., and I've also seen different numbering schemes with different firmware in M8s.

 

Generally L xxx yyyy filenames, without a reset, and with continuous enabled would indicate that xxx is folder numbers where every increment of x is 10K and the EXIF unique image id is the hex value of the current folder.

 

However, I have heard of M8's where the Unique Image ID hex value is the total # of images independent of folders, though I haven't seen this behavior in my M8.

 

Does this mean that a demo camera with "continuous numbering" menu setting for image numbering likely provides the number of actuations?

 

For example in this case if the last image number is L1002000.DNK, then it's likely the camera has had 2000 actuations?

[Shootist]

I don't think there is EXIF info for the M8 on shutter actuations for WB, etc., and I've also seen different numbering schemes with different firmware in M8s.

 

Generally L xxx yyyy filenames, without a reset, and with continuous enabled would indicate that xxx is folder numbers where every increment of x is 10K and the EXIF unique image id is the hex value of the current folder.

 

However, I have heard of M8's where the Unique Image ID hex value is the total # of images independent of folders, though I haven't seen this behavior in my M8.

 

The UI-ID is the total number of times the shutter has opened and closed, Shutter Activations, regardless of whether a picture has been taken or not. It increases with every opening and closing of the shutter even when you do sensor cleaning. It has also been reported that this number, the UI-ID, does not change even after having the shutter replaced with the upgrade program or because of a fault in the original shutter.

About the only time it will get reset is if the electronics board that controls the shutter or the one that actually stores the UI-ID number is changed out.

My current M8 has a UI-ID, in HEX, of 2B85 which when turned into DEC is 11141 but my image numbering is at L1014420 (14,420 images). This M8 is a replacement for the original I bought and I carried the numbering over from the original. That is why the image number is higher, by about 3,000, then the UI-ID, Shutter Activations, of this particular camera.

[markrune]

Got a used M8 camera from RG Lewis in london, checked how many frames had been taken and 755 so barly used before we purchased it.

 

Was in minty condition and boxed so very happy.

 

[atufte]

Got a used M8 today,and this is what it says in Bridge, does this really mean it's only has 1431 actuations?

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[farnz]

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Alexander,

 

No, I believe that's a hexadecimal number so it will be 5169 actuations.

 

Pete.

[atufte]

Alexander,

 

No, I believe that's a hexadecimal number so it will be 5169 actuations.

 

Pete.

 

Thanks you Pete...

[Nicoleica]

Got a used M8 today,and this is what it says in Bridge, does this really mean it's only has 1431 actuations?

 

My apologies if this is a little off-subject, but you have to be impressed at Leica's optimism regarding the maximum value allowed in the unique image id field. (A 128 bit number is pretty massive in my opinion.)

Edited January 5, 2010 by Nicoleica
Typo

[atufte]

My apologies if this is a little off-subject, but you have to be impressed at Leica's optimism regarding the maximum value allowed in the unique image id field. (A 128 bit number is pretty massive in my opinion.)

 

[minhhich]

5995. does it mean a large number?

Edited March 8, 2010 by minhhich

[SJP]

Google "0x5995 in decimal" => 22,933

 

reasonably large but there are plenty of M8's with a much larger no. of actuations

[wparsonsgisnet]

Surely this shutter is good for several 100,000 actuations.

[minhhich]

Haha, its even better because in decimal its 5995 sirs

[rondeb]

Sorry if this is slightly off subjust....

 

Is there a way to see the camera firmware version via the exif data? Looking at some old shots and wondering.

 

Best,

Ron

[Shade]

Wow, thanks for the info guys, I just checked my M8 which I bought USED in like new condition...

 

Turns out it only had 2420 shutter count! And 80 of it was mine! Whoever owned this camera before, never really used it... and he bought it 2 years ago (looked at the warranty card).

 

Wow..

[jamesk8752]

No need to download anything. All you need is a scientific calculator, whether on your PC or hand held. Input the HEX and covert to Decimal. You can do that with Windows built in Calc program and I'm sure Apple/Mac must have one also.

 

Yes, the Calc program which comes with the MacOS will do HEX - DEC conversions in both directions. You must click on the green button several times to switch to the programmer's calculator to find the conversion function (many Mac users don't know about this feature).

 

Regards, Jim

Edited March 11, 2010 by jamesk8752

[cbretteville]

My apologies if this is a little off-subject, but you have to be impressed at Leica's optimism regarding the maximum value allowed in the unique image id field. (A 128 bit number is pretty massive in my opinion.)

 

 

Leica is only following the EXIF specification for this tag when they store the information in the files this way.

 

Also, the number doesn't necessarily give you the correct number of actuation. It really is the unique image id for the camera. It has looked like it was the number of actuations since the introduction of the M8 as the number increments by one for each image captured. The same number is stored in a different format in the maker notes section which I really thought was the number of shutter actuations, but when my M8 came back after getting the shutter upgrade neither number was reset.

 

So if the camera still has it's original shutter, it is an acurate indication of the number of actuations, if it has had a replacement fitted it isn't.

 

Carl

Edited March 11, 2010 by cbretteville

[WestMichigan]

Just to pipe in for Mac users needing hex conversion:

There is a Scientific Calculator I've had with every single Mac OS I've ever Installed. If you're in OSX it's in Applications and like a regular Calculator but the view menu will change it to a scientific calc or a programmers calc with a quick mouse click. Stays that way. Also paper tape and other options too. Don't think 'Dashboard's' Calculator is scientific, but surely one is available for it - would seem logical to me.

 

Richard in Michigan

 

You couldn't of said it better.

I'm on Win XP and use the Calc that comes with it to do the same. I had posted this same thing, about Window Calc, and also mentioned that "Doesn't Mac come with a Scientific Calculator program".

But every body else keeps saying "Download this program", "Use this website", whatever whatever.

Yes for me it is a 2009.

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[thinkfloyd]

Thanks for the tip WestMichigan Got my M8 second hand, the owner had it since 2006 I think, it's an early serial model... when I checked the actuations, it came out 4629! Wow...

 

There's a receipt in the box though, for service under warranty. The circuit board was repaired, and everything was adjusted, etc. Is it possible the actuations were reset or something? I can't believe a 4 year old camera has just 4629 actuations...