Evaluating Usage of a Canon 1D Mark IV or any other video capable DSLR

[tiger82]

I've been on the lookout for an excellent deal for a used 1D Mark IV and found a few with ridiculously low shutter counts, some at less than 5,000 and many under 10,000. It just occured to me that thousands of hours of video may have been shot by those camera bodies. Does anyone know if that affects the shutter counts and if not, does video hours affect the useful life of the camera.

 

[AmbientLight]

If the cameras indeed have such low shutter counts you shouldn't need to worry too much about the shutter being adversely affected. The shutter is a mechanical contraption, so moving parts will wear out over time, but there is no direct equivalent physical impact of shooting video. Sure, the camera bodies may have heated up more, but this does not have to result in permanent damages to camera electronics.

It should matter much more how and where those cameras were used, for example in a controlled environment (studio, sports arena, ...) or for example in very cold, wet climate with drastic temperature changes, desert tours or safaris.

 

[tiger82]

I tend to agree but doesn't the shutter mechanism flip, and stay flipped, out of the way during video mode? Would that be once for every time it goes into video mode? I hear a click every time I punch the AF button in video mode too.

 

[AmbientLight]

Exactly as you wrote the shutter stays flipped. This implies that shooting one video causes comparable stress to the shutter as shooting one image. In essence there is no increased wear and tear on a camera due to shooting videos instead of shooting images, at least not regarding physical stress.