How to Check Shutter Count on Canon EOS 1100D (Rebel T3)
Learn how to easily check the shutter count on your Canon EOS 1100D using Magic Lantern, a crucial step for assessing the camera's usage and lifespan.
In this article, you will learn how to check the shutter count on the Canon EOS 1100D (known as the EOS Rebel T3 or the EOS Kiss X50 in some regions) using the Magic Lantern firmware hack.
What Is Shutter Count?
Digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) cameras have commonly two moving parts: the main reflex mirror, which allows you to look through the lens from the viewfinder and swings up when you take a photo, and the mechanical shutter, a sensitive component prone to failure over the camera's life. The shutter count reflects the number of shutter actuations and is stored in the camera’s internal memory. Unfortunately, Canon doesn’t provide an easy way to check this count, so we'll use Magic Lantern to reveal it.
Why Should You Care?
Just as you would check the mileage on a used car before buying it, you should consider the shutter actuations of a DSLR. The Canon EOS 1100D has an expected lifetime of about 100K shutter actuations, so when buying a used 1100D, aiming for the lowest possible shutter count is wise.
How to Read the Shutter Count
IMPORTANT! Proceed with caution, as there is a risk of bricking your camera. Ensure your camera battery is fully charged.
To read the shutter count of the EOS 1100D with Magic Lantern, follow these steps:
- Ensure the camera is running firmware version 1.0.5, the only version Magic Lantern supports for the 1100D. If needed, upgrade or downgrade to version 1.0.5 using Canon’s original firmware file “eos1100d-v105.zip” available on Magic Lantern’s site.
- Format the SD memory card in the camera.
- Copy Magic Lantern’s modified firmware files for the 1100D to the root directory of the memory card.
- Flash the Magic Lantern firmware onto the camera.
- Enter the Magic Lantern menu by pressing the “Av” / “trash bin” button and navigate to the “Debug” section to find the shutter count, displayed as a sum of standard mode and live view mode actuations.
- To remove Magic Lantern, initiate a firmware update in the camera’s menu. Magic Lantern will prepare to uninstall itself. Afterwards, format the memory card to erase all Magic Lantern files.
- Optionally, reflash the camera with the genuine firmware version 1.0.5 from step 1 or the latest version (1.0.6 at the time of writing) from Canon’s support site.
The video below guides you through the entire process:
Canon EOS 1100D/Rebel-T3/Kiss-X50 Shutter Count Check with Magic Lantern
