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When a person wish to buy a second hand camera online, he/she will ask for the actuations ( or the shutter count) for the camera. Does, can I assume that point and shoot camera does not have shutter count (or 'shutter-actuations')?

Also, may I assume that 'shutter-actuations' always link to camera that use mechanical shutter? (It does not apply to those camera that use digital shutter?)

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Shutter actuations apply to any camera with a mechanical shutter. This means nearly all cameras except the Nikon 1 J1.

This is just the number of time the shutter opened and closed. Since the shutter is one of the most delicate mechanical parts, it makes some sense to measure how many times it was used and compare it to the expectancy set by the manufacturer.

Smaller cameras probably have a count somewhere but is usually not accessible and there is nothing to compare it against because the shutter-expectancy is not rated either. I have no idea whether this is because small shutters are less fragile or are not expected to be used that much.

The truth is that any other mechanical part will fail from use. Should we ask for an aperture actuation count when buying a lens? Or flash discharges? All those parts will fail after some use. So, the shutter-count is probably one indicator of camera use among many.

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There are point and shoot cameras which expose their shutter count. For example Canon G series (G11 for sure).

Also, may I assume that 'shutter-actuations' always link to camera that use mechanical shutter? (It does not apply to those camera that use digital shutter?)

Please do not put two questions in one :-) Thank you. :-)

No, as you saw above there are point and shot cameras whithout mechanical shutter which expose their shutter count. And this is because not having a mechanical shutter doesn't mean that the camera isn't stressed. As you can imagine, the sensor and the lens are used a lot when the camera focuses and takes the picture. However, the sensor will last many many years before it will degrade / fail. Unfortunatelly I cannot say the same thing about the lenses especially if the lenses have a retractile design which can "eat" dust inside causing the lens to malfunction (believe me - it happens, just yesterday I had a point & shoot with problems because of this).

Hence the number of shots counts also for the point & shoot cameras, mainly because of lens' mechanics.

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