A Leica tech in Singapore told me the average shutter lasts 150k clicks but most folks bring theirs in at 40k, and that number has been bugging me all week

Wade White · 2026-10-03T02:25:04.576222+00:00

Stopped by a repair bench in Singapore last month while my rig was getting serviced. The guy runs a small spot near Peninsula Plaza, been at it 20 some odd years. I asked him what kills shutters. He said the mechanism itself is usually good for around 150,000 actuations. But the ones he sees come in dead or dragging usually hit his bench closer to 40,000. Not from wear. From sitting. From humidity. From people buying a body, shooting a trip, then stuffing it in a bag for two years in a closet. He pulled out three busted shutter units from a drawer to prove it, all low count, all gummed up. I always figured shutter life was about mileage. Now I'm not so sure. Anyone else notice low count bodies failing more than high count ones?

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A Leica tech in Singapore told me the average shutter lasts 150k clicks but most folks bring theirs in at 40k, and that number has been bugging me all week | Camera Repairers - Thought Shares