Sony shutter count checker
Free · nothing is uploaded · numbers only for verified models
Reading…
What else is in this file
Sony Alpha cameras store a shutter count in an encrypted part of each ARW and JPEG. The reader decodes it with ExifTool 13.59 and tells you what that body actually counts.
What the Sony number counts
| Bodies | What ExifTool says the value is |
|---|---|
| A6700, A7C II, A7CR, ZV-E1, ZV-E10 II, FX2, A1 II, A7 V | Mechanical shutter actuations only |
| A1, A7 III, A7 IV, A7C, A7R II to V, A7S II and III, A9, A9 II, A6100 to A6600, ZV-E10, FX3, A99 II | Total exposures (did not increase in Silent Shooting on the A7R II) |
| Older bodies: A7, A7 II, A7R, A7S, A6000, A5000/5100, NEX, SLT, A68, A77 II | Total exposures; wraps at 65,536 on some models |
Sony owners also report counts that look high: on an A7 IV with electronic front curtain off, one owner was told by Sony service that each shot can add more than one actuation. If the number looks odd, compare two photos taken a known number of frames apart.
Verified Sony models (66)
Show the list (model names as the camera writes them)
ILCA-68, ILCA-77M2, ILCA-99M2, ILCE-1, ILCE-1M2, ILCE-7, ILCE-7C, ILCE-7CM2, ILCE-7CR, ILCE-7M2, ILCE-7M3, ILCE-7M4, ILCE-7M5, ILCE-7R, ILCE-7RM2, ILCE-7RM3, ILCE-7RM4, ILCE-7RM5, ILCE-7S, ILCE-7SM2, ILCE-7SM3, ILCE-9, ILCE-9M2, ILCE-3000, ILCE-3500, ILCE-5000, ILCE-5100, ILCE-6000, ILCE-6100, ILCE-6300, ILCE-6400, ILCE-6400A, ILCE-6500, ILCE-6600, ILCE-6700, ILCE-QX1, ILME-FX2, ILME-FX3, ILME-FX30, NEX-3, NEX-3N, NEX-5, NEX-5N, NEX-5T, NEX-6, NEX-7, NEX-C3, NEX-F3, NEX-VG10E, NEX-VG20E, NEX-VG30E, NEX-VG900, SLT-A33, SLT-A35, SLT-A37, SLT-A55, SLT-A55V, SLT-A57, SLT-A58, SLT-A65, SLT-A65V, SLT-A77, SLT-A77V, SLT-A99, SLT-A99V, ZV-E10
The A7 V (ILCE-7M5) shows why this list exists: ExifTool versions before 13.44 decoded its count wrongly (699 instead of 477 on the same sample). The reader uses 13.59.
Where Sony stores the count
Sony hides the count in enciphered maker-note blocks (ExifTool calls them Tag9050 and
Tag2010). ExifTool deciphers them, but the position of the count inside the block differs between
models and sometimes between firmware versions. That is why a decoder written for one body can return a confident
wrong number for the next, and why this page only shows numbers for models we have tested.
Real readings from our test files
These public-domain ARWs were read by the tool on this page and by desktop ExifTool 13.59. Both gave the same numbers.
| Test file (CC0, raw.pixls.us) | Model | Reader result |
|---|---|---|
DSC01542.ARW | ILCE-6000 (A6000) | 2,687 |
DSC00002.ARW | ILCE-6700 (A6700) | 3 |
DSC00799.ARW | ILCE-7CR (A7CR) | 816 |
_DSC0009.ARW | ILCE-7M3 (A7 III) | 10 |
ILCE-7M4_DSC06681_APS-C-Raw-Compressed.ARW | ILCE-7M4 (A7 IV) | 16,911 |
7RM5-S35-LossyCompressed.ARW | ILCE-7RM5 (A7R V) | 453 |
The A6000 file is named DSC01542 but reads 2,687: the file number resets with the folder, the shutter count does not.
Check it on a computer instead
With ExifTool installed: exiftool -ShutterCount DSC00001.ARW.
Use version 13.44 or newer for the A7 V; 13.59 is what this page runs.
How we verified Sony
72 Sony sample files from 66 models (JPEG and ARW) were read in the browser engine and with native ExifTool 13.59; every number matched. Sony’s A-mount DSLRs (DSLR-A models) are left out: ExifTool documents their count tags as “only valid for some DSLR models”.
Other brands
- Camera shutter count checker
- Nikon shutter count checker
- Fujifilm shutter count (image counter)
- Pentax and Ricoh shutter count checker
- Canon shutter count: which models show it in a photo
Related tools
- View image metadata online lists GPS, camera, XMP and C2PA data in a photo.
- Remove metadata from product images cleans listing photos before you post them.
- Remove EXIF and GPS from a JPEG, PNG or WebP.
The reader runs ExifTool 13.59 by Phil Harvey (same terms as Perl: Artistic License or GPL) on zeroperl 1.0.10 (Apache-2.0), a WebAssembly build of Perl. Notices.
Shutter count questions
Does Sony count electronic-shutter frames?
It depends on the body. For the A6700, A7C II, A7CR, ZV-E1, ZV-E10 II, FX2, A1 II and A7 V, ExifTool describes the value as mechanical shutter actuations only. For bodies such as the A7 III, A7 IV and A7R V it is described as total exposures, and on the A7R II it did not increase in Silent Shooting.
Why does my older Sony show a low number?
ExifTool notes that on some older Sony bodies the value wraps at 65,536; it does on the original A7R. After 65,535 frames the count starts again from 0, so a heavily used camera can show a low number.
Do Sony RX and other compact cameras work?
No. ExifTool does not decode a shutter count for Sony DSC compacts such as the RX100 series, and our RX100 VII sample had none.
Why is there no count for my A9 III?
The A9 III has a global electronic shutter and no mechanical shutter. ExifTool 13.59 finds no count in our A9 III sample.
ARW or JPEG?
Either, as long as it is the original file from the card. Sony ARW and JPEG files are both verified.
Page last updated: