When shopping online, ask the seller to verify the shutter count before buying. Walk or ask for a discount if the shutter count is exceeding high (see below for more info). I only know that USM can last but not sure of the "IS" system within. A quick way to find a shutter count on a canon without sending it in. When buying a Canon DSLR in person, always check the shutter count on your computer before taking it home. I wonder how come no one ask about the lifespan of IS on the lenses? Generally, the IS is a mixed of mechanical and electronic chip within ? I would think the lifespan of the IS somewhat complements with that of the body too. On my EOS-400d, the shutter counter can be seen by doing the following for the latest photograph: Preview photo > Press Display button. Why not before warranty expired, when you send in for service ask on your count.
However, there are a few free tools that may help you to do this. The majority of Canon’s cameras don’t include the shutter actuations in their Exif data, which is why it’s difficult to find. Theres no official Canon based application to find the shutter count for an EOS DSLR. But some manufacturers, like Canon, don’t give it up that easily. Imagine your average shot to reach this figure before changing the shutter. Within this information, you can find the shutter count in most cases. Does shutter count really matters to you? Most cameras got a count of 100K. But if it does, just take a note yourself lor. Free Shutter count is not dependant of the numbering system of your sdcard. Yet to hit 10K so not sure about the cam reseting. Free Shutter Count works with any Canon DSLR camera, but some models might be incompatible due to firmware restrictions. All shots from different memory cards would still continue to count so long as you do not reset the count in the camera. By default when you first buy the camera, it should be set a 000000 or 100000 and some 30000.
I do not use any software or rely on CSC to check my shutter count.