Lifespan of the mechanical shutter of the DJI M3E

[a2k-media]

Hello dear members, DJI Mavic 3E pilots and experts,
I use the DJI Mavic 3 E - like most - to take photos to create models or plans via photogrammetry. I use the camera's mechanical shutter. We all know that a very large number of recordings are made during such missions. Depending on the mission, task and required quality, this can be several hundred or many thousands of photos.

I'd be interested to know how many releases this shutter can make before it's broken.

As a professional photographer, I know that the lifespan of camera shutters is limited, precisely because they are mechanical and therefore inevitably subject to wear and tear. With professional cameras (DSLR/DSLM e.g. Canon cameras) is about 100,000 shots and with flagship models like I use them (Canon R5) about 400,000 - 500,000 shutter releases before the shutter has to be replaced. It is therefore also important for the calculation to know when to expect a failure. In other words, a replacement of the camera or a repair of the drone and what costs you have to expect.

In addition, I am interested in whether damage to the closure due to high stress is also covered by DJI Care if the closure breaks within the coverage period.

I can't find anything about it on Google, on the DJI homepage or in the DJI forums. Does anyone of you have experience or more information about the durability and where can you read out how many pictures have already been made.

I would be happy to hear from you and say thank you in advance.

Joe

 

[Wanderlost]

This is an interesting concern for us M3E owners who do a lot of photogrammetry.
I don't see anywhere in the app where the number of shutter actuations are logged. I can get the information from my DSLRs and mirrorless camera shutters though and get an idea of how much time might be left in its life.
I did read on another forum about a group with a small fleet of M3E's and they were running into failing shutters around 200,000 actuations. They sent them back to DJI for service.
The life would be variable I guess depending on the weather conditions and possibly the length of missions.
If we did a bit of math - for a commercial operation that used their drones to capture around 2000 shots/week - you could expect to get a couple of years before service was required. Technically, by then, the drone should have gone back twice to DJI for required maintenance that might include a shutter replacement.
Like anything else, I would imagine DJI would replace a failed shutter if it happened within the warranty period.

 

[Dave Pitman]

I would be surprised if DJI replaces shutters. Maybe the whole camera. If a shutter/camera lasts 200,000 images, the drone has far more than paid for itself. Unless you are not using it as a business tool. (my opinion)

 

[Wanderlost]

I would be surprised if DJI replaces shutters. Maybe the whole camera. If a shutter/camera lasts 200,000 images, the drone has far more than paid for itself. Unless you are not using it as a business tool. (my opinion)

That makes sense Dave. I don't know if the lenses can be easily separated from the shutter/sensor mechanism or as you suggest, it's just easier to replace the whole camera on the gimbal. I often look at things from a photography perspective since that's one thing I've been doing consistently for 50 years. Drones are pretty new to me.
For working drones, regular maintenance is no different than replacing worn parts in a car or delivery vehicle.

 

[adm_geomatics]

Most professional DSLR's have a rating of 300,000 actuations and that is with hardware that is quite a bit bigger than what is in a drone. I am at about 10K/month right now and can expect about 30 months so I budget a drone every two years which also fits the battery plan I use.

 

[Wanderlost]

Most professional DSLR's have a rating of 300,000 actuations and that is with hardware that is quite a bit bigger than what is in a drone. I am at about 10K/month right now and can expect about 30 months so I budget a drone every two years which also fits the battery plan I use.

Maybe my older DSLRs had that kind of life, but nowadays, this is what we get:

"Nikon claims a shutter life expectancy of 200 000 actuations for its Z6 and Z7 mirrorless cameras. Canon's EOS R is also rated for 200 000 actuations, although the lower-priced EOS RP is rated for up to 100,000 cycles, according to available data."

If you can get 30 months of work out of your drone at 10K/month - that's fantastic! I was a little worried about shutter life, but my use case scenario means I'll be upgrading before I wear mine out.

 

[jaja6009]

Is there a counter for shutter actuations in the metadata of images?
I am not at my computer right now to go in and search.

 

[Wanderlost]

Is there a counter for shutter actuations in the metadata of images?
I am not at my computer right now to go in and search.

I just checked the EXIF data and shutter actuations weren't listed. I also ran an online EXIF reader that checks for shutter actuations without result. That program works on my cameras though.

 

[adm_geomatics]

Maybe my older DSLRs had that kind of life, but nowadays, this is what we get:

"Nikon claims a shutter life expectancy of 200 000 actuations for its Z6 and Z7 mirrorless cameras. Canon's EOS R is also rated for 200 000 actuations, although the lower-priced EOS RP is rated for up to 100,000 cycles, according to available data."

If you can get 30 months of work out of your drone at 10K/month - that's fantastic! I was a little worried about shutter life, but my use case scenario means I'll be upgrading before I wear mine out.

You could contact the manufacturer and would still get some theoretical suggestion. I have seen many mirrorless shutter tests at 500K so who's to say what a completely different kind of tech can do. All I know is that people who run 0.7s interval and/or "smart" obliques are going to lose their cameras and/or gimbals a lot faster than those of us who slow their drones down and shoot 1-2 second intervals.

 

[TreeLineView]

Great thread and appreciate all the input. on a similar note. Just recently received mine for my first large multi year project. When setting up the parameters, I noticed that the camera shipped and had the setting to "Turn off mechanical" shutter. Just wondering what scenario you would ever want to do that?

 

[Wanderlost]

Great thread and appreciate all the input. on a similar note. Just recently received mine for my first large multi year project. When setting up the parameters, I noticed that the camera shipped and had the setting to "Turn off mechanical" shutter. Just wondering what scenario you would ever want to do that?

If you're talking about regular cameras, then the reasons are multiple; For silence. Are you in a courtroom? Wedding venue? Funeral? Also, electronic shutters often allow much higher frames per second shooting than mechanical ones.
If this is a drone you're talking about, then except for wear and tear, I don't see any reason not to use the mechanical shutter.

 

[adm_geomatics]

Great thread and appreciate all the input. on a similar note. Just recently received mine for my first large multi year project. When setting up the parameters, I noticed that the camera shipped and had the setting to "Turn off mechanical" shutter. Just wondering what scenario you would ever want to do that?

Maybe when you are shooting stills to save your mechanical shutter?

 

[Recoveryone]

Good information for a great question, and it reassures me that my plan of use for my fleet. I use my older Phantom 4 RTK/Phantom 4 Pro for smaller projects (1-2 batteries) and save the Mavic 3M for larger projects.

 

[Midwest Aerotech]

Thanks for raising this question and for all the answers that were returned. I'm currently fielding 4 M3E's and have the same concern as on "good days" with long daylight hours and favorable weather, a couple of these units are capturing 10,000 images a day all via mechanical shutter at 1/sec. I know it may be a while yet before we start to see degradation, but I feel like I need to begin planning a little earlier than I first suspected.