50D Number of Photos taken shown on Back Screen.

[Margaret Holland]

I bought my wife what I thought was a new 50D Canon

When viewing photographs that my wife has taken top right hand corner will show 100-8544 in a box CF.

She has taken only 30 photograhs so we expected that number to show not this large number because we expected the numbers to start at say 0000 as in a new car before being driven

What is the second number please as we suspect that that refers to photographs taken as any photos that my wife takes adds to that large number

We strongly suspect that we have been sold a second hand camera rather than a new one for which we paid the full price. It did not come in a new Canon Box but a white one with nothing to mention Canon.

Your comments will be welcomed as we are real novices when it comes to cameras

Thank you,

Brian Holland

[xystren]

The first thing I would do is go into your camera menu, and usually in the settings section, you will have a part this displays model number, firmware version, and shutter count. That would be the count I would be most interested in. Odds are this number won't be 0, as there will be low number of "test shots" done at the factory. Anything above 100 I would consider to be too many (others may be able to chime in more accurately on this).

The other thing, it could have been used as a demonstration camera. Most stores I know will state that it was either open-box, or used as a display model. Other less scrupulous places will sell the demo models as new. I'm not sure where the place of business you purchased falls.

The first part of the number (in this case 100) could be a folder/directory that the pictures are being stored in within your CF card. Typically you can set different target folders where the pictures can be stored. Typically 100 tends to be a default one. I know my XTi/400D is set at 100 right out of the box.

I would also be concerned about the 8544. That seems far to high for a new out of the box camera.

[Margaret Holland]

The first thing I would do is go into your camera menu, and usually in the settings section, you will have a part this displays model number, firmware version, and shutter count. That would be the count I would be most interested in. Odds are this number won't be 0, as there will be low number of "test shots" done at the factory. Anything above 100 I would consider to be too many (others may be able to chime in more accurately on this).

The other thing, it could have been used as a demonstration camera. Most stores I know will state that it was either open-box, or used as a display model. Other less scrupulous places will sell the demo models as new. I'm not sure where the place of business you purchased falls.

The first part of the number (in this case 100) could be a folder/directory that the pictures are being stored in within your CF card. Typically you can set different target folders where the pictures can be stored. Typically 100 tends to be a default one. I know my XTi/400D is set at 100 right out of the box.

I would also be concerned about the 8544. That seems far to high for a new out of the box camera.

Someone had suggested a programme which would show the shutter count . (astrojargon.net EOS info ) It was with some trepidation that I downloaded the programme suggested and it took , as it said it would, 'several minutes' to download.
However it worked by showing that the shutter count was 46 on the new camera while the backscreen was telling me 8,500+
So I then plugged in my other 50D which I have had for a while and the shutter count was 19,636 while the backscreen was showing 6,287.
You will understand my confusion as the numbers do not seem to have any relationship to the evidence
To afford ud some confort the shop owner being made aware of our disquiet has kindly offred to take the camera back and give us another new camera suitably boxed etc. We will be hugely relieved when that has happened meanwhile my wife and I have been overwhelmed by the kindness and help from forum members.
Maybe and hopefully this experience may be of help to other Canon users.

Brian.

[EOSThree]

Plain white box=refurb. in my experience. I have purchased both a 5D and 30D refurbished and they both came in a plain white box with expansion foam holding the body. Refurbs aren't bad, that means they have been to the factory and looked at 2x.

As far as the number of shots on the body, if you used a card that you have used in another camera that will show the number of shots on the card, and that will become the number of shots on your body.

[Margaret Holland]

Plain white box=refurb. in my experience. I have purchased both a 5D and 30D refurbished and they both came in a plain white box with expansion foam holding the body. Refurbs aren't bad, that means they have been to the factory and looked at 2x.

As far as the number of shots on the body, if you used a card that you have used in another camera that will show the number of shots on the card, and that will become the number of shots on your body.

Thanks for these comments but we thought that we had purchaed a new camera not one that had been refurbed. However the shop has now agreed to replace the camera we now have with another new one in a Canon sealed box.
My wife always wipes teh memory cards before reuse so I think that that is unlikely to be the source of this problem.

Satisfactory conclusion but we have leared things via the forum for which we are most grateful..

[xystren]

Glad you were able to get a satisfactory conclusion. I hope we get to see some pictures in the future.

[EOSThree]

Thanks for these comments but we thought that we had purchaed a new camera not one that had been refurbed. However the shop has now agreed to replace the camera we now have with another new one in a Canon sealed box.
My wife always wipes teh memory cards before reuse so I think that that is unlikely to be the source of this problem.

Satisfactory conclusion but we have leared things via the forum for which we are most grateful..

Just wiping the card doesn't re-set the counter. You have to have the camera set to start at zero each time. I don't remember the function, but it's in the menus.

Anyway glad to hear it worked out well for you.

[Margaret Holland]

Just wiping the card doesn't re-set the counter. You have to have the camera set to start at zero each time. I don't remember the function, but it's in the menus.

Anyway glad to hear it worked out well for you.

This thread can now be closed as I am happy to report that the shop have exchanged the camera for one starting with almost all the 00000 showing on the back screen.

Very happy with the outcome and really apprecaite all the help offered by forum members.

So impressed have I been by the forum response I am posting, I hope, another thread re 300mm lens

Brian.