Does the global shutter on the Sony A9 IV count toward the shutter count?

No. The A9 IV's global electronic shutter reads all pixels simultaneously without using the mechanical curtain. Those exposures are not reflected in the ARW MakerNote counter. Only mechanical shutter and EFCS exposures increment the count. Sports and wildlife photographers who rely on the global shutter may have mechanical counts dramatically lower than their actual frame totals.

What is a good shutter count when buying a used Sony A9 IV?

For a used Sony A9 IV (500,000 rated), a mechanical count below 100,000 is low. The same global shutter caveat as the A9 III applies — professional sports shooters may have near-zero mechanical counts despite heavy use.

Can the shutter count on a Sony A9 IV be reset or faked?

The hardware counter can only be reset by a Sony authorised service centre after a physical shutter replacement. Always verify from an original ARW file, not a screenshot.

🔒 No upload — 100% local

Sony A9 IV Shutter Count:
Check It Free in Your Browser

Q: How do I check the shutter count of my Sony A9 IV?

Take a photo with your Sony A9 IV using the mechanical shutter, then drop the resulting ARW file into shuttercount.app. The tool decrypts and reads MakerNote tag 0x9050 in your browser — no upload required.

Q: What is the rated shutter life of the Sony A9 IV?

Sony rates the A9 IV mechanical shutter at 500,000 actuations. Like the A9 III, the A9 IV features a global shutter sensor — electronic exposures taken without the mechanical curtain are not counted.

Drop an ARW RAW file from your Sony A9 IV (ILCE-9M4) and get the exact mechanical shutter actuation count in seconds — processed entirely in your browser, never uploaded anywhere.

Check Shutter Count →

Sony A9 IV — Shutter Rating & Global Shutter

The Sony A9 IV is the second-generation global shutter mirrorless sports flagship, succeeding the A9 III (2023). It refines the stacked full-frame global shutter sensor with improved dynamic range and higher burst performance, while retaining the zero-rolling-shutter and 1/80,000 s flash sync capabilities. The mechanical shutter remains rated at 500,000 actuations.

Model	Release	Sensor	Rated Shutter Life	RAW Format
Sony A9 IV (ILCE-9M4)	2026	Full-frame stacked global shutter	500,000	ARW
Sony A9 III (predecessor)	2023	24.6 MP full-frame global shutter	500,000	ARW
Sony A1 II (comparison)	2024	Full-frame stacked BSI	500,000	ARW

    Global shutter caveat for A9 IV buyers: The A9 IV's electronic global shutter is its defining feature for sports and wildlife photographers. Many users shoot predominantly in electronic mode — meaning the mechanical shutter count from the ARW file can be far lower than the total number of frames taken. A very low mechanical count on an A9 IV does not reliably indicate light overall use.
  

How to Check Shutter Count on the Sony A9 IV

Take a photo with your Sony A9 IV using the mechanical shutter (not the electronic/silent mode). Locate the .ARW file.
Open shuttercount.app in any modern browser.
Drag the ARW file onto the drop zone, or click to open a file picker.
The mechanical shutter count appears instantly. No upload, no account required.

If you typically shoot in electronic mode, take one dedicated mechanical frame to capture the current count before transferring to your computer.

What Is a Good Shutter Count for a Used Sony A9 IV?

With a 500,000-actuation rated mechanical shutter, the A9 IV is exceptionally durable — but always factor in the global shutter caveat above:

Mechanical Count	% of Rated Life	Assessment
0 – 50,000	0 – 10 %	Very low mechanical use — may reflect heavy electronic shutter use
50,000 – 150,000	10 – 30 %	Low mechanical use — substantial life remaining
150,000 – 300,000	30 – 60 %	Moderate mechanical use
300,000 – 450,000	60 – 90 %	High mechanical use — negotiate price accordingly
450,000 +	90 %+	Near or past rated life — budget for shutter service

How Does ShutterCount Read the A9 IV Shutter Count?

The A9 IV stores the mechanical shutter count encrypted in ARW MakerNote tag 0x9050. ShutterCount applies Sony's cubic residue decryption (modulo 249) and reads the 32-bit count from byte offset 0x003a — consistent with all Sony Alpha cameras from the A7 III onwards, including the A9 III, A1, and A7R V.

Does the global electronic shutter count?

No. The A9 IV's global shutter reads all sensor pixels simultaneously with no mechanical curtain movement. Those frames are not stored in the ARW MakerNote counter. This is particularly significant for sports and wildlife photographers who rely on the global shutter exclusively — the camera's mechanical count can be a fraction of actual total frames taken.

What does a very low count on an A9 IV mean?

It could mean the camera is genuinely lightly used, or it could mean the owner primarily used electronic shutter mode — extremely common for professional sports and wildlife shooting. When evaluating a used A9 IV, also assess cosmetic wear, buffer behaviour, and autofocus calibration as complementary indicators of usage history.

Sony A9 IV Shutter Count — FAQ

How do I check the shutter count of my Sony A9 IV?

Shoot a mechanical ARW frame, then drop it into shuttercount.app. The count is decrypted from MakerNote tag 0x9050 entirely in your browser — no upload needed.

What is the rated shutter life of the Sony A9 IV?

Sony rates the A9 IV mechanical shutter at 500,000 actuations.

Is a low count always a sign of light use on the A9 IV?

Not necessarily. A sports photographer who shoots primarily in global electronic shutter mode can have very few mechanical actuations despite extensive professional use. The global shutter count is not stored in the ARW file.

Can the A9 IV shutter count be reset or faked?

Only a Sony authorised service centre can reset the hardware counter after a shutter replacement. Always verify from an original ARW file, not a screenshot or JPEG.

Sony A9 IV Shutter Count:Check It Free in Your Browser