Yeah. Open up the little door on the side of the camera. Hit the... M.Fn. button? until it shows up on the LCD. You should see a little 'ID' icon, a 3 digit number (the roll count), and a blinking 2 digit number. The 2 digit number is a user settable number which you can set with the dial under your index finger.
Yeah, when I bought mine about 3 years ago it had maybe 220 rolls on it? That's about 8000 clicks give or take. Then again, I've only put on another 60 rolls or so. I mostly shoot with my other camera though.
I own a 1v with a PB-E2, and I have a rechargeable battery from Canon for it - but no charger. Canon's price for the charger is high. I know that some people charge these batteries with other chargers. Any idea how to use a standard charger with these?
If you have the right Voltage and mA, together with the + and the - correct and the propper spring-connection to the battery: yes you can make something up yourself.
A photographer should be a little handy !
Okay, so who tells me the right voltage and mA? ;-)
I also hope to find someone who shows me how to make an adapter for normal cable releases for an EOS - I use an Olympus bellows with an EOS adapter, but it would be even better if I could use the double-cable-release that came with it.
You might have to search a little bit for it, but the Maha C777 Plus II will charge your NP-E2 easily; it is specifically designed for battery packs. For the mechanical cable release, you have to go a kind of annoying route. First, the mechanical cable release to T3 adapter, then since T3 hasn't been used since the 1n, a T3 to N3 adapter. You can pick up cheap generic cable releases that fit N3 on ebay, that would probably be a cheaper route.
Canon's high-end old EOS bodies had a feature (tech-accessible only) for reporting exposure/frame or roll count and system errors, using a proprietary computer and hot shoe connection on the service bench.
When I purchased my EOS 1N off eBay some years ago, this test was requested by me (additional to others) after purchase to validate the seller's claim it had "shot less than 50 rolls". The bench test confirmed it was much less: 32 in fact and no unrecoverable errors to speak of.
A cable release is not strictly necessary. Engage the self timer on EOS bodies, or for the EOS 1, 1N, 3, the 2 second self-timer with mirror lock-up in the absence of a release.