Camera life span

[guy_mercier]

<p>Hi !</p>

<p>I have two cameras (Canon 5d3 and 1DX). the 5d3 is 3 years old(17500 clics) and the 1DX(3000 clics) is new.<br>

I am looking at mirrorless cameras and trying to sell my 2 DLSRS. <br>

I was wondering how long does a camera last or can I count on it to work properly?<br>

I might decide to keep open of my actual cameras or one of them.<br>

It depends son what i get for them and how long I think they will last.</p>

<p>Thanks</p>

[MichaelChang]

<p>Any camera can last (for all intents and purposes) indefinitely, or fail at any time without warning. </p>

<p>However, given a well designed camera (such as yours), low(ish) usage (6,000 actuations a year), and is well cared for, it will skew the probability toward the camera lasting indefinitely. </p>

 

[SCL]

<p>Digitals typically have a shorter life than mechanical film cameras due to aging electronics. Having said that, depending on the tolerances of the components used in assembly, camera usage and storage, digitals could easily last well over 10 years, perhaps 20-25. It is hard to predict.</p>

[JosvanEekelen]

<p>It's not only aging or failing electronics. My 12 (?) yr old Canon 10D still functions as it did when I bought it but it's a bit, let's say, outdated. Same will happen to a recent body like a 5D3 or a 1Dx. <br /> Another thing is service. I hope you're not looking at Sony for mirrorless. My experience with Sony is not so good. I expect that your Canon cameras can easily be serviced long after Sony will even refuse to look at your mirrorless camera. But YMMV . </p>

<p>Edit: 5D3 and 1DX in the beginers forum?</p>

[Charles_Webster]

<p>My original Canon Digital Rebel, purchased used in 2005, is now on it's 4th owner and is still going strong. There is no way to determine the number of shutter actuations, but after ~13 years of use, it's still going strong.</p>

[guy_mercier]

<p>Thank you so much for your responses.<br>

It is true i'm not a beginner but I still thought this question could be answered here and I was right.</p>

<p>Thanks again.</p>

[JDMvW]

<blockquote>

<p>Digitals typically have a shorter life than mechanical film cameras due to aging electronics. Having said that, depending on the tolerances of the components used in assembly, camera usage and storage, digitals could easily last well over 10 years, perhaps 20-25. It is hard to predict.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Aside from things like LCD displays, this is almost backwards. It is <em>mechanical</em> wear and tear that is the greatest limit to camera function over time.<br /> Properly cared for, many electronic components are virtually immortal.<br /> When I buy autoexposure cameras from the 70s, they are mostly working just fine, once you find the right batteries. Meters are more fragile over time...<br /> My collection of early autofocus cameras are similarly still plugging along fine. Some of the electronics are now nearing 50 years of age.<br /> So far, in my beginning accumulation of early digital sensors, even one of the very first -- the Kodak DCS 560 of 1998 - works just like a new camera. It's not the parts that wear out or age out, it is our desire for always more pixels.</p>

[bebu_lamar]

<p>I just assume my cameras last forever. If they break I think it's bad luck. </p>

[guy_mercier]

<p>Thanks again for your responses.<br>

I hope I will keep my cameras forever.</p>

<p> </p>

[glen_h]

<p>For non-commercial use, I would expect one to last forever. </p>

<p>Well, my D70s sometimes forgets that it has a memory card. I take the card out and put it back, and it works again. All the photography parts seem to work fine, but maybe there is a bad contact on the CF connector.</p>

<p>As well as I know, the rating for most ordinary DSLRs is 100,000 actuations, and the professional (one digit) line 200,000. So far, I manage less than 2000 a year.</p>

<p>For Nikon, you can easily find out the current number, not so easy for Canon. </p>

<p>As with film cameras, if you keep using them, it is likely better than letting them sit an a closet for years. </p>

<p>As above, they can stop working at any time, in the first week, or 50th year. Also, you could drop one on a hard floor any time. Use them, have fun with them, and don't worry about how long they last. (Unless you manage 100,000 shots a year.)</p>

[brett_w.]

<p>I agree it's usually the mechanical parts that break, mirror, shutter, etc.<br>

I'd like an interchangeable lens camera with no reflex mirror, electronic shutter with no moving parts and fast AF </p>

<p> </p>

[JDMvW]

<p>The "solid state" camera with no mechanical components will come, but maybe not just tomorrow; though every year and every mirrorless camera beings us closer.<br>

As noted above, the anticipated life of modern digital SLRs is based not on their <em>electronics</em> but on their <em>mechanical</em> shutters/mirrors/ etc</p>

[steven_clark]

<p>Often aging electronics is aging electrolytic capacitors. So at a certain point it's just a matter of soldering skills to get it working again. And the more miniaturized something is recently the longer it may last (electrolytics replaced by smaller ceramic/tantalum surface-mount capacitors).</p>

[bebu_lamar]

<blockquote>

<p>I hope I will keep my cameras forever.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>I will certainly admire you if you keep the your camera at least until it breaks. Too many people replace the cameras when they literally work like new.</p>

[glen_h]

<p>Seems to me that newer electrolytics die earlier than older ones. I have had some go bad in about a year.</p>

[MichaelChang]

<blockquote>

<p><em>"Seems to me that newer electrolytics die earlier than older ones. I have had some go bad in about a year."</em></p>

</blockquote>

<p>The vast majority of caps in a digicam are small SMD and the few aluminium electrolytics are usually of high quality from known brands - Nichicon , panasonic, etc. </p>

<p>The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capacitor_plaguehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capacitor_plague">electrolytic capacitor plague</a> of recent years are most prevalent in computers, monitors, and televisions - equipment that runs on higher current (and gets hot); low level electronics are generally unaffected. </p>