Usefull life of a D60?

[barmijo]

I've read in a couple of articles that high end EOS cameras like the

1Ds are rated for 100,000 cycles. However, in looking at D60 specs

on Canon's website I don't find any mention of a useful life. Does

anyone know where this can be found and what it means in practicle

terms? Thanks in advance for your help.

[yakim_peled1]

If I am not mistaken, it means that the shutter will last 100,000 frames. I think I've heard of 150,000 for the 1v.

 

Happy shooting ,

Yakim.

[vsevolod_krishchenko]

D60 need something about 30,000 cycles to break shutter.

[c_terry]

The 1D is stated for 100,000 shutter releases (as are most of the "1" series and the eos 3 as well i believe. (canon reps have said that the eos 1D uses the shutter from the eos-3 and the mirror mechanism of the eos 1V).

 

The D30 and D60 in users hands seem to go about 30,000 releases from what I have seen in forum reports. I am certain that there are wild variations from these numbers in actual users hands.

 

One test of the eos 3 film body ran it past 400,000 releases without failure, but that was not with someone opening it up and changing film every 36 shots or banging the camera around in a bag or on a strap for most of it's life.

[greg terepka]

What I'm concerned with most on expensive digital bodies is the life of the imaging chips. How many charge/discharge cycles can the individual photo cells go though before failure or noticable variation in some cells? Would repair or image board replacement costs be so high as to make the body not worth repairing? Someone recently brought this issue to my attention when he was considering buying a few older Nikon D1's that were used fairly heavily. From what I remember, CCD and CMOS chips CAN deteriorate.

[barmijo]

Thanks for the responses. My concern is, in fact, the shutter and mirror life. I shoot a lot at my sons sporting events; often going through 400 shots during a game. Plus, the macro shots I do require a 200 to 300 shots per session. I'll easily surpass 30,000 frames in couple years.

 

So, what's the going rate to repair/replace the shutter or mirror? Has anyone had that done?

[bob stewart jacksonville]

Bert,

if you're shooting 200-300 shots in a session doing macro work, or 400 shots doing a kid's sporting event, I would suggest that you are actually missing a lot of the action and not actually composing shots. You might try being a litle bit more selective. To shoot 400 shots during a kid's sporting event, you practically have to hold the shutter down continuously. Shooting in that mode, even at 10 fps, the mirror is up blocking the action much more of the time than you're capturing images. ( at an exposure of 1/500, and 10 fps, your missing 80% of what's going on, which makes it difficult to capture the decisive moment)

why not try actually planning a shot, and timing when you shoot to catch the decisive moment.

That being said, even if you want to shoot 400 frames in an afternoon, odds are that the D60 will be functionally obsolesent before you wear it out.

[jay_.]

Here are some figures that should put your mind at ease: 30,000 shots = 833 rolls of 36-exp film. Total cost of 833 rolls of slide film (@ $5/ea) plus E6 processing (@ $6/ea)= $9163! At that point either a shutter replacement for a few hundred bucks, or even a new body for $1500 (by then probably less) and you're still way ahead of the game.

[barmijo]

Bob - I take two types of shots for each child on the team. First, is the action of the game, and second is a sports action portrait. At 3fps, it's tough to capture certain moments. To get the ball "just" leaving the pitcher's hand, the dust as the ball hits the catcher's glove, or the eyes of the batter watching the ball hit the bat requires more than a few attempts at 3fps. I know what shots I want, but to get them requires either timing beyond my ability, a faster burst rate, or going through a lot of frames.

 

I'll admit, that as I get more practice I am taking fewer shots. Hopefully I'll keep progressing.

[bobatkins]

It will probably cost you somewhere in the $200-$300 region to replace the shutter. If you shoot enough, you'll have to do it sooner of later. I think the 30,000 cycles is rating, though I can't cite a Canon source for that number.

[gil_batzri]

Bert,

 

I shoot a fair amount of Prep sports with a D30 and suffer from the 3FPS problem also, I have gotten better results getting used to the shutter delay and taking 1 shot of a given action (compensating for delay with my finger), then if I "drop the hammer" and fire off 6 shots at a clip. This particularly is true with baseball and other "split second shot" sports. (This takes some getting used to, but getting bat on ball is a MUCH more likely shot at one exposure for me then three) The only time I use the motor drive is when I am shooting a developing play (football or hoops generally) because the AI/Auto focus on the D30 is shoddy, I can usually get one or two shots that are good enough, whereas if I shoot just the one I want, it frequently isn't in focus enough.

 

In conclusion, I think you might be better served honing your skills on the one shot "money shot" then snapping away, plus you will save some time on the back end (picking the good shot) and you will save on storage.

 

I used to shoot 2-300 shots at a game, then I ditched the "hold down the shutter" philosophy and I shoot 70-100 a game, but get better results. I am not trying to tell you your business, but just recommending you give it a shot, you may find yourself happier at the end of the shoot, and you may have some more free time, which is always a plus.

 

(Because in the end we all need that 1D and the 8FPS don't we?)

 

Gil

[barmijo]

Thanks for the input Gil. I am getting a little better at my timing the start of my shot, but typically still fire off two or three shots at a clip.

 

As for the AI Servo focus, it's pretty useless IMHO and I gave up trying to use it long ago. I use single shot focus and when there's a high likelihood of action in a certain spot (like a runner stealing 2nd) I like to pre-focus and compose.