How Long Should a Camera Last?

[smackitsakic]

Out of curiousity, approximately how many exposures 'should' a person get out of their DSLR camera?

I bought my Rebel about 3 months ago and am at around 2,500 pictures. Is this WAY too high of an average to expect this camera to last me years and years?

I've never looked into the longevity of a camera/lens, but am curious what I can expect!!

 

[magkelly]

Well, I can't speak for a DSLR camera but I'm going strong at 7 years now with my Fuji S7000 and I've taken easily 10K worth of photos on this one if not more. I've reset my photo counter several times. That's just an educated guess but I'd say somewhere between 10-12K taken I think.

No problems whatsoever. I've had it professionally cleaned at one point but even then they told me it looked like it was almost brand new inside. I think it depends a great deal on how and where you use your camera as well as how much.

I've shot a lot outdoors, but I've never dropped mine or had it get wet. I'm very careful with my set up. I can't afford to replace it right now so I do everything I can to see that it lasts.

I'm really hoping it will make it for another year or two at least.

(Crossing my fingers....)

 

[christopher walrath]

I have a B&J 4x5 press camera made in 1946, the one in my avatar. That and the original Ektar lens still work like a charm.

I would say longeivty depends on a few factors. Components. Workmanship. Usage. Storage and usage conditions. Acts of God.

It should last a few years as long as it is well looked after. Perhaps more. If it was made well and is kept free from extremes and moisture and more or less fresh batteries are used, who knows. Just take good care of it.

 

[kelli_anne]

Well it all depends on the camera, I know that my nikon D90 is expected to take 75,000 shutter clicks before it needs replaced. I would just look up your camera make and mode and see what its reviews are!

 

[Vautrin]

As other posters have mentioned it'll depend on a number of things including camera, how well it's treated, and what you're shooting (a camera that stays in the studio will probably last longer then one dropped and taken through sand storms and inclemate weather)

Just use your camera, and remember when it breaks it's the excuse you needed for an upgrade

Why are you shooting 2500 pictures in a month? Are they genuine pictures that you cherish and treasure each one? Or do you perhaps discard most of them?

Your number of clicks per month may go down.

When I first bought my camera I literally shot 1000 pictures a day if I was traveling somewhere. And most of them were terrible.

Then I started trying to think about the pictures before I shot and now I take a lot less pictures -- but I keep a higher percentage of the pictures I shoot...

You may notice a similar phenomena...

 

[Dallmeyer]

I buy basic DSLR eg. Canon XS, Sony A200 previously. I expect 12 months lifespan from a camera like this, any extra longevity - 18 months/2 years/5 years etc is a bonus. I shoot between 400 and 1000 pictures a week typically. Very seldomly use continuous shooting mode, mirror lock-up or liveview (if that makes any difference). So for the price i'm happy with 12 months/20k-50k captures.

 

[rufus5150]

Your average rebel is going to have a shutter life of at least 50,000 clicks. They say that's the 'average' but real world data shows otherwise. My XTi is at 85,000 and clicking right along though it doesn't get too much of a workout any more.

Unless you're spray-and-pray'ing sports or something (though I'm not sure the XS can really do that), you'll eventually shoot fewer frames.

 

[Ryan L]

Look up shutter actuation life expectancy in google. I don't think they officially released the rebel line, but the pro and semi they rate the shutter for a certain number of actuations. I think around 150-200k but I am unsure of the rebels. I think the cost of a replacement shutter at Canon is around 300.

 

[Overread]

I'm pretty sure the Rebel range is rated around 50,000 clicks as rufus said.

MY first point after that is that you should NOT worry about it at all. Just get out there and use your camera. Its a nice figure to know and might give you some warning, but there is a lot that can affect your cameras actual life expetancy.

Now Vautrin makes the excelent point about becoming more selective with how and what you shoot as well as what you keep and dump. As you learn you will change in practice and pattern and you should always aim to improve your shooting so that at the end of a day you can walk away with more keeper shots. However again this is just a number and nothing to get frantic over - again strive to improve, but don't ever feel that you have to reach some magical keeper ratio.

 

[KmH]

Well it all depends on the camera, I know that my nikon D90 is expected to take 75,000 shutter clicks before it needs replaced. I would just look up your camera make and mode and see what its reviews are!

Where does that number, 75,000, come from? It's my understanding the D90 is rated at 100,000 clicks.

At any rate shutter life numbers aren't absolutes, they are averages.

For a long time Canon was mum about shutter life.

Canon Model - Rated Shutter Life

Canon EOS Digital Rebel XS / 1000D - 100,000
Canon EOS Digital Rebel T1i / 500D - 100,000
Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi / 450D - 100,000
Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi / 400D - 50,000
Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT / 350D - 50,000
Canon EOS 50D - 100,000
Canon EOS 40D - 100,000
Canon EOS 30D - 100,000
Canon EOS 20D - 50,000
Canon EOS 5D Mark II - 150,000
Canon EOS 5D - 100,000
Canon EOS 1D Mark III - 300,000
Canon EOS 1D Mark II N - 200,000
Canon EOS 1DS Mark III - 300,000
Canon EOS 1DS Mark II - 200,000

(With a very big Thank You to Bryan Carnathan of The-Digital-Picture .com)

 

[Dallmeyer]

My assumption is it's a bell curve from 1K to 100K. I aim to replace 12-14 months after purchase but keep the old one until it's u/s (not necessarily due to shutter failure). There's peaks and troughs in my usage too, periodic gaps and then intense phases of use. A couple of hours out for a walk is routinely a 4GB card. Testing a new MF lens or flash can be 50 shots in the kitchen and fifty more in the garden. I'm picking up old lenses all the time. So it goes on..


something else to add: when i;m not using my camera it lives in a cabinet. But also i smoke in the room. Someone else's camera may live in the glovebox of a car or on a windowsill. Maybe your camera by fluke pass trough a production line of happy staff that day. I've worked in warehouses too where boxed electronics have literally been thrown into the back of trucks. There so many variables it's maybe more to do with fate and kharma how long a camera will last and where/when it dies!

 

[Vautrin]

Well even if 50,000 is the number of shots you'll get out of your camera, that's still 20 months at 2500 shots a month.

These are just guidelines though -- kind of a minimum expected time frame. You might get 100,000 -- your camera just shouldn't die before the rated life...

And it's important to note that you're getting qouted shutter clicks since it's the shutter that'll break first if you treat your camera well... With a really expensive camera it's worthwhile to replace the shutter since even $500 is a drop in the bucket compared to the cost of a new Mark IV body. But maybe with the rebel you'll just want to get a new body in a year or two.... That's assuming the shutter really is what goes first -- if you're not careful you can ruin your camera...

 

[c.cloudwalker]

Yes, christopher walrath is right. Film cameras will last forever if taken care of. I use one that my dad bought as a young man... But film cameras are not what your question is about.

So, as far as digital is concerned, here is two things I have learned since getting into it. 1/ the shutter doesn't cost much to replace. And 2/ as with most things electronic, you will probably replace your body before it dies.

Don't worry about it. Keep shooting, keep learning.