Lifespan of a DSLR

[canison]

Hi All

I've got a Canon EOS 20D, beautiful camera, and was wondering if anyone has, or knows where to find any info on the lifespan of the camera. Obviously being a DSLR with a mechanical function things can wear out, and i'm a little concerned about the amount i'm using the camera.

I've taken approx 12,000 shots on it, and am wondering if anyone knows if canon have a mean time before failure specified for the camera.

Thanks.

[timmciglobal]

dSLR's have shutters, you can have them replaced. The sensor, I don't know, but I'd imagine longer then you'll own the camera. Anywhere from 10K to 150K on the shutters, average is 50K on the 20D I hear.

No, I wouldn't expect to "pass on" the camera to anyone, it'll be thrown out not like the 1978 SLR which still takes great pictures.

Tim

[Rex914]

Last time I checked, the 20D was rated at 100k. Don't worry about the camera wearing out. If you use your camera that much, you are definitely getting your money's worth out of it. The only way you can "lose out" is by restricting your ability to take pictures.

[canison]

Well, to put it into perspective... I've had the camera 2 months, and have taken just under 12,000 pictures.

Any idea what the shutter replacement cost might be?

Most of what i photograh is RC car racing, with a lot of panning type shots, and to get the best shot of course i usually fire off 4-5 shots at a time.

Examples:

[Rex914]

$200 last time I checked.

You are using it fairly heavily. If you snap that many pictures, you might be better suited to a pro body like the 1D Mark II N instead which lasts twice to three times as long but more importantly is more rugged.

[Vich]

2 months old? A $79 5 year extended warranty might have been a good call.

That said; I've also heard the 20D shutter is rated for 100K.

Post processing that many shots will grow old in a few months, a good encouragement for not having to take so many. If not; consider that its at least as durable as most in this price range. I suppose you could sell it after 75K and buy used for probably the same price. The new owner will not likely make it to 100K before it becomes obsolete.

Don't know the cost, but you could EMAIL canon service (or call) and I'm sure they will give you an exact price. If its around $200 - $300, then it won't even be worth thinking about. Cheap rent!

[canison]

Heh, I did sign up for an extended warranty, but the place I got it only offered an extra year.

But hey, i've spent enough on extra lenses, flash, bag, bits and pieces, that a $200-300 fix is acceptable to me.

I am getting better with composing the shots, when i started out, I was getting about 1 in 10 useable shots, i'm now down to about 1 in 5. It's a learning curve, but i'm improving. Perhaps I should just take less CF with me, to force me to use less

[cdifoto]

Heh, I did sign up for an extended warranty, but the place I got it only offered an extra year.

But hey, i've spent enough on extra lenses, flash, bag, bits and pieces, that a $200-300 fix is acceptable to me.

I am getting better with composing the shots, when i started out, I was getting about 1 in 10 useable shots, i'm now down to about 1 in 5. It's a learning curve, but i'm improving. Perhaps I should just take less CF with me, to force me to use less

I've learned to shoot in one-shot for the most part. I leave it on continuous mode just in case, but generally only hit the shutter once or twice - even when shooting sports. Unless it's some sorta spectactular end-zone touchdown 6 foot jump catch or some such thing, a carefully chosen single-shot can be more effective than 100 shots that look identical - especially in post-processing!