Urnst Loc: Brownsville, Texas

How many years, assuming reasonable care and use?

Quixdraw Loc: x

Till it goes toes up! You can check the manufacturer's shutter life estimate for particular cameras on line. They will likely be conservative, and probably bear little resemblance to actual individual camera survival.

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

You have to take into consideration whether you are apt to succumb to Gear Acquisition Syndrome, or strictly working off functionality for your preferred style and subjects.

Urnst Loc: Brownsville, Texas

I was wondering about the lifespan on the electronics. I'm considering the purchase of an older but underused camera. Thanks

AZNikon Loc: Mesa, AZ

That's funny, I asked my doctor the same question.

Urnst Loc: Brownsville, Texas

RichKenn Loc: Merritt Island, FL

Camera lifetime is affected by a multitude of factors so an accurate answer is not possible. I expect my D-7200 to last ten or fifteen years at a couple of thousand exposures per year and careful handling. Of course, most younger photographers will succumb to a GAS attack long before that. I'm sure my camera will satisfy my needs for a long time. Progress in digital camera development has been rapid for some time, now but has started to slow. A camera that produces good images now will continue to do so for a long time.

Urnst Loc: Brownsville, Texas

Urnst Loc: Brownsville, Texas

Thanks for you response. I was assuming reasonable care and use, not the tough life of a professionally used camera.

Quixdraw Loc: x

Within reach, I have several digital Nikons bought used in good to excellent condition. The earliest is a D2x. All work perfectly. Condition is the key, and generally buying from a recognized dealer who offers a guarantee, Roberts Used Photo Pro, a favorite of mine, offers 180 days. The D2x was bought from a member here on UHH, another good source.

larryepage Loc: North Texas area

I used the D200 that I bought in 2007 until 2017. My brother is still using it today. I still have both the D300 and D300s that I traded for in 2016 (they were already pretty old then) that I still use occasionally today. In all honesty I feel like end of life is often determined based on when new batteries are no longer available.

RichardTaylor Loc: Sydney, Australia

From personal experience at least 10 years unless the camera has been used a real lot, like for sport shooting, and then it is likely to be mechanical failure.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

Depends. Even the highest-end cameras will die unexpectedly, but you'd expect a camera with a more rugged build and an expected shutterlife in the 150,000 range to last longer than you own it as the original owner. So that's in the 10- to 20-year+ range, depending on your individual usage.

rook2c4 Loc: Philadelphia, PA USA

Far too many factors involved to make a reasonable prediction. Every single electronic component can last anywhere from decades to only a few years. For example, no given capacitor is identical to a same model capacitor on the molecular level; there will always be slight variations. And these minute variations can make a difference in longevity.

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

In a previous life, so to speak, you purchased a fine camera or cameras- perhas a Leica, Rolleiflex, Speed Graphic, or what every brand and format you preferred, used it for years, had if fixed when it broke, and perhaps handed it down to you kids or grandkids. Many still had collector or user collectors value.

No use worrying about it or pining for the days of yore. Cameras are disposable! Technology moves at warp speed and market strategies are damn- near aggressive. There is a lot of perceived or real build-in obsolescence and a misconception that upgrading equipment will necessarily upgrade one's photography.

If you take some care in maintaining your gear and do not beat the dickens out of it, it will probably serve you well for a decent span of time. Most folks around here will probably want to upgrade or retool well before the present system comes to its untimely demise.

Used to be that status symbol or the "badge" of the experienced photographer was a "brassed' camera where all the black finish wore off and exposed the metal or a Speed Graphic that looked like it survived Armigeadon! to too many gold plated anniversary commemorative cameras anymore finished in exotic colourful leathers. Many are made of carbon fibre- might as well be fabricated of compostable material so they won't mess up the oceans and the landfill!

OK- so I once owned a Hasselblad with a silver plate engraved with Victor's signature- but I did use it for 28 years!