boberic Loc: Quiet Corner, Connecticut. Ex long Islander

I can't vouch for Nikon but I have to assume it's the same as Canon. My F-1 was 40+years old when I sold it. Worked as well as it did when it was new.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

But Bob, you’re sane! Shiny new toys don’t easily impress you.

You actually understand that the limiting factor of any camera isn’t the camera... it’s the user! That’s rare, here.

pesfls Loc: Oregon, USA

I stiil own a 1969 model Nikon F I purchased new. It’s ready for its third shutter but otherwise works perfectly. The shutter is a mechanical wear part just like your vehicle’s brakes. My Df body will function with virtually all Nikon lenses made since the late 50’s. I still use some Nikon lenses that are almost 50 years old. I’ve never had a problem with Nikon service folks. Machines don’t heal like living beings. They require maintenance but I wouldn’t say the company is engaging in anything more than trying to maintain or grow market share. I am a happy, loyal customer.

Dan R Loc: Way Way Way Upstate NY

It's funny you say that. The shutter on my D750 needs to be replaced.

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

Well, Bill, I'm not sure I'd go that far, but the shiny new toys comment is pretty correct.

I look at the camera and I as a team. Each contributes to the other with an end goal in mind. It works pretty well. One just has to understand the nuances that each contribute to accomplish that end result. Thanks very much for the compliment. It's certainly appreciated.
--Bob

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

Yeah, definitely a team... Working with a camera (or software, or a computer OS) definitely involves the right "team chemistry". I've used gear that was a good fit for me, and gear that wasn't. I think that fit is worth finding — worth A LOT.

canon Lee

I owned and operated an electronics store that repaired audio/home stereo equipment. As home stereo became less expensive to buy so did the idea that "it was cheaper to buy a new one". I think products from other countries do have the idea that you buy cheaper and replace rather than repair. Competition between Canon and Nikon are all about "New features", not serviceability. I feel very confident to buy from either company. Parts of any camera are mechanical and will wear out, mainly the shutter.... It does pay to have the shutter repaired for an expensive camera. Im sure that in time some cameras will be made cheaper. But for now they are getting more expensive.

John_F Loc: Minneapolis, MN

Camera manufacturers have had many decades to perfect the materials, designs, and manufacture of shutters and aperture leaves. Some posters have noted the still reliabllity of their very old film cameras and there is no reason to believe modern cameras are not built to those standards. That leaves the electronics which are silicon transistor based circuit boards (very tiny). What can go wrong? The transistor industry is noted for the reliability of its products. I contend that it is the wiring connections that are the most susceptible. The other electronics part is the encoded firmware. Everytime Apple and Microsoft (those with top drawer coders) come out with new op systems there are a wild slew of bugs. Every time camera companies come out with new models won't their digital codes be buggy?

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

The trend is toward common firmware updates and upgrades. My Lumix GH4 is on version 2.7 of its firmware. The new GH5 is on 2.1, last I checked. Each new update has added features, refined existing features, and, yes, some of those updates fixed bugs. All except the vLog L upgrade (for advanced video users) have been free of cost.

Essentially what this means is that, like the iPhone or Mac, recent camera systems get better and better with age! (I love it that my seven year old Mac Mini runs the latest Mac OS, and supports nearly all features of modern software. It's faster and more stable now, than when I bought it.)

A decade ago, when I was using Canons and Nikons, it was not uncommon to see them issue five to seven bug fixes in the year or so after a new body's release. But they seldom added new features back then.

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

I needed a new water heater a few years ago. The local Home Depot had 3 types (I don't remember the exact numbers, but...) the basic model was $300 and had a 4 year warranty. The next model was $400 and had a 8 year warranty. The top model was $500 and had a 12 year warranty. I talked to a guy I know who does plumbing and heating. He told me that they were all the same water heater. The difference in cost was for insurance. I bought the cheapest one.

I should also mention that I have a water heater in the greenhouse that runs hot water through coils on a table to keep the plant roots warm. A friend gave it to me when he stopped using it for that purpose. He got it when someone gave it to him because they needed a larger one. So for me, it's third hand. I've been using it for 16 years.

I have bought several used tractors. I have never had a problem getting parts to repair most of them. I had a Deere model B, which was manufactured between 1937 and 1952. I had no problem getting parts. (Major parts were available from junkyards, but normal repair stuff was manufactured as needed, although frequently by third parties).

The first tractor I ever bought was new (1988). After 25 years it quit, and parts were not available. I talked to my local repair guy and his take was that repair parts are available for items that need repair frequently enough to warrant making parts to supply them. If an item is very unreliable, people quit using it, so they quit repairing it, so they don't make parts. If an item is much too reliable and never needs repair, they don't make parts to repair it. You have to hit the sweet spot where the item needs enough repairs to warrant making spare parts, but doesn't need repair often enough to discourage people from pouring money into it. The number of units sold also factors into that.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

I just had to replace the hot water heater in my house. It had been there since 1999... 18 years. It developed a pinhole leak and ruined the carpet and a bookcase in the next room. Homeowners policy covered the water damage, but not the $3500 plumbing bill. It seems the system was not up to code, requiring all new venting, new gas pressure regulator, new pressure relief tank, and new water pressure regulator. The replacement commercial grade heater wasn’t cheap, either. And, of course, the damned thing blew on a Sunday... it took five hours to fix.

MichaelH Loc: NorCal via Lansing, MI

Digital cameras are way more complex than film versions, but - I would agree with this sentiment and find a more respectful repair person. As talkative as camera users are and the many avenues to share gripes available this would be a well known issue. I might suspect he is priming you for some bad results during the next checkup.

Peterff Loc: O'er The Hills and Far Away, in Themyscira.

Obsolescence happens, but things also wear out, and sometimes companies drop support and parts can be hard to get. Although I'm a Canon user, I don't consider Nikon to have any issues in that regard. My wife's Nikon FM2n is still working fine. Had to get the lens re lubricated, but you can still buy a new version of the same lens many decades after it was first introduced. My AE-1 and T90s still work fine, as do my Canon DSLRs. Your repair guy was full of it.

I woke up feeling cold a couple of days ago. My house was built in 1938, and still has its original furnace. Apparently they had a design life of 50 years. I did have to get the gas control valve replaced about 5 years ago, and it isn't the most efficient thing on the planet, but a quick tap with a 4oz hammer had it bursting into life. Warm again, jiggety jig!

I would buy Nikon, Canon, Pentax or several other brands with confidence.

JPL

Consumer products are generally not expected or built to last as long as industrial products. That goes for cameras as well. But how long lasting they are, I do not know.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Nonsense. A repair person sees nothing but broken cameras. It's like the story of a blind man who grabs an elephant's tail and then assumes that elephants are long and thin. Aside from recalls, I've never had a Nikon serviced, and I still have a D40 and D70. I think the "planned obsolescence" would apply to features rather than durability.

NASA vehicles have worked perfectly for decades, but they are not consumer products turned out by the millions, and the cost is rather high.