A topic I have read about recently...seems some micro four thirds users have put 30K plus actuations on their mini sensor cameras and are experiencing blurry snaps, banding, and then ultimately overexposed images. Apparently the sensors are failing maybe? One theory is x rays tend to exacerbate the problem....natural x rays and manmade airport scanner ones and the like. The oldest DSLRs and digital cameras are just starting to show their age...many of the compacts fail for a host of reasons not necessarily related to the sensor. I've heard reports of D40 sensors going ballistic. It does sort of make sense that such a precision electronic digital part would have a shelf life. Makes me want to make sure my camera is grounded real good...lol
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Do digital sensors degrade over time?
- Thread starter Eye-level
- Start date
entrophy and wear, silicon is fairly stable, and these chips are not run 24/7, sometimes an effect like electromigration where copper can thin causing opens, and heat can cause fails over time.
I am wondering if point and shoots are more likely to fail, since viewing thru the video port is essentially running that chip much harder then the digital SLR, where you you use the view finder and then snap the picture.
I know that if you use liveview for extended time, the chip gets hot.
overall, silicon sensors should have a long life, most computers fail due to hard drive fails, mechanical fails like keyboards, hinges, but not very often because of their electronics.
I am wondering if point and shoots are more likely to fail, since viewing thru the video port is essentially running that chip much harder then the digital SLR, where you you use the view finder and then snap the picture.
I know that if you use liveview for extended time, the chip gets hot.
overall, silicon sensors should have a long life, most computers fail due to hard drive fails, mechanical fails like keyboards, hinges, but not very often because of their electronics.
I have a D90 with over 140,000 actuations on it and it performs as well today as it did the 1st day. I use it 4 days a week for my work putting on approx 400/500 per week.I contacted Nikon only two months ago asking if my camera would fail very soon and would they recommend me sending it for a service and a new shutter installed. They were very helpful and stated that many rumours were often started that were without any foundation. "All Nikon" cameras are never made to fail in the first place and as long as the camera is looked after properly and used without abuse, they see no reason why it should not go on to perform for many years no matter how many the shutter count is on the camera. Like all machines though, there will always be an element of those that do breakdown which is true of many things.