Toronto Photography Meetup Group

Hi, I haven't owned a dslr for too long. Maybe 1.5-2 years. Just wondering how reliable is the equipment in general. I when I say equipment, I mean dslr's, and lenses.

What are the typical problems with dslr's if they do need repair/service? and same question with lenses?

I don't have any issues with my equipment, just curious, that's all.

You can't generalize how reliable dslr's are. Though there may be some common issues among some equipment. Problems can occur for any part of the equipment. They're electronics after all.

My 300D is 5 years old, and had to have the shutter replaced and the AF mirror fixed after about 3 yrs.

I have a 1D and 1Ds that are both older than the 300D, but purchased 2nd hand. The 1Ds came with over 100k shutter actuations. Both are working just fine with a bit of wear in the usual places.

Shutter replacement is likely the most common issue that requires service. Many people send their dslr's in for a sensor clean, but that can be done by the user as well.

Lenses are way more sensitve to bumps, drops, jams etc. I've broken a few.

I've been fortunate and haven't had much trouble with three of the four bodies I've owned. The XTi was the only troublemaker, and I think it was just that my particular unit was a bit on the lemony side.

I would say that if you have a business requirement to have your camera at the ready at all times, then you need a backup. If it's not for business, you shouldn't be too concerned. Yes, there are moving parts inside that may need servicing after a certain point, but if you're using it casually you may not see that point.

Olympus E-300 - no problems after over 4 yrs, and no dust on any image (although I have not used this camera much this year)

Olympus E-510 - had it for 6 months, never had an issue and no dust issues

Olympus E-330 - had it for over almost 2 yrs, no issues and no dust issues

Olympus E-3 - had a couple of issues that appeared to resolve itself and not show up again (sensor based IS wouldn't shut down), and that was over a year since last incident. Again, no dust appearing on any images.

Canon 5D - no issues with first body, sold it and regretted it, so bought another one. No issues with that one, but there is dust. Also, have to take it in for recall on mirror fix by Canon.

Canon 1Ds MKII - bought used with 21K on it, and now the shutter started to go with only 28K on it. Just dropped it off at Canon this week for repair.

I've never had any issues with any of my lenses (Olympus, Canon, Sigma) with the exception of one Sigma lens, a 30mm F/1.4 that I bought that couldn't focus accurately. Took it back to just forget about it (Olympus mount lens).

I've never had any issues with my hotshoe flashes.

The only issues all this DSLR equipment has caused me is ...

(wait for it)

... poverty. LOL.

The only consistent problem is shutter failure, especially on older DSLR's when they were still using shutter's spec'd for film use. This is primarily due to the fact that in the film era, people shot a lot less frames in general than they do now and it took a couple of generations for the makers to shift the spec up to today's higher-spec cameras (A 50D or D300 has the same shutter life spec as a 1v or F5)

I shot 1226 frames today. That's 34 rolls of 36-exposure film, a good 2-3 months shooting for me at my busiest with film.

Wow, 1226 frames today?? what were you shooting?

like any electronics, I find that if you take care of your equipment, it will last. Of course, there are given shutter failures or recalls, but if you are rough with any electronics, it won't last.

Hey thanks for the quick replies. Yes, I do realize that its an electronic device, and it can go at anytime. Anyways, I got the answers I was looking for.

I must say "wow!" to the 1ds Mark II going at 28K shutter count.

Anybody have any issues with lenses? well, lenses that were not dropped or abused in any way, shape, or form?

My Canon Xt has been very reliable well over 150k shutter actuations and 4 years of life in all kinds of extreme for Toronto weather. Actually static protected electronics are very reliable if you get by the early failures in the first six months then the next 10 years should go smoothly. It's the mechanical componets such as switches, shutters and connectors that fail.

For what it's worth, I'm making regular use of that 5D and am enjoying it. It's in a good caring home, I swear!

A lot depends on how much you shoot with it (if you machine gun it), and how you take care of it.

I used my film SLR for 20 years (before switching to digital) and it showed no signs of giving up...it never needed a repair.

Your asking a very broad question. Try narrowing it down a bit to what equipment you are using atm or what you are planning to get in the future usualy determined by your shooting style and interest.

Each brand has its own weakness and strengths and of course the rabid fans that come along with them.


Randy

Frosh week. I'm the photographer for the Ryerson Engineering Students Society.

I'll shoot more on Monday though, I usually come back with 2-3000 frames from the airshow.

Mechanical failure is probably the #1 cause of DSLR malfunction... next to a known glitches in software. Such as the Nikon D70 which had the blinking green light of death problem awhile back.

My shooting style has actually changed in the last two years. I used to shoot hundred's of frames per outing, and would end up with endless pictures of the same thing over and over.

I am much more cautious now about what I shoot, and how I shoot it. As I don't like spending a lot of time processing images -- that's probably why I am at least 6-8 months behind in processing some of my images. I shoot my DSLR much more like I would shoot film. I spend a lot more time studying the light, and looking for interesting compositions, than shooting at will. I am also a fan of natural light... I rarely use flash. Although I have always wanted to get a number of flashes, and play around with CLS.