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do cameras wear out?
I'm not as ignorant as that thread title would imply, of course they will wear, but i mean in terms of image quality? I've only owned 2 DSLRs. Been shooting on the same one for over 3 years now. It seems like its turning crappy, or perhaps its wear on my lenses? Things just don't seem as sharp as they used to. At least not consistently. What causes this? Is there maintenance I should be doing? I havent ever cleaned the sensor and only updated the firmware once. Do lense elements get jiggled around? I usually keep my gear in a bag, should I be keeping it on a shelf? Dec 10 12 01:16 am Link The shutter will. I have to replace my 5DMKII shutter . Lenses and cameras, still have some dust fall into the lens or sensor. The problem with the lenses are you can't easily clean them. The captor you can but again inside the prism is very difficult on most. IF you have them in a camera bag have one with no loose foam that could degrade leaving dust. Vacuum it often, the less dust or particles the better. Dec 10 12 01:24 am Link Too many variables. For some kind of an answer I rotate my bodies through my technician once a year unless I'm noticing something weird. Any time I have one in he goes through checking and cleaning everything and freshens everything up. Glass I take care of myself unless something happens and then he repairs and adjusts as necessary. Dec 10 12 01:31 am Link Paolo Diavolo wrote: Try having the sensor professionally cleaned and see how you go... Dec 10 12 01:31 am Link Paolo Diavolo wrote: Some electical components burn out over time, and some just work for ever. I don't know if or how that would affect sharpness. A professional check and clean should rid you of any dust or particles that may have found their way into your camera. Modern digital cameras have the same surface capturing pictures over and over, whereas old fashouned film cameras had a fresh surface for every picture. So naturally new cameras will need cleaning from time to time. I send mine in for a "check and clean" about every 10000 actuations. If you change lenses alot, you may have to do it more often, and if you work in dusty locations or work alot outside, even more often. Dec 10 12 01:35 am Link Yes of course. And lenses do too. There is a huge amount of things to wear out in different ways, it may be something as simple as a fraction of a millimeter wear on one of the lense mounting on a lens putting things out of line. It also matters a lot, because there is a huge difference between pro gear and hobbist kit. Dec 10 12 01:42 am Link i noticed one of my lenses (tamron 17-50mm f/2.8) developed a soft spot in the corner. i've had it for about two years, and its photographed plenty of rock shows and everything else. it almost never left my camera. now i feel like its useless, is it? can it be repaired? or just replaced? yes i know its a tamron blah blah blah please save those remarks for another discussion. Dec 10 12 01:49 am Link pixels die. dust gets embedded. I'd call that "wearing out" the quality. Dec 10 12 02:08 am Link I have 30-40 year old lenses that I still use. Dec 10 12 02:09 am Link Semiconductors do suffer from various failure modes and degradation in performance. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reliability_(semiconductor) Dec 10 12 02:36 am Link Short answer to the simple question = yes With regard to you noticing a loss of image quality over time there are both equipment and technique possibilities there and within these too many variables to list. Dec 10 12 03:29 am Link Paolo Diavolo wrote: Can you be a bit more specific about the lack of sharpness? Dec 10 12 03:38 am Link Paolo Diavolo wrote: Your main computer monitor could also be a factor. Dec 10 12 03:45 am Link I'm sure the definitive answer is yes. However, my CANON 30D is 9 years old and I can't detect any major changes in its function. 240,000+ shots and counting. Your mileage may vary. Dec 10 12 03:47 am Link Have you had your eyes tested recently? Gradual lack of sharpness may be your eyes wearing out. Dec 10 12 03:49 am Link Drew Smith Photography wrote:
Dec 10 12 04:01 am Link photoimager wrote: thank you. i just needed the short answer. Dec 10 12 04:35 am Link Also, have you cleaned the contacts on your lenses? It's made a huge difference with mine as well. Dec 10 12 04:38 am Link SPierce Photography wrote: nice tip!!! i'll do that Dec 10 12 04:41 am Link Paolo Diavolo wrote: The short answer is that there are a few issues that can affect image sharpness. There are many other non-age related issues. Dec 10 12 05:31 am Link Jerry Nemeth wrote: My Hasselblads are 30 years old and are still as tight and sharp as ever, combined with a PhaseOne back, baby it rocks! They still get tuned up, greased and repaired when needed. Dec 10 12 05:43 am Link A design engineer at an optical seminar I attended indicated that the major wear point on modern kit is the image stabilisation system. Where these are "in lens" the wear affects images taken both with it on and off and that we should not expect these to last as in the past. I must admit this took me by surprise. Dec 10 12 07:16 am Link A little TLC goes a long way. I have only had shutter issues over the years. Dec 10 12 07:22 am Link Could just be the lens has gone out of calibration, thats why most camera's have microadjustments. Did you try zooming in with live view to manual focus then compare same shot using the autofocus? Lenses do need to go in periodically for a tune up It could also be the battery being old. my 70-200mm acts sluggish when the battery charge is under 40% Dec 10 12 08:09 am Link One of the reasons why expensive lenses are expensive is the manner in which they are built and the quality control in the process. Screws loosen, glue fails, plastic mounting flanges wear, so yes lens IQ can change, same for camera lens/sensor alignment. Dec 10 12 08:15 am Link Paolo Diavolo wrote: Paolo unless you have comparison shots of a test target (camera mounted on a tripod, mirror locked up, remote or timed release) you probably will never actually know... Dec 10 12 09:01 am Link except for my 24-105L where the red L ring fell off! Robert Helm wrote: Dec 10 12 09:30 am Link As someone who has owned the same camera/lens for almost 25 years, and who has worked at a camera store for 10 years, I can tell you that normal wear does not cause a drop in image quality. Ninety-nine percent of the time, people that think their gear is lower quality then it once was have either improved as photographers to the point where they're noticing flaws that they didn't notice before, or they have gained the confidence to push their equipment farther than they did before. Abnormal wear CAN affect image quality. This can mean dust, either in the lens/sensor, or in the gearings, damage from being smacked around in a mosh pit, or even using the camera so much that the focus gears have worn down and the elements no longer sit how they are supposed to sit. In the case of the last one, Tamron has a 6 year warranty that covers that. Most likely, you've gotten a lot pickier than you used to be. You're now able to understand why the Nikon version of that lens is worth 2 1/2 times the price, whereas before you couldn't. That's all it is. Dec 10 12 08:16 pm Link Which camera? Who makes it? Where do you use it? Digital SLR: autofocus motor mirror motor (DSLR) VR motor aperture actuation motor/solenoid shutter bearings mirror bearings Electronic film SLR: shutter bearings mirror bearings film transport Mechanical film SLR: shutter bearings mirror bearings shutter timer self timer film transport Rangefinder film: shutter bearings self timer film transport rangefinder & links Electronic P&S: aperture actuation Large format: lens shutters & iris friction bearings bellows material wood shrinkage (wood cameras only) All moving things wear. Some manufactures have very stringent standards. I have several Leica M cameras. All have been extensively used in almost any condition you can think of. Most are over 38 years old and two of them have been factory teardown/clean/lube/reassembled once. Leitz service made the same comment in both cases. Camera shows extensive signs of use, meets all factory specifications. Occasionally, the rangefinder image's vertical alinement is adjusted. Three Leica lenses have been into the shop for cleaning over the same period (material in the internal elements or helicals). Friends have a Leica IIIg and another a Zeiss rangefinder, both still take great images (over 80 years old). I've had a Canon for less than 5 years and it's been in the shop twice already (parts falling off). Lenses do get vapor deposits if you work in heavy smoke, salt spray, high humidity, BBQ conditions for some period of time. Good seals or not, even underwater cameras. Dec 10 12 09:06 pm Link |
