Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2007/09/25
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]In a message dated 9/25/2007 5:48:22 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time, lug-request@leica-users.org writes: I've never had a digital camera "die." Have others? Regards, George Lottermoser george@imagist.com -------------------------------------------------- Hi George, The only way a film camera can die is if its shutter goes dead. In quality bodies, mechanical shutters seldom drop out; but electronically controlled shutters sometimes do. However, the film in a Leica M can't die. It's digital counterpart, the sensor array in an M8, can suddenly conk out -- even though the camera be fairly recent. It seems to me that a digital camera is similar to a Rube Goldberg sketch. Troubles can cascade if one thing goes wrong. What amazes me is how dependable my Nikon D70 is turning out. Even the early Oly 5050, after its Sony sensor was replaced without charge, is performing reliably. Sony used a plastic substrate, I believe, in the initial runs of the 5050. It was replaced by Oly with a sensor that used a ceramic substrate, thus keeping all the pixels stable and therefore the colors normal. So we have a subcontractor problem with parts in most digital bodies. Then there's the little motors that drive focus and zooms in the prosumers, like the Nikon 5200 and Canon G9. I doubt that most digitals will run at their best after 10 years. The setting retaining capacitor in the Oly 5050 lasted about 2 months. I don't even bother Oly to replace it. I just reset my ISO, etc. when I change batteries. It comes with the territory. Best, Bob ************************************** See what's new at http://www.aol.com