How long should a P&S digital camera last? (1 Viewer)

[lwcgal2004]

I have had my Nikon Cool Pix since 2004--so it is 8 years old! The camera has been amazing and I have had zero problems. The camera has been A LOT of places & shot some amazing pictures for me. I love it and will always stick with Nikon. The poor camera has been banged up because I didn't purchase a case for it but other than that it is great!

 

[Stan]

To inject a little humor here, my first thought was you were all talking about Pan & Scan cameras. Point & Shoot finally entered my brain just as I clicked the link.
But I was still thinking Pan & Scan, so my first thought was why? Smash it, burn it, drop it off a bridge. Then of course reality set in.
I actually don't even own a digital camera, other than my phone. I've got a really nice Nikon from the 80s, tripod, four or five lenses, including on huge one about two feet long. I just enjoy them, and am obviously not into photo-speak so can't give you the technical details, but I know my lenses will work on a digital camera when I make the switchover..
Anyhow, back to your subject of digital cameras, where I don't really fit in yet..

 

[Citizen87645]

Keep in mind that when you decide to make the DSLR transition, those lenses may mount to the camera, but they may not have full functionality. If you are comfortable shooting in manual metering mode, this is not a big concern. Depending on the lens, you may not be able to shoot in the camera's program or auto modes.

 

[Marty M]

With the way companies change models in P & S cameras, a 3 or 4 year old camera can really seem outdated. I am guessing that is the expected life expectancy of your better than average P & S model. I had a Panasonic advanced P & S that worked perfectly fine for 4 or 5 years. My wife was interested in the same model, and the upgraded version had so much more than the model I had purchased.

 

[Patrick Sun]

I did retire that A610 for normal use, but was using it for taking photos of art sketches on the floor, but the LCD screen stopped displaying when I flipped it out to shoot towards the floor, so it has finally been retired. So, now I'm using the A650 for my art sketches, and playing with the ISO setting to get some more image quality out of the A650. It feels like a lifetime since I made the jump to dSLR, but these camera with the flip-out LCD screens still have a use for me (since I don't really use my dSLR easily when a flip-out LCD screen makes it easier to shoot specific types of shots.