Do Digital Cameras show their age?

[ECOslin]

I've been using a Kodak DC280 Zoom, an average(now) 2meg 1760 x 1168max(only resolution I use it at, with complaints from most people I email pics to that the un-reduced pic is too large) for more than three years now. http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/specs/Kodak/kodak_dc280.asp

I've noticed, or is it my imagination, that the pictures, distant and close don't seem to be as sharp as they used to be. It's been well cared for and never really been mishandled or dropped. I've used it on occasion, with tripod, as a portable photocopier in macro mode.(Had a scanner, scanner toasted, been intending to buy another) More recently the same tricks to copy documents don't seem to work as well.

I was out walking and thought of taking a picture of something and realized that I might be better taking the shot with a much older 35mm camera, that was once drenched in orange juice in a backpack while hiking. Being the extremely cheap and mechanically minded person that I am, I took the film camera apart and cleaned the internals, motor and circuit boards, til it worked again good as new.

Does a CCD degrade?

Edward

[GoldKey]

I assume you have tried cleaning the lens.

Something could be failing in the camera. I had two different Kodaks, both of which failed and were replaced under my Best Buy service plan. Finally replaced with a Canon and have had no problems ever since.

[Crystal Eitle]

Finally replaced with a Canon and have had no problems ever since.
A little O/T, but in my opinion Canon makes absolutely the best mid-range digital cameras. I recommend them whenever I can.

[ECOslin]

On this model the lens is protected by being behind a clear, flat and non-removable, dustplate, which is clean.

Edward

[ECOslin]

I was looking at the Nikon Coolpix 3100, the ability to use AA batteries and CF card for picture storage is important to me. Also the general layout is like the Kodak DC280.

I like a camera to have some weight, and a little size. Image stabilization would be nice as well. Fewer fuzzy pics.

Edward

[GoldKey]

When I got the Canon, I thought I was giving up something by having to use a battery pack instead of AA's. But the battery pack lasts soooooo much longer than the AA's that it has never been a problem. On the Kodak, I would get around 30 pics before having to change the batteries. I have never had the Canon run out of power and I have gotten up to about 60 pics.

[Don Tolson]

Does a CCD degrade?

I have a DC4800 which I've been using for about 2 to 3 years now. I'm not noticing any degredation in picture quality, so I don't think CCD's degrade as the normal course of life. At least, I've never heard of this on any of the digitial photo forums I've browsed.

As far as complaints from people about the large picture size, you might want to check your Kodak software for downloading pictures from the camera to your PC. On mine, there's an option to email the pictures directly from the download software, which sends them at reduced resolution (<96 lpi, which is just fine for screen presentation).

[maximus]

From what I know, the CCD does not degrade. But of course, the mechanical parts of a camera degrade. The autofocus system, shutter system .. sometimes you got blurred pictures, or under compensated pictures, or lack of depth of field ... these are all caused by the aging autofocus/shutter systems.

My first digital camera is a 1.28 megapixel Olympus D600, purchased in 1997. Very nice camera with minimum shutter of 1/10000 second. It is still working, but the mechanical parts sometimes failed to get the best picture possible. I kept it inside a vacuum tube, and put it on my glass cabinet. One day, I will show that camera to my grandchildren ... this is the first camera that I owned .. and they will gasp 'oh god, that is an ugly looking thing' :D and I will say ... yeah it is ugly alright, but this camera is the reason grandpa and grandma met ...

[maximus]

Finally replaced with a Canon and have had no problems ever since.
A little O/T, but in my opinion Canon makes absolutely the best mid-range digital cameras. I recommend them whenever I can.

Canon is the camera for the masses. Point at an object, click, and you will get a somewhat nice pictures. But for more memorable pictures (better quality images that can be large printed), I would suggest cameras with better optics, like minolta and nikon. In my opinion (and a lot other's opinion) nikkor lenses and minolta GT lenses are currently of the best quality for consumer/semi professional cameras.