Lifetime of olympus camera

[sunkarm]

i will b getting my ikelite housing very soon. as u all know that the ikelite's housing can last for a very-very long time. i have seen a guy still had his housing in mint condition after 1000 dives. also that ikelite's using a standard buttons for all its housings(i think) so u can say that the spare parts r nearly a lifetime. Now i really wish i can say the same thing for all our sp-350. We don't know if olympus will b introduing a new dig.camera within the sp300 series or not. if so, great we can use it on our current ikelite or olympus housing. If not, we should get a spare camera(s).

The question is, even though our oly dig.camera have never been flooded, how long does an oly dig.camera last? i had a sony dsc-p9 for more than 4 yrs before and it was in mint condition as if it were new only it needed a new battery before i had it flooded. Since u/w cameras r not really great with ttl, could an sp320 b a suitable replacement or a spare of sp350? cause in indonesia the price difference is nearly US$100. Is it a big difference between 7 and an 8 mg pixels? can oly fix a broken dig.camera that is alrady discontinued?

I believe an 8-10 mg pixels is quite enough for a longtime as its photo can b printed perfectly on an A4 or 10-12R Photo album size.

Another question, what is the biggest size or photo paper for an 8mg pixels photo?

Thanks in advance for all the replies

 

[alcina]

Your camera should last for a very long time if you treat it right. I still have a Canon A20 that has been around for years, been underwater in its housing all of that time and hasn't been treated that well Works just fine. My Olys aren't that old, but they are going strong and I certainly expect them to continue to do so.

I wouldn't count on being able to use a newer model in the same housing. Mostly it's one (or two) models per housing and the new models simply don't fit well in existing housings.

If you love your 350 (or whatever model) get a backup. I did this with both the housing and the camera itself for the Oly 5050s...I love them so I have two just in case.

The manufacturer may be able to fix a discontinued camera, but it may or may not be cost effective to do so.

No, there isn't a lot of difference between 7-8 MP. Especially when they put more MP on the same sized sensor. MP is not the be all end all in digital cameras, no matter what the salespeople tell us!

There really is no "maximum" size to print. It will depend on your needs/tastes. Some are quite happy to print really big from a 3.2 MP camera; others notice the limitations/flaws. Using a pro lab can allow you to print larger than you might think from a lower MP file. It will depend on how good the original is - the less you have to crop, for instance, means the bigger you can print without loss of quality (an oversimplification, but a good ballpark).

 

[scubatexastony]

i will b getting my ikelite housing very soon. as u all know that the ikelite's housing can last for a very-very long time. i have seen a guy still had his housing in mint condition after 1000 dives. also that ikelite's using a standard buttons for all its housings(i think) so u can say that the spare parts r nearly a lifetime. Now i really wish i can say the same thing for all our sp-350. We don't know if olympus will b introduing a new dig.camera within the sp300 series or not. if so, great we can use it on our current ikelite or olympus housing. If not, we should get a spare camera(s).

The question is, even though our oly dig.camera have never been flooded, how long does an oly dig.camera last?

I don't have an ikelite housing, just the old Oly PT-10 and an Oly 3040 and it's been hanging on for over 5 years now. Slightly flooded a couple times and dried it out, keeps on working! I want a SLR, but the idea of a $1000's+ camera getting flooded is scary! I guess that's the reason for the purchase of the ($1000's+) ikelite!
Happy diving!

 

[gert7to3]

These cameras appear to be pretty well made. I have owned four Sony's and one Oly.
My Sony P-5 camera was lost at sea, all of the rest of them are still working.

I would strongly recommend the Olympus CLA-9 conversion lens adapter tube if you want to use your SP-350 camera topside. It screws in around the lens and will protect the delicate mechanism. Plus you can use filters, and tele or wide angle accessory lenses.

Ikelite housings consist of basic boxes which are customized with spacer supports and button arrays for particular cameras. They use common, high quality buttons and hardware among their product line. It is possible to reconfigure their cases, especially the back covers, for slightly different camera models.

I checked at Ikelite and the #6132.31 housing for the SP-310 and SP-320 has been discontinued, but the 6132.35 housing is still available for the SP-350. The only difference between the housings I could see was the TTL bulkhead on the case for the SP-350 camera. Since all of these cameras can be used in the Olympus PT-030 housing, one might presume the Ikelite 6132.35 housing would also accomodate them.

Purchasing a spare camera would certainly be an option. Many camera models go on sale as production ends. There is also the possibility of purchasing used, repaired/refurbrished cameras for much less than a new one.

Ikelite housing pages:

http://www.ikelite.com/web_two/oly_sp310.html

http://www.ikelite.com/web_pages/oly_sp350.html

Olympus camera review pages:

http://www.imaging-resource.com/PRO...w.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/SP320/SP320A.HTM

http://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/SP310/SP31A.HTM

http://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/SP350/SP35A.HTM

 

[Gilligan]

I have two Olympus C4000Z cameras and both were purchased as "refurbished".

Without exagerating I have taken well over 10,000 photos with each of them and they are still going strong.

I would take the advice on a previous post and purchase an extra camera for your housing just in case.

 

[sunkarm]

tahnks for all the advise. i will definitely purchase a spaer or 2

 

[Tassie_Rohan]

I'm waiting for production to end on the SP350 to decide if I need a spare - if they announce a replacement that fits the same housing within 2-3 months after ending the SP350 then no problem.

If they dont have a replacement then my wife and family are going to get SP350's for Xmas (which I may or may not have to borrow in the future.. ).

Cheers,
Rohan.

 

[sunkarm]

Hey Tassie Rohan... stop planning to buy more sp350...cause there might b no more left for me to buy....hah..hah..hah.. or u can buy one for me 4 christmas...hah...hah..hah..

 

[Tassie_Rohan]

No worries Sunkarm - I'll give you one for Xmas if you give me a spare housing and strobe....

 

[sunkarm]

Tassie, i live in indonesia mate. i earn Rupaih not US$....