p.2 #1 · How are Sony cameras as far as longevity?
Depends on how hard you use them, and if you end up with a camera with some un-detected defect.
I've owned probably a dozen or more sony crop and full frame bodies (multiple bodies of the A6000, A6300, A6500, A7, A7II and A7RII), and I've had issues with 4 of them.
One of my A7ii bodies had the shutter fail at 20k actuations. The shutter would occasionally not close completely when I would shoot in continuous, leading to an over-exposed strip on the bottom of the frame. The shutter was replaced under warranty. This body also had a slight scratch on the sensor from bone-headedly dropped a rocket blower onto it, which is something that you could do with any camera when cleaning so not really a knock on Sonys. However the exposed sensor is a bit more vulnerable and collects dust, spit, oil, etc a lot quicker than a DSLR.
One A7rii body I purchased started giving me a "camera error, turn on and off" warning about a week after I bought it, which if you're familiar with this error typically means the IBIS or main circuit board needs to be replaced. Thankfully this was within the return window, so I swapped it out for another one - but if I had purchased it used I would have been stuck with a broken camera. Again this was a new camera with 0 zero shutter actuations on it.
My main A7rii body was shot in a mild rain for a couple hours, and was giving me some random errors afterwards. I found that water had seeped in from the top and into the battery compartment somehow. The moisture screwed up the memory card door so it wouldn't pop out anymore (not a big deal but kind of annoying). Also after about six months of heavy usage the rear rubber grip was worn down to the plastic - thankfully I was able to replace this part myself, but I was quoted $250 for labor to replace it from Sony.
From what I recall all of the full frame bodies required occasional pixel remapping to get rid of stuck/dead pixels on the sensor, but this isn't really something that is unique to Sony.
If you're thinking about getting a used crop body Sony, I'd personally try to find an open box Best Buy A6300 instead of the ones you listed - more durable shutter, better body construction, no IBIS to fail, and a great EVF.
p.2 #2 · How are Sony cameras as far as longevity?
I have had dozens of cameras from just about all makers in many mounts.
The Sony's are no different to any of similar build.
I have had the original A7 and used it daily for a couple of years and the original A7s, I still use daily (and have for three years now).
The batteries are showing their age though still work enough to shoot a music festival. The only thing noticeable about my A7s is the blue A7s has come away so that part is bare metal (not such a bad thing).
I throw it around into my bags and use it with an old 300 2.8 lens sometimes hanging just by the (original) mount.
I did have an expensive Sony point and shoot many years ago that had a faulty sensor (which became a known issue and sensors/caameras were replaced though in the end I just binned it).
The only cameras I have had that failed besides that were a couple of Pentaxes and both failed because of a problem with their anti-shake but even then I have had far more Pentax cameras that I loved.
The only lens I have had that failed was an EF Canon L.
I did spill some cleaning fluid on my Sony Zeiss 55 1.8 and somehow managed to short it out (at any rate it stopped for a while) but works after letting it dry though not quite as good for AF as it was. I think that was more of a freak incident though and was my fault entirely.
Some third party adapters have tolerance issues but that isn't a Sony problem.
p.2 #3 · How are Sony cameras as far as longevity?
I can't speak to E mount stuff but I can speak to Sony camera reliability. My first Sony was an a100 back in 2007. I used it until 2008 when I replaced it with an a700. I used the a700 until 2013 when I replaced it with an a99. I used the a99 until I replaced it with my a99ii which I still have. My mother still uses my a100, my cousin uses my a700 and my uncle uses my a99. All of the cameras remain fully functional as are all of the lenses I've ever bought.
p.2 #4 · How are Sony cameras as far as longevity?
I’ve been photographing for over 40 years and had dozens of cameras through those years. Owned countless lenses from many manufactures. Never had a single failure in a lens. Had lenses become extremely hard to focus due to the grease turning to molasses in -35 weather...but still worked.
The only piece of equipment that died on me from use...some died after water dunks, was a Canon 5d2 when shooting waterfalls in the Columbia River Gorge...from the mist off the falls.
I’ve been using cameras from Sony for the last 3 years without any issues. I travel with a trekking pack and most of the time I throw my camera into the pack with no protection. I have scrapes and dings on the camera. I don’t baby my gear, I use it. It’s a little early to tell if my Sony gear is as reliable my previous Canon and Nikon gear, but I have no indication it will not be.
I even trekked for 2 days in Vietnam monsoons with my A7R, hiding the camera when not used under a $2 poncho, but taking many photos and needing to constantly dry the lens glass off...no problems occurred.
So far i’m happy with my Sony gear. Sure i’d Love it to be better water resistant, but it has not let me down yet.
p.2 #5 · How are Sony cameras as far as longevity?
chez wrote:
I still use my A6000 with latest Batis lenses. Your post is extremely misleading.
I recently used NEX-7 with 24-70 GM for stills and video and they works. I'm very sure the firmware on the NEX predates the release of the lens. But since I shoot I didn't notice whether the camera corrects distortion(quite a bit at the wide end) in jpg.
My NEX-7 is purchased in 2011, very early batch and is still kicking. It is my oldest Sony that is technically still in service (although seldom used recently). It is a little early to say Sony cameras are good in longevity (I have much older and still working Nikons) but I think their longevity seems reasonable.
Getting a A6000 is far better than a NEX, NEX UI is just horrible.
realVivek wrote:
Just because you use Batii on your A6000?
I have some Sony original batteries that work on every camera but my NEX-5N. One example.
I don't understand the problem... I have Sony batteries came with NEX-7, NEX-6, A7R2, RX10II and they can be used in all of my Sony bodies (and I actually tired to use them with a camcorder too) , NEX-5N uses a different battery ?
p.2 #6 · How are Sony cameras as far as longevity?
IndyFab wrote:
Quite an impressive Bio Russ !!
Thanks, but it just kinda happened without paying attention-- trying to capture individual human stories that each feels like the most important thing in the world for some interval.
I will say this: The gear, ideally, becomes irrelevant. And over the years I've been plenty happy with Canon, Fuji, and now Sony... and I don't really care what brand I use as long as it works for me. If it kinda disappears into the background-- which is how I feel about my A7rII (but I imagine the rIII would even more)-- all the better.
The world is a fascinating place. And the human experience is at once tragic and magnificent and encouraging.
p.2 #8 · How are Sony cameras as far as longevity?
elimoss wrote:
Depends on how well they are cared for.
An a6000 does not have a very strong mount compared to an a7 series or even something like a Canon 80d. Putting a heavy lens on it and then throwing it all over the place is not a good idea.
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Coupled to a heavy lens, say a long telephoto, it makes sense to use a tripod or monopod.
p.2 #9 · How are Sony cameras as far as longevity?
justruss wrote: ben_ wrote:
My old 5D2 went from the Mongolian steppe, to Finnish Lapland at night above the arctic circle in winter, to poaching scenes in Kruger National Park, to 4,000+ meters above Kashmir in winter, to the rarely seen hinterlands of Cambodia (places I'm confident few if any tourists have ever been).... for work.
My A7rII, so far, has been through the jungles and cities of Vietnam, deserts and a refugee camp in Jordan (last week), the Alps in winter, the misty headlands of Isle of Skye, the sea spray of Apulia, the rainforest, volcanos, and oceans of Sumatra... for work.
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Some people subject their cameras to rugged conditions and rough usage. Although sometimes that is inevitable (especially for professionals) I believe that if one exercises care and handling of their cameras, regardless of make, they should, in general, last a long time.
p.2 #10 · How are Sony cameras as far as longevity?
My wife's NEX-3 - I bought it for her at the tail end of 2010 as she was heading to Prague - has developed a malfunction in the shutter button; sometimes it doesn't react. But she has put an astonishing amount of clicks - over 125K - through that body, so it probably is to be expected. The body and lens are in a rough shape from years of professional use, and the batteries are iffy, but I'm now using the combo as a pocket camera (my wife has switched to a Canon 650D three years ago).
. Both still work great.