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Question

How long do camcorders last

Oct 30, 2011 6:15AM PDT

Hi! Does anyone here have a sense of how long do professional camcorders last. Any estimate based on your experience/knowledge would be helpfull. I'm asking this because I might buy a used Canon XL H1 that has been used for at least 3 years. Can I still reasonably expect it to work years, or are professional camcorders today as flimsy as laptops?

Discussion is locked

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Answer
A few years. Under 5 but wait.
Oct 30, 2011 6:21AM PDT

Remember that such things are never free from trips to the repair shop. Given we can fix such things we can make them last well past the usual few years.

You may want to avoid such things if you are unwilling to take it in for repairs when needed.
Bob

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I agree with Bob...
Oct 30, 2011 2:57PM PDT

but it should be noted that pro-grade cams do not sport the marketing and pricing elasticity of consumer cams which rotate out annually. There are many news outlets that use "professional camcorders" that are BetaCam and Digital Betacam systems that go back 5, 10 or more years. The large lenses and imaging chips are what cost - and as long as the expense to repair is less than replacement cost, the older gear keeps seeing action.