aging CCD sensors

[segmented]

I'm not sure where this question should go, but I think the pros can give the best answer:

I'm wondering if CCD sensors get noisier with age? Either with use or just sitting on the shelf. Have you experienced CCDs getting noisier after a couple years of camera use? I understand they can develop dead pixels, but what about overall image noise?

(This question is relevant to those considering purchase of used or older model cameras)

 

[Igor R.]

I'm not sure where this question should go, but I think the pros
can give the best answer:
I'm wondering if CCD sensors get noisier with age? Either with use
or just sitting on the shelf. Have you experienced CCDs getting
noisier after a couple years of camera use? I understand they can
develop dead pixels, but what about overall image noise?
(This question is relevant to those considering purchase of used or
older model cameras)

There is no theoretical base for it, transistor doen't become noisier, situation looks vise-vera, newer sensors are less noisier then prevoius models. I used to shoot my uncles' Casio QV3000EX, it have 3.3M sensor, 1\1.8in, I bought Canon G5 a week ago, it has the same sensor size, but 5 megapixels thus smaller transistor, BUT it is less noisy then Casio and has mode dynamic range!

 

[Ger Bee]

.... an aging sensor will reveal white lines in the pictures. These will increase in time to cover the entire width of the sensor and the lines will grow in thickness. Think of old film, cine film and all those tramlines sort of effect.

This comes about because the constant on and off of the pixels burns them out, a condition develops then where each adjacent pixel burns out too and we end up with these ‘scratch lines’.

In our domestic usage we are very unlikely to see this effect, as other components should fail first ~ we will see and do see an increase in individual hot pixels after a few years of use ~ however we should not see the effect described.

There should be no image degredation and no increase in noise overall.

 

[Ken Phillips]

... that you'll see that effect in a DSLR in our lifetime! Even if they fail as you say, the Sony DVCAM sitting next to me shoots 24 frames a second; I've just edited 19 hours of video, hence 1.6 millions frames, each shot on 3 CCDs ... no bad chips. (Ten times the shutter life of the EOS-1D, BTW.) This camera actually has hundreds of hours on it ... tens of millions of frames ... with no artifacts yet.

What are the chances that you'll ever see a CCD or CMOS in a DSLR "wear out"? The body will be dust before that happens, barring the occasional defective chip.
Ken

.... an aging sensor will reveal white lines in the pictures. These
will increase in time to cover the entire width of the sensor and
the lines will grow in thickness. Think of old film, cine film and
all those tramlines sort of effect.

This comes about because the constant on and off of the pixels
burns them out, a condition develops then where each adjacent pixel
burns out too and we end up with these ‘scratch lines’.

In our domestic usage we are very unlikely to see this effect, as
other components should fail first ~ we will see and do see an
increase in individual hot pixels after a few years of use ~
however we should not see the effect described.

There should be no image degredation and no increase in noise overall.

--



I don't believe in fate, but I do believe in f/8!
http://www.ahomls.com/gallery.htm

 

[Greg_E]

... that you'll see that effect in a DSLR in our lifetime! Even if
they fail as you say, the Sony DVCAM sitting next to me shoots 24
frames a second; I've just edited 19 hours of video, hence 1.6
millions frames, each shot on 3 CCDs ... no bad chips. (Ten times
the shutter life of the EOS-1D, BTW.) This camera actually has
hundreds of hours on it ... tens of millions of frames ... with no
artifacts yet.
What are the chances that you'll ever see a CCD or CMOS in a DSLR
"wear out"? The body will be dust before that happens, barring the
occasional defective chip.
Ken

As somone who ha sworked with chip based television cameras for the last 12 years, this is the most reasonable statement thus far.

 

[Jerome Co Tan]

does the same happen on cmos sensor?

.... an aging sensor will reveal white lines in the pictures. These
will increase in time to cover the entire width of the sensor and
the lines will grow in thickness. Think of old film, cine film and
all those tramlines sort of effect.

This comes about because the constant on and off of the pixels
burns them out, a condition develops then where each adjacent pixel
burns out too and we end up with these ‘scratch lines’.

In our domestic usage we are very unlikely to see this effect, as
other components should fail first ~ we will see and do see an
increase in individual hot pixels after a few years of use ~
however we should not see the effect described.

There should be no image degredation and no increase in noise overall.