Originally posted by Rondec I think it mostly comes down to a question of how long things should last. From a consumer standpoint the answer is "Till I decide I want a new item to replace this." From the company's standpoint, the answer is: "Till the warranty is over," which in the case of camera gear in North America is 1 year (most credit cards add a second year if purchased with them).
The IRS says fully depreciated in five years if used for business purposes.
At current pricing, I would expect 3-5 years use from a K-70. If purchased at release for about $650, I would still have expected 3-5 years. If I want assurance it will last more than 3 years, I would buy insurance in the form of an extended warranty. In other words, it is the market segment as well as the price that guides my expectation. My expectation would be no higher for a Canon or Nikon dSLR priced under $900.
If I bought a KP, I would expect 5 years minimum, based on its release price and target market (mid-range enthusiast)
I bought my K-3 in spring of 2014 and have had it a few months over six years. My expectation when I bought it was 7+ years of service and if it quits next spring, I will be quite satisfied. If it quits this month, I will still be quite satisfied and will grab a K-70 or KP as a replacement.
If I had bought a K-50 December of 2014,* I would have been more than mildly perturbed if it had aperture control issues summer of 2017. After all, there had been more than adequate time for Ricoh to both detect and mitigate the issue. The low purchase price would have tempered my displeasure a little, but I still would have expected 3-5 years of service. I would have begrudgingly ponied up the $150 Precision was charging at the time and consoled myself that total outlay was still acceptable. If the same had happened before the two year point (e.g. fall of 2016)...I would have been profoundly unhappy...'nuff said.
Steve
* I actually did consider buying one as a second body at that time.