Originally posted by thibs What failure are you talking about ?
A "failure" is something that causes me to stop using the camera in less than 3-1/2 years.
For example, my first Pentax, an ME/SE, lasted me only 3-1/2 years. It got wet at Niagara Falls and was never the same again. I sent it in to be fixed, but they couldn't do much for it. I did use it for those 3-1/2 years though, so it counts as "successful".
I was a Canon customer when I switched to digital. For reasons of expense, I tried a 'compact camera', but I used it for less than a year because it lacked the flexibility that I wanted; our daughter - who was an undergraduate student at the time - managed to crack the LCD of her camera, so I gave it to her and bought myself a Rebel. Lasting less than a year as my camera, it counts as a "failure".
That Canon Rebel eventually developed intermittent processor issues - then failed. I used it for six years, though, so that counts as "successful".
It was followed by another Rebel which also developed intermittent processor issues - then failed. I used it for only nineteen months, so it counts as a "failure".
I replaced the second Rebel with a K-30. It developed what I call "Dark Image Syndrome" after three years of use, but I got a FA 28-105 lens and continued using it until I got the KP. I still use it on occasion, so it is a definite "success" because its aperture-control issues did not prevent me from making good use of it.