. Glass is not for ever. Some telescopes have glass that had devitrified after about 100 years or so, and a modern objective had to be made. This is with old glass.
I have some lenses from about 1880, which are fine. However, modern glass is unlikely to last very well especially the high index glasses. Some of the original Canon 300 mm F/2.8 lenses are useless, but I think the element is crystal rather than glass.
Anyway, nowadays people do not expect their cameras to last or be useful for more than about 10 years.
My main camera is a compact viewfinder camera that I just keep in my pocket without a case. It is maybe six or seven years old. I prefer it because the files are small.
I don't need to print bigger than A 4, so why should I carry around a big heavy camera.
I have been using image stabilised binoculars for about 15 years. They use batteries, so what. Digital cameras use batteries. My 1960s Minolta SRT needed a Mercury battery for metering. You use batteries in your laptops, your cars and everything else. And anyway the image stabilised binoculars have superior optics even without the battery.
I am a dinosaur, but I am quite happy to use modern technology if it gives me an advantage.
There will come a time, and I don't think very far into the future, when digital binoculars will be so good that if you want them to mimic the best optical binocular, you will have that option and probably won't know the difference.
I have some lenses from about 1880, which are fine. However, modern glass is unlikely to last very well especially the high index glasses. Some of the original Canon 300 mm F/2.8 lenses are useless, but I think the element is crystal rather than glass.
Anyway, nowadays people do not expect their cameras to last or be useful for more than about 10 years.
My main camera is a compact viewfinder camera that I just keep in my pocket without a case. It is maybe six or seven years old. I prefer it because the files are small.
I don't need to print bigger than A 4, so why should I carry around a big heavy camera.
I have been using image stabilised binoculars for about 15 years. They use batteries, so what. Digital cameras use batteries. My 1960s Minolta SRT needed a Mercury battery for metering. You use batteries in your laptops, your cars and everything else. And anyway the image stabilised binoculars have superior optics even without the battery.
I am a dinosaur, but I am quite happy to use modern technology if it gives me an advantage.
There will come a time, and I don't think very far into the future, when digital binoculars will be so good that if you want them to mimic the best optical binocular, you will have that option and probably won't know the difference.