Wishbone Senior Member Joined: 30 Nov 2005 Posts: 23 Location: Virginia Expertise: Just starting
Posted Tue Dec 6, 2005, 7:39pm Subject: Superauto reliability question
I know, given they have more moving parts, super automatics are not going to be as reliable as a decent semi-automatic. But as you move up in the super automatic price range, do they get more reliable, or more prone to breaking down due to increased complexity?
I think I had read that most of the internal components of the under $1000 super automatics were similiar, although they do have different feature sets.
For example, Costco has the Magic Deluxe for $599, the Royal Digital Plus for $849. The Royal Digital has more bells and whistles, but will there be a difference in the reliability of the machine, or for the most part, will they be the same?
And how much use (and abuse) will the machine see?
The first point is best covered by models that have a track record & proven longivity. A well designed or heavy duty commercial machine will simply last longer. The second point is usually inferred by the manufacturer's reputation or consumer survey's (if you can lay your hands on such). And the last is probably moot as you would presumably treat whatever machine you buy in much the same way. Have a look at the CG Consumer Reviews and play with Google. Most machines will give you years of service and thousands of shots with minimal cleaning and maintenance. I have a lot of Swiss friends with Superauto's that usually go 4, 5, 7, sometimes 10 years before developing serious problems. These are machines that would probably cost $1 - $3K here. I don't know if the <$1K superautos are solidly engineered or not. If the internals are much the same, they should be fine. In any event, superauto's are going to be more prone to problems than a decent semi-auto. Not to mention that your SA will never produce the quality of shots that my semi-auto routinely delivers.
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