EX1 / EX3 sensor life ... how many hrs.?

[Ian Campbell]

Here's a question I've been thinking about for some time now. How long (or how many hrs.) do the CMOS image sensors continue to produce top-notch recorded material? Now that we have solid-state, tapeless recording capabilities I wonder, at what point, the image sensors start to break down from either age or hrs. or use. It would be good to know so that when expensive repair bills present themselves one can determine the worth of the camera -- or how much useful life the camera has left -- or even in helping one set a dollar amount for buying / selling a used camera.

I have a couple of EX1's and a couple of Z7U camcorders. I do a lot of conference work, which means long hrs. or recording / day. I wonder if when sensors age that latitude is reduced or pixels are likely to fail or even if resolution begins to suffer? Has Sony, or other camera producers, provided any useful info. regarding sensor life expectancy?

Just curious . . .

Ian