7.8. The Durability of Digital Data

There are no immediate answers to the very important question of the lifespan of digital data. CD and DVD manufacturers claim a lifespan of 100 or even 200 years for their products, while experience has shown that some discs become defective after only a few years or just months. The truth probably lies somewhere between these two extremes. Manufacturers tend to conduct their tests in dust-free, electrostatically and magnetically insulated rooms where air temperature and humidity are constant and controlled. Obviously, the storage conditions in most houses where real photographers live and work will never approach these ideals.

The Canon Digital Photo Professional software included with the camera is mainly intended for RAW image processing, but can also be effectively used as an image archiving utility.