You don't frequently install or update anything in your car either (I cannot think of any other way in which it can break every few months). I am sick of the comparison between the car and desktop-computer industries.

I wouldn't say that most cameras have a "real" dynamic range of 10 f-stops (the upper and lower stops are usualy just a result of interpolation and thus cannot really be used in practice). Only top-notch ones have 10-11 f-stops (a average DSLR camera does not have more than 6 usable stops).

However, your point is clear, definitely much more than one.

Just to name one example, the Red One has a wonderful dynamic range of 11.3 stops. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Digital_Cinema_Camera_Company