Tin whiskers can grow at up to nine millimeters per year. They grow in any atmosphere including a pure vacuum. They grow in any humidity condition. They just grow. And when they get long enough they either touch another joint, shorting out one or more connections, or they vaporize in a flash, creating a little plasma cloud that can carry for an instant hundreds of amps and literally blow your device to pieces.
Since 2006 we have been exclusively manufacturing soldered connections thousands of times more likely to create tin whiskers than older joints made with tin-lead solder. Because of the universal phase-in of the new solder technology and the fact that the solder technologies can’t reliably be mixed (old solders mess with new solder joints in the same device through simple outgassing) this means that it is practically impossible to use older, more reliable technology just for mission-critical (even life-critical) connections. So we’re all in this tin boat together.
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My first CNC machine was built in 1978. It was a massive collection of relays and cards easily 20 times the size of a modern day controller. The boards were soldered with good ol’ lead. When a component burned out it was super easy to melt the solder and put a new replacement part. I finally sold the machine because I outgrew it but I know for a fact it still works to this day.
My newer machine is all solid state with Al Gore approved lead free solder. I have had 2 control cards blow up, and cost $3000 each, within 5 years. I don’t know if they are related to the new dolphin safe solder but I would venture they are.
Heck, just look at the Voyager spacecraft. 40 years and billions of miles away and it’s still kicking.
This may become very critical in expensive camera gear from what I read.