Cool Hack

Peter C.

Peter C.

Veteran
I finished with a simple DIY modification to my A7IV camera. For educational programs film a documentary that involves me going class to class for 4hrs trying capture interesting moments. In the process the camera is on and that I found generates as much heat as recording. As a result the camera can over heat and shutdown because the camera has no internal fan. But what I found worked was to flipout the LCD (this is commonly known method to keep the camera cooler because the cpu that generates all the heat is located behind the LCD.

What I have done to improve on that further was to install a heat sink. The tricky part was there no way to easily to attach it besides tape which doesn't hold well when it get hot. So I got a light weight aluminum heat sink off Amazon and a window screen clip that provides enough tension to hold the heat sink in place while filming and can be easily removed after.

I still haven't done any tests to know if the aluminum finned heat sink will work better the steel plate I had be using. Probably adding a fan would provide even better cooling but it would make it a more complex setup. I'm going to see how this works before adding a fan.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/12w0...usp=drive_link
wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw==
​
 

Attachments

  • IMG_1360.jpeg
    IMG_1360.jpeg
    117.4 KB · Views: 2
Last edited:
Clever idea, but I'm having trouble envisioning what a window screen clip looks like. I requested access to your Google drive link, but a Home Depot or Amazon link to the window screen clip would be helpful. Copper heatsinks will work better, if you can find one in the rights size.

Big old aluminum lenses from the 70s and aluminum lens adapters can also help act as a heatsink.

Sony has been making overheating cameras since at least the NEX 5, the A6300 being particularly aggreges, and people have come up with some interesting solutions like taking the camera apart and adding thermal pads, heatsinks & 30mm fans.

Matt from DIY Perks made a custom internal copper heatsink and external fan to resolve the overheating issue for his Canon R5.
 
I posted the image but for some reason it disappeared I gave you permission to view the link annoying that even though it’s in my public folder it still requires me to give permission

Here’s the heatsink I used:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08QF644DK...roduct_details
(I had to edit this link I initially copied it from my phone and it gave me an ad instead of the product link)
 
Last edited:
Bassman2003 said:
Thanks for posting. $11 for the heatsink is worth a try.
Click to expand...
It comes with 4 so if you make a mistake cutting. You have to calculate the size of the opening and then remove enough from the bottom for the spring to provide enough tension but not too much it won't fit. The unpainted silver is cheaper but the black is worth the few extra bucks. It wouldn't be easy to spray paint in between the fins with no drips.

you can get heat sinks with fans too but not as flexible as far as sizing it to fit
https://www.amazon.com/BAY-Direct-H...8345&sprefix=heat+sink+with+fan,aps,99&sr=8-5
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07GZBV5YL/ref=ox_sc_saved_image_3?smid=A1LOXR389UEJFO&psc=1
 
So you install a small computer fan and a lithium battery, but I don't know what the result will be!
​
 
Peter C. said:
I finished with a simple DIY modification to my A7IV camera. For educational programs film a documentary that involves me going class to class for 4hrs trying capture interesting moments. In the process the camera is on and that I found generates as much heat as recording. As a result the camera can over heat and shutdown because the camera has no internal fan. But what I found worked was to flipout the LCD (this is commonly known method to keep the camera cooler because the cpu that generates all the heat is located behind the LCD.

What I have done to improve on that further was to install a heat sink. The tricky part was there no way to easily to attach it besides tape which doesn't hold well when it get hot. So I got a light weight aluminum heat sink off Amazon and a window screen clip that provides enough tension to hold the heat sink in place while filming and can be easily removed after.

I still haven't done any tests to know if the aluminum finned heat sink will work better the steel plate I had be using. Probably adding a fan would provide even better cooling but it would make it a more complex setup. I'm going to see how this works before adding a fan.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/12w0...usp=drive_link
wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw==
​
Click to expand...

:thumbup:
 
Peter C. said:
I finished with a simple DIY modification to my A7IV camera. For educational programs film a documentary that involves me going class to class for 4hrs trying capture interesting moments. In the process the camera is on and that I found generates as much heat as recording. As a result the camera can over heat and shutdown because the camera has no internal fan.
Click to expand...

This really surprises me, Peter.

Like you, I run a similar looking cage on my A7iv. A SmallRig one in my case, and run with the screen out. In this configuration, I've run 4K 422 at 50p for 3 hours 22 mins continuously indoors, with card swapping, without ever getting the heat indicator lighting up. I do have the temp warning indicator in the menu set to high. Without recording, just taking a live feed from the camera in a studio switch, I've run over 6 hours without a heat warning. In all cases, which is many times now, I have been powering via a USB-C PD certified 65 watt battery bank outputting 9 volts at 3 amps, as per the Sony manual. This of course means you must run an internal battery in the camera. So far all good, touch wood!.

I must add that in all cases this is with either the 18-110 mm lens in 50p or with a 28-135 mm or 24-105 mm lens when in full frame. All those lenses are quite chunky and have a reasonable amount of mass, so might well be helping out in heat distribution by effectively acting like heat sinks. I haven't tried long runs with a small prime lens or short zoom. Makes me think I should check that out to see if a small lens with much less mass does affect the heat performance on long record sessions.

Chris Young

EDIT UPDATE:

Running the exact same 4K 422 settings as above but this time in FF with the smallest lightest most plastic feeling Sony lens I have, the APSC 10-18 mm zoom. Which works in FF from 12 mm onward, and this time I got the heat warning at 02:06:45:00 or thereabouts. And yes, the center of the back of the camera was the hottest I have felt it. So I think the bigger, bulkier and heavier lenses may well work to wick away heat from the camera body. Hmm! Interesting. :undecided

I'll do another test as this has got me curious because as I mentioned previously at 50p I've never hit a heat warning. Obviously on the A7iv 50/60p is only available in APSC crop mode. Does the smaller crop shooting generate less heat? As in crop mode the active photosites being used is 4.6K not the full 7K as in full frame mode. So a lot less photosites to process, therefore less data to compress and handle, I would conclude.

EDIT UPDATE #2

Ran the A7iv in 4K 50p 422 in APSC crop mode with the little plastic 10-18 mm lens, and it ran while swapping out cards until just under 4 hours without a temperature warning. I abandoned the experiment at that point. Again powering from the 65 watt 9 volt 3 amp PD power bank. I think I learned something... I think. APSC runs cooler, and it feels like it to the touch.
 
Last edited:
My A74 over heated today despite using the heat sink. Luckily I was filming a second camera. I had been using it for a little over an hour. During one of my takes I see the heat warning and think yeah but I got the heat sink on. A second later the camera shuts off and I finish out the take using my other camera, unit it cooled off. I'm filming nothing taxing,10bit 4k 30fps. The other thing even though the takes we're not longer that 5 minutes, I didn't shut the camera off between takes. Still this was only a 2hr job.

My take away is when you're in a house with no air flow it can over heat in about an hour. Next step is to mount a little fan. I'm just disappointed because it's not dependable camera if it can over heat like that.
 
I think I may have asked you this in some other thread months ago and I think you did do this, but you did change that overheating option in the menu, right?
(The one that Chris also pointed out.)
 
NorBro said:
I think I may have asked you this in some other thread months ago and I think you did do this, but you did change that overheating option in the menu, right?
(The one that Chris also pointed out.)
Click to expand...
I double checked it to see if it got changed. Yes the heat setting is set to High.

I've read similar issue with other video devices that don't have a fan like the action cameras. They over heat in significantly less time indoors.
 
The Sony a6300 back from 2016 started a big debate in the modern era. Brutal time shooting 4K, about 40 minutes and it's done (there was like a 200 page thread about it here, lol).

So I definitely know they overheat but I paid close attention to like the next 20 models after that and they did get much better (not that I ever personally believed they were truly overheating), including the a7IV which I never had shut down on me although the icon did pop up.
 
Vultch figured out where the heat sensor was on his A6300, and mounted a 30mm fan above it on the camera cage to extend the run time.

It's obviously best to cool the camera as well, to keep the noise floor low.

On the A6300, using a dummy battery seemed to help, and some people used an SD card extension cable, but I'm not sure how much that one helped.

Someone on here added thermal pads between their A6300 and cage, but I don't recall it having much of an effect, as the camera lacks internal heatskinks and thermal pads to direct the heat out of the camera.

I wish they would design cameras to use the quick release plate the tripod head as a heatsink.
 
That might be part of the problem, as it's a good reason to push you to buy an FS5 or FX6, but the A6300 got uncomfortably warm, so noise floor and comfort are good reasons to maximize passive and active cooling.
 
Btw I had new idea. There are now cell phone coolers that comprise of pad that actually gets cold, heat sink and fan. Some attach to a slim magnet sticker. Only two concerns size that will fit and many there isn’t fan speed control so could get loud.

https://a.co/d/dCQvkhG
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top