Newsshooter: Sony A7RII overheats and shutdown after recording 4K for a while

The base of the camera does get pretty hot, so it's definitely dissipating some heat that way. If it's like the A7 ii then the bottom cover unscrews to reveal the metal bottom chassis. Beyond that is the bottom of the IBIS assembly. I don't have any metal fabrication skills, but three thoughts - either a metal plate "radiator" underneath the camera... Or a hole in the bottom and a small fan... Or chemical cool packs... Like you use for sports injuries...
 
nyvz said:
I would tend to disagree. Firmware could potentially fix overheating either by reducing the processing load, balancing various heat-producing components, or by increasing overheating alarm thresholds. Some Canon DSLRs have fixed or lessened overheating in firmware updates (I suspect in that case it was just increasing the alarm threshold). Obviously it may be a challenge to fix overheating while also maintaining the full functionality of the camera unless they find a way to make processing more efficient. Perhaps it would mean underclocking the sensor, which might make rolling shutter worse. Also I'd be interested to see if using a metal baseplate made from thermally conductive material might help since the camera has a lot of metal on it.
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But the fundamental of thermal threshold is still there, there is so much heat the body can dissipate, it is the physical limitation, Sony have never bothered to fix the overheating issue that plagued the E-mount cameras since its birth.

Anyway has anyone one tried use external battery solution to see if it helps with long recording? Since battery also contribute some part of the heat build up
 
I just returned from Sony A7RII presentation by Brian Smith at Unique Phono. They actually have cameras in stock for sale at the store, so if you are in NYC tri-state area you can get one immediately. Adorama and B&H still don't have them in stock.

With that said after playing with camera for few minutes I personally was not eager enough to spend $3200+tax. It looks like a great camera but, for now my A7S will do. I did ask about overheating when filming with 4k and all they said that in their tests camera worked flawlessly. They also questioned as to why would anyone film more than 5-10min in 4k?

Finally after the presentation Brian Smith did live online Q&A. They actually filmed it with 3 Panasonic GH4s :)
 
Frank VM said:
They also questioned as to why would anyone film more than 5-10min in 4k?
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Hahahaha! Fools! Other answers they could have given:

#1. Overheating is not a problem. Professionals only work for 5-10mins before going for lunch.

#2. Look... If you haven't nailed the shot in the first 5-10mins then you're never going to get it.

#3. 4K is so sharp that watching more than 5-10mins can damage the viewers eyesight. So you'll want to switch back down to HD if you plan to keep filming for longer than that.

Or most likely:

#4. Hey buddy... I gots cameras to sell, here. You want one or not?!
 
No one could really tolerate issues like overheating on a camera that cost 3500 Euros (btw why its in Europe so much more expensive than in US?).
But I started filming with DSLRs with the good old Canon 5D MKII workhorse, the cameras recording time was for tax reasons limited to 29 Minutes an 59 Seconds. Ok, I didnt need to wait til it cooled down, but I cant remember that I ever did a take as long as the limit was. Ok, I can be lucky because I have an A7s and a FS700 and a Shogun, so if I need to record more than the given time, I can switch to another one. I think our great desire is the "all-in-one" camera and now we are disappointed that this camera, actually so close to our desires is once again not perfect.
Benn
 
benn said:
I think our great desire is the "all-in-one" camera and now we are disappointed that this camera, actually so close to our desires is once again not perfect.
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That expresses exactly how I feel! I love the idea of something in my bag I can carry around with me, free to capture the world without "burden" (either the physically burden of having to carry around heavy kit; or the mental burden of having to compromise my filming to accommodate excessive rolling shutter, moire and aliasing, or overheating).

So far... It doesn't exist. To be honest, in S35 HD the A7R ii is very close. No overheating, very little moire or aliasing, manageable levels of rolling shutter. But then they went and put the "idea" of 4K internal in my head! And I'm very disappointed I can't *rely* on it... But there we go...
 
benn said:
No one could really tolerate issues like overheating on a camera that cost 3500 Euros (btw why its in Europe so much more expensive than in US?).
But I started filming with DSLRs with the good old Canon 5D MKII workhorse, the cameras recording time was for tax reasons limited to 29 Minutes an 59 Seconds. Ok, I didnt need to wait til it cooled down, but I cant remember that I ever did a take as long as the limit was. Ok, I can be lucky because I have an A7s and a FS700 and a Shogun, so if I need to record more than the given time, I can switch to another one. I think our great desire is the "all-in-one" camera and now we are disappointed that this camera, actually so close to our desires is once again not perfect.
Benn
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Actually the 5DII and 7D are limited to about 11min due to 4GB file size limit, the 5DIII is limited to 29min. And the 7D overheats quite a bit, and the 5DII and 5DIII also can overheat but it's less common. And those cameras are running at less than 1/8th the clock speed of the A7RII...
 
I think there is an easy solution to this rig. Just get an external battery...something line an Anton and then grab a monitor/4k recorder. Fly the thing on a solid mounting system or stabilizer....then swap out the body for an Alexa.

That should do it. :)

Kidding...but I am bummed about the heat issues. Totally a deal breaker for me. I primarily just shoot concerts with the company I work for so ALL of my shoots are longer than 45 min. We really put every camera through its paces. I can't say I am surprised though. Heat issues are a major concern for every company developing 4K tech. The fact that they did not discover this over at the Sony lab....well that just says a lot doesn't it?

No one must have thought to turn the thing on and let it go and "see what happens."

For me...it makes more sense to spend $15K + on a camera rather than $3K every year and not be really satisfied with the product.

At this point there is not a true replacement for a legit cinema camera...but its close...and getting closer. I think in the next 5 years it will get dialed in. Just not there yet.
 
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ReelWorksMedia said:
The fact that they did not discover this over at the Sony lab....well that just says a lot doesn't it? ...
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I would speculate it was a marketing decision to go with the A7 line rather than with the A-mount A-77 and A99 (or their iterations) for now, in order to use the same promotional angle. There have long been rumors of the upcoming A7000 having heat issues, which is why it has not been released as of yet. Two most common solutions to a heat build up issue are the addition of a heat sink (or a larger heat sink) and/or a fan. The former eats up space, which is at a premium on a small body camera such as A7RII, while latter will eat the batteries a lot quicker. (There's a third solution - adding some very heat resistant materials but those could cost a lot of money and Sony is trying to fit into a certain price point here). Arguably, having the same feature set in a A-99 style body for $4,000 could have avoided all these problems but Sony's corporate bigwigs must have had a certain product map in mind - I'd guess, a APS-C 4K camcorder that slots above A7RII and below FS7 to replace FS700 - and this is what fit their corporate strategy. And so, some compromisess had to be made.
 
DLD said:
I would speculate it was a marketing decision to go with the A7 line rather than with the A-mount A-77 and A99
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I think its not a marketing decision, but a financial decision. The A-mount just isn't selling. The A7's are selling well and exceeding Sony's expectations - and they're profitable. They also get lots of free press from bloggers and review sites with every release, A-mount cameras get no love. None. The A99 and A77's were complete duds. Sony has shifted priorities to pushing/expanding profitable lines and shedding those that aren't making money. The A-mount is quietly being put to pasture along with home electronics, cell phones, computers and other segments that Sony is no longer able to sell at a profit. In my opinion.

People cite updates to the Zeiss zooms and the A77II as proof the A-mount has a heartbeat, but to me it looks like the updates were to make the lenses work better with the A7RII. I think the A77II was just past the point of no return so they released it anyway. No new A-mount lenses in years (ZA 50/1.4 in 2013 was the last truly new lens, not a refresh) and no completely new body since the A99 which didn't even get the 36mp sensor. Why continue to throw good money after bad?

Anyway to the topic on hand, had the A7RII out today and it was too damn hot for me to stand next to the camera for 30 minutes in the blazing sun in work clothes. But I was out for about 15 min in 95 degree heat/humidity, standing in the shade, and I didn't get the temp warning. That's fine for my needs as I don't shoot 30+ minute continuous takes or leave the camera on while not recording. I pulled the battery and it was warm, but so was the body because it was friggin hot outside. I'll test it more over the weekend with the FE 70-200, shooting my dog running around the park. This will give me a chance to test tracking AF as well. I'm getting a generic grip to move the battery out of the body so that should help. YMMV.
 
Has everyone forgotten when the A7S came out?

Back then everyone complained that you needed an external recorder to get 4K out of the camera and Sony responded that they couldn't add 4K internal recording because of heat issues. To this, most responded that they wish thay had added the internal 4K anyway, even if it was time limited and deal with an external recorder for longer takes. Sony has given us EXACTLY what we asked for. And still we get a lot of nagging around these parts. WTH??

I for one, am really happy with Sony. They are the ones pushing the envelope right now. You can't find something similar from any other manufacturer, period. The "go buy a real video camera" crowd will lose out on autofocus, IBIS, portability, full frame, low noise BSI sensor, etc... Those willing to adopt the camera with it's limitations will probably need an external recorder, depending on their specific needs, but also benefit from the flexibility to just grab the smallest 4K full frame camera in the world and take it places no big camera has ever gone before. :)

PS. An external recorder adds the benefit of an external monitor. 4K focusing is really unforgiving.
 
Luis De La Cerda said:
Back then everyone complained that you needed an external recorder to get 4K out of the camera and Sony responded that they couldn't add 4K internal recording because of heat issues. To this, most responded that they wish thay had added the internal 4K anyway, even if it was time limited and deal with an external recorder for longer takes. Sony has given us EXACTLY what we asked for. And still we get a lot of nagging around these parts. WTH??
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I don't entirely agree with that. With the A7S Sony said it couldn't be done because of heat. With the A7R ii they say it can be done... but actually it can't... *quite*.
 
Chris Joy said:
I think its not a marketing decision, but a financial decision...
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IMO, this is sort of splititng hair, as we're not disagreeing much.

As to a camcorder style vs. A-style, there are rumors that Sony will try something like Canon XC-10 with their A7s sensor. Now, if it has an A- or swappable mount, then it's basically an A-99 and FS-700 replacement in one body. But then they'll surely have a fixed lens camcorder, as well as an interchangeable lens pro style camera, something to squeeze in between $3,200 A7RII and $8,000 FS-7. One of their managers said recently that they're trying to move everyone into the full frame, so perhaps thta APS-C mid-range product is not to be.
 
Here's what I don't understand. In my personal experience, neither the Canon 1DC nor the Panasonic GH4 have this 4K related heat/shutdown problem. Neither of them shut down after 20 minutes and need to cool off. I understand the the 1DC costs thousands more and is a good deal bulkier, and that the GH4 has a micro four thirds sensor. But a major selling point of the A7RII was supposed to be the internal 4K factor. I held off getting an Atomos Shogun, because I was really looking forward to shooting 4K on the A7RII like I do on the GH4 (without worrying that the device will overheat). 100 Mbps 4K (like the GH4) would have been more than enough for the talking head interviews I was planning on shooting with the A7RII. I don't mind the battery issue, but having to shut down the camera after 15-20 minutes to prevent it from overheating would be a major problem for me.
 
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My opinion is fairly simple. The main selling point is that it can do 4k internally. It can not do this, currently, without overheating and shutting off. That was not by design and not tested.

Failed product. Point blank. Not considering it for professional use.

Sony is due good credit though. If they can not do
it at this price point it must not be possible.
 
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