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

It is what it is but I just can't believe Sony would release a camera touting it's 4K internal recording only to have it overheat...unpredictably and randomly....very disappointing. They need to find an appropriate fix
 
NeedCreative said:
if you just roll from The HDMI you can get an hour out of it before the battery dies. Again, with no overheating.
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My A7s already does that... heh
In terms of video-only needs, if the 'fix' to record with no overheating on the A7rii is to use an external recorder, its basically the same as an A7s (which costs less...)
 
chappelldigital said:
My A7s already does that... heh
In terms of video-only needs, if the 'fix' to record with no overheating on the A7rii is to use an external recorder, its basically the same as an A7s (which costs less...)
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This was my thought as well....with one exception.... this camera can also take amazing stills. I really liked the idea of camera being able to both but.......looks like we will need to wait.
 
NeedCreative said:
Follow up
And I apologize if I posted this already I've been very busy. I tested this again multiple times last night but instead of triggering recording on the camera I triggered recording on the shogun. And the result was that I could record continuously until one of the batteries ran out, usually the cameras, sometimes the shoguns. At most I got about an hour and a half with no overhear warnings; when it shut down is because the battery was exhausted ( as per the message on the screen). I did not test on external power. If I triggered the recording in the camera, making sure that internal recording was off, it would overheat in 30 minutes. I don't know what's going on here and have passed my thoughts to Atomos. My theory is that processing is kicking in when you click record even though it's not dumping to the card but if you just let it roll without hitting the record button on the camera you get the output right from the sensor. I tested the same theory with the RX 100 Mark four. I got the same result. That camera records for less than five minutes before overheating if you record it on camera but if you just roll from The HDMI you can get an hour out of it before the battery dies. Again, with no overheating. Weird.
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4K recording, right?

If so, you've made me a happy camper!

I would buy it anyway... because I've just loved what I've seen in a way or another. The point is/was overheating for sensor reliability.

I don't concur the buddy up there from Toronto with the cigar avatar, even though he's saying the truth : ) But, with your information, a7R can be a hybrid device, a7S is much lower rez for :-)


PS:

Posted your findings on Andrew Reid's forums, as well:
http://www.eoshd.com/comments/topic...problem-solved/?do=findComment&comment=102709

BTW, have you already tested the tip hinted from that thread?

And asked to Sound/Video Devices mates for help on the subject matter too:
http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthrea...evices&p=1986567132&viewfull=1#post1986567132
 
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True North said:
This was my thought as well....with one exception.... this camera can also take amazing stills. I really liked the idea of camera being able to both but.......looks like we will need to wait.
Click to expand...
With external recording, you'll get the meaning of 4:2:2 : ) if not yet... ;-)



sample extracted from (minute 28:30):
https://vimeo.com/114978513


PS:
Shogun is not the only recording device your money can afford... :-)
Take a look on video devices offer (PIX-E series), as for instance.
 
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Supposedly, if you pull the LCD out and away from the camera, it won't overheat. It is supposed to allow the air to flow better to the heatsink. Has anyone else tested this?
 
NeedCreative said:
Follow up
And I apologize if I posted this already I've been very busy. I tested this again multiple times last night but instead of triggering recording on the camera I triggered recording on the shogun. And the result was that I could record continuously until one of the batteries ran out, usually the cameras, sometimes the shoguns. At most I got about an hour and a half with no overhear warnings; when it shut down is because the battery was exhausted ( as per the message on the screen). I did not test on external power. If I triggered the recording in the camera, making sure that internal recording was off, it would overheat in 30 minutes. I don't know what's going on here and have passed my thoughts to Atomos. My theory is that processing is kicking in when you click record even though it's not dumping to the card but if you just let it roll without hitting the record button on the camera you get the output right from the sensor. I tested the same theory with the RX 100 Mark four. I got the same result. That camera records for less than five minutes before overheating if you record it on camera but if you just roll from The HDMI you can get an hour out of it before the battery dies. Again, with no overheating. Weird.
Click to expand...

Thanks for testing that. It certainly sounds like the camera is perhaps doing something extra when recording externally from the camera trigger. Do you see any difference in quality between footage triggered from the camera vs the recorder?
 
Emanuel said:
Why so much drama about it? Add an external recorder! Where's the problem then?
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What do you mean where is the problem? Unless this is sarcasm and I didn't get it.

A 4K external recorder is 2000$ more plus media, pushing the price of the system to 5500-6000 thousand US Dollars. And even if we live in a world where money is no problem whatsoever, you have to carry a 7 inch monitor block of hardware on the hotshoe of the phone-sized A7r II whilst shooting and rely on a micro HDMI cable.

You can't find where the problem is with a camera that needs to cool down after every 20 minutes of shooting, and sometimes 3 minutes, completely unpredictably?

I have no idea what would be a problem if this isn't :D
 
Ebrahim Saadawi said:
What do you mean where is the problem? Unless this is sarcasm and I didn't get it.

A 4K external recorder is 2000$ more plus media, pushing the price of the system to 5500-6000 thousand US Dollars. And even if we live in a world where money is no problem whatsoever, you have to carry a 7 inch monitor block of hardware on the hotshoe of the phone-sized A7r II whilst shooting and rely on a micro HDMI cable.

You can't find where the problem is with a camera that needs to cool down after every 20 minutes of shooting, and sometimes 3 minutes, completely unpredictably?

I have no idea what would be a problem if this isn't :D
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It's not a problem if:
- You are on a hyper controlled shoot.
- You have all the time in the World.
- You have the budget and resources to re-shoot as many times as possible.
- Your crew is ultra patient.
 
Innovative = High Risk + Unproven + Less Reliable.

Sony has chosen the innovative route.

It goes hand-in-hand unfortunately. Maybe they need to take a safer innovative route like the A7S.
 
Dont expect a A7sII anytime soon with overheating issues. I just don't see it. The A7s is a hybrid that is engineered more towards video and if you add 4K internal with a few more megapixels and IBIS with overheating issues I wont be interested and who would? With the heat problem the A7rII leans more to a great stills camera and that's a big deal because it's going to rock the stills world but for me the 4K internal issues are a tough sell. I love my A7s. It has a great image and if I want a better stills camera I suppose the A7rII would be a good choice but at a steep price.
 
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I own the camera since 4 days. I had have high expectations on it, finally it should be the "all-in-one"camera!
Of course I am slightly disappointed, because this hope is naive.
I played around with it without a system, because I am not a tester but I am a photographer per se and started with films 10 years ago. I never used or bought the"upperclass" of filmcameras.

I tried always to come along with the"middleclass". The Panasonic HVX200 was the first"gamechanger" for me, than the 5D MK2...
And now I hold a camera in my hands which is very close to the "all-in-one". The still quality is the best I ever had. I am using most the Sony/Zeiss 24mm-70mm(other people say, its not the best one) and I like the combination,
because its lightweight and a good lense for everyday use. Unfortunatelly I could take 4K only with 60mb/sec because I dont have the U3 SD card til now.
The quality is pretty good, but sometimes there are artefacts in parts of hard contrast and edges between black and white. I hope that will disappear, when I work with 100mb/sec.

Further on there are a lot of small improvements,which makes the handling easier than on the A7s. (Alone that you can change the record button is great.)

I think I will get along very well with this camera, if there are not more "hidden" flaws. I am sure: Peoples who are doing both, film and Photo will like it and "longtime" filmer should buy another camera.
This is the best I ever had - until the next release will promise us the real, real, real "all-in-one".
Benn
 
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Here's hoping that the overheating issues on this camera mean that Sony will release the next a7s having solved the problem.
 
Erik Naso said:
The body design is probably getting in the way. Small sealed body just can release the heat.
Click to expand...

It's fine with a recorder, but ultimately you're right. There's just too much going on inside the body when recording internally and it generates too much heat. That's why the FS7 has a fan and multiple vents and heat pipes to be able to record continuously internally.

I do think this is not a permanent situation. As processing chips get cooler, this problem will eventually go away. I don't think the problem is the sensor so much as it is the processor chips that go along with it.

The body design is a limitation for now. Still an amazing camera though when you combine it with a recorder especially
 
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