7D overheats in Africa
 

Well I am in Africa shooting with my new 7D and about 2 hours into shooting it overheated. I let it rest for about 15 minutes, shot a 7 minute interview and it did it again.

Let it rest for another 30 minutes, shot some more and again the warning came on.

It is about 85 degrees now and the humidity is at 80 %.

I can't even imagine how the camera will hold up in Senegal when I get there next week.

Has anyone tried faster CF cards to see if that might be the problem?

I talked to the Canon guys at the GV Expo in DC last week and they were positive that the camera wouldn't overheat.

Maybe I should have gone with the 5D, but the ergonomics on the 7D are so much better for video.

On more positive note, the video that I am shooting is just amazing. Blows me away how good it looks. Lots of fun to shoot with. This camera and shooting style really keep you on your toes.

Daniel Weber

I shot in similar conditions, over 80 degrees, in the sun, no heating issues at all. I wasn't doing any takes over 2 or 3 minutes.

Too late now for you to get the 5D so buy some instant ice pack and put them on the right side of the lcd and remove any loop you have after you have focus because it could trap the heat from the lcd and it should help, if it overheat, remote the CF card and battery and let them rest for awhile, that should cool them down quicker and let you shoot a little longer on the next take after the brake. Good luck.

What CF cards are you currently using?

Does your buffer ever fill up? I'm using the Kingston 32GB 133x, occasionally when I first hit record I get one bar on the buffer meter but it generally goes away quickly. Are you seeing something different than that?

I'm not sure there's a correlation between the buffer and overheating but we will never know until we check it out...

Oh, and never believe a sales guy at a trade show or expo... [just a thought]

I had already ordered the 7D and I am happy with it so far except for the overheating.

I am using the Kingston 100x 32 gig cards. I also am using the grip with 2 batteries in it.

I am pretty certain I won't be able to find cold packs in Ghana!!!

Bill, so you don't have overheating? I was surprised that two of the times it happened was when I was in doors and not in direct sun.

I might try using the camera without the grip and see if that helps any.

Daniel Weber

That might help, I have not experienced this but the warmest its been while shooting is around 80. I suspect that it might have to more with the high humidity than the heat. Not sure what you can do about that though.

What are you shooting in Africa? Hows the trip going? Do you like Africa?

The overheating problems with the 7D really need to be solved by Canon. Has anyone tried tests with the latest EOS 1d Mark IV?

I am in Ghana and have only been here 24 hours. This is not my first trip to Africa, probably around my 4th or 5th time here.

I like Africa, though you have to be prepared for anything to happen!!

I will take off the grip and see if that helps.

Daniel

Here in the frozen north, my elder son used the 7D to video a bar band. The 7D overheated after about 40 minutes or so. I'm actually using it right now to augment the oil furnace in my home.

I don't think faster cards would make any difference; if you're card is fast enough to write to without blowing the buffer, then the transfer rate from the camera should be the same no matter how fast the card is.

Are you shooting 1080 or 720?

I wonder if the battery pack has any impact on the issue (either positive or negative.)

Are you shooting 1080/24(25) or 720/60(50)?

What happens when the 7D overheats? Does it shut down or just give a warning?
Does it tell you when it's cooled down?

The "High internal temperature warning" icon will appear on screen, and -according to the manual - "image quality might degrade." But the camera will continue to work...until the "temperature increases further" at which point it will stop recording, and you have to wait until it cools down.

I am shooting 1080p30.

I try to shut off the camera when ever possible now. It helps that the camera starts up so quickly, unlike the EX1 that I usually shoot with.

Tomorrow will be a long hot day. I will post more after the shoot.

Daniel Weber

Do you handhold the camera? I was in the tropics shooting under the midday sun at 60p for 30p. It was fine until I held the body to take some stills. As long as air circulates around the body it seems fine.