7D Overheating

[Brent Lucas]

I have yet to have an overheat but am probably coming close on my latest project, shooting classroom teaching for online purposes.

I have a Marshall field monitor that I use religiously, so maybe that has held it off for me...

[Derek Reich]

I can attest that the battery grip and/or using an external monitor makes no difference with overheating. I was shooting recently using my 7D as a 3rd camera (lockdown) INDOORS and after about 45 minutes I noticed the warning icon flashing. I have the latest firmware update, and was using a battery grip and an external monitor. Also using a 16GB UDMA card. Still it overheated. I ignored the icon and let it go until the card ran out (long interview!) I wasn't able to get to the camera during the interview to put in a new card (it wasn't that important that the 3rd camera was running for the whole interview) and afterward I noticed the camera had shut down. Okay, that's normal after a period of inactivity, but it wouldn't come back on. Powering it off and on did no good, still or movie mode didn't matter.... it was just dead. The only thing which revived it was removing the batteries and reinserting them. That did the trick, but what was that about? I didn't use the camera the rest of the day, so I have not yet had an opportunity to troubleshoot it further. The footage from the card was fine all the way to the end, so no problems there.....

I had hoped that by installing all the firmware updates, that this problem was a thing of the past? Pretty annoying....

[Paul Cascio]

This problem is so commonplace that I'm surprised there hasn't been a Class Action suit brought against Canon.

[John Wiley]

Paul, it is a documented limitation of the camera, disclosed by Canon themselves. They were even kind enough to put a warning into the camera for when overheating is imminent, as well as an automatic turn-off feature to stop the camera from cooking itself. All this, no less, no address an issue with a feature that is not even part of the camera's primary purpose.

Hardly any ground for legal action, methinks. If they didn't put in the automatic shut-down and everybody's cameras had melted, then a class action suit might be appropriate.

[Paul Cascio]

Not sure where this disclosure is John, but it sure wasn't there when I bought my 7D. If it was, it certainly wasn't conspicuous, which it should have been.

[Ecker Bálint]

Hello !

I am 7D owner as well, and already met the overheating problem. Just a single test it was, I put it on a tripod, and start recording, (to a 32Gb Extreme CF). After 26min. the temp. icon came, and after 44mins. the camera shut down itself. It was a summer evening, ca. 30C degree.
I have tried also under a bit optimized circumstances, I ised a fan, directed to the 7D. Lasted ca. 10% longer.
Plus when the camera starting to overheat, than the quality starts to decrease (after couple of shutdowns)
60D works better for video (2.5 hours battery life, no overheating after 3 hours contniuous rec.)
7D hold better against weather
Must have both of them :)

[Ben Winter]

Please remember the 5D and 7D cameras are doing an incredible amount of processing inside an incredibly small space. Canon performed a small miracle cramming that amount of electronics inside the body of an SLR and managing heat dissipation is just one of many balls they had to juggle.

The overheating issue is not a flaw, it is a side effect of the compact and frankly quite impressive design. If you want to shoot continuous video in warm temperatures for extended periods of time, find a piece of equipment built for that purpose, say...an actual video camera.

I have two 7D's and while I have encountered the overheating warning indicator, I've never had one shut off automatically, and the issue has only cropped up while shooting in direct sunlight. The fix is easy...a small piece of cinefoil over the top to block the sun.

[Paul Cascio]

Of course it's a flaw. Regardless the amount of technical wizardy, this should not happen, especially when they already had a camera, the 5DM2 that doesn't have this flaw.