Any DSLRS that don't overheat?

H

harmonica44

I've looked around and I can't find any. I was using mine today to shoot a lot of continuous outdoor footage, without cutting much in between. After about 15 minutes with a 16 GB card, the cam started to overheat. It was already hot since it was about 95 degrees out, and I was worried that the heating of it already would slow down footage. A lot of the footage had to be shot while driving so I could just turn it off, since location movement was a factor.

I turned it off once it started to overheat, waited a minute, then turned it back on, but it immediately overheated again. I used a cooling gel pack around the camera, which was recommended to me, but that does nothing! It still kept overheating a few seconds each time I tried turning it back on. I feel like my T2i was a rip off, and I need something better for shooting in hot weather conditions. I know I want to make movies, and not suppose to shoot a scene in one 12 minute take, but mine was overheating only after shooting for a couple of minutes at a time, after shooting for about 12 minutes straight that is, then starting over. I couldn't even start over for longer than two minutes after waiting a bit!

Any other DSLRs or cheap cameras under say $1000 that can shoot 24fps at 1080, where you have full manual controls over the settings like the T2i? I'm looking for one can shoot just as good. I was told the T2i can shoot better than the HV series of canon, so if that's true, than I might need something more, but don't know. I also want a camera that doesn't come with any dirty tricks to be aware of such as overheating after 15 and not being able to cool down any time soon. I tried researching all I could before I bought and still no one, nor no website I came across told me about the overheating before I bought. It seems with every expensive piece of technology there is always a con that comes with it, that is not explained often, and I would like to limit that for my next cam.

I also forgot to ask. I was told that the canon T2i shuts off after every 12 minutes to prevent overheating. However, if a DSLR does that not have that problem, is there one that can shoot 45 minutes straight with a 16 GB card?
 
Last edited:
Sort by date Sort by votes
Okay thanks. Any ones by Canon? If not that's okay. I looked up the GH2, but it didn't say anything about how long it could go before overheating. How does it handle in the hot 95 degree summers where I live?
 
Last edited:
Upvote 0 Downvote
Ran mine (GH2) for nearly 5 hours straight - rolling the entire time save for card swaps every 45 minutes or so - without a single problem.

Edit:

Having said that, it's a computer. All computers will eventually overheat if the right conditions are met. Not having a flaw that causes premature overheating is not the same thing as "it will never overheat."

You're better off looking at the rolling time limit as your deciding factor. If you need to continuously roll for longer than 12 minutes, then a Canon DSLR isn't your first choice.
 
Last edited:
Upvote 0 Downvote
Okay thanks. While I was shooting, a acquaintance as also shooting with his camcorder. Not sure which kind it was. His however could shoot for at least an hour in those hot conditions. So I would like something with that capability. Do I need a special 16 GB datacard that in order to shoot 45 straight without it stopping every 12 minutes? I can't find any site that says I do, but I've run into tricks before with equipment, so you can never be sure what to expect.
 
Last edited:
Upvote 0 Downvote
You're in Saskatchewan. Does anything overheat there?

Richmond, VA, gets stiflingly hot in the summertime. It's so damn humid! I shot my feature film, with a full-time shooting schedule, at the hottest part of the Summer. And damn-near half the movie takes place outside.

The camera (T2i) overheated. It was annoying. But it only happened when I was subjecting it to the most extreme conditions. We would take 5, I'd take the battery out, let it rest for a minute, then we were back in action.

For you, I think it's a non-issue. Choose the camera that you want most, regardless of the overheating. Don't you already have a T2i?
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Yeah that's when I found out about the overheating. Then I go out and try it but after 12 minutes, it still won't cool down anytime, soon, and can't even shoot over 2 minutes after. So I figure I might as well just get a camera without any limitations, that will last under at least an hour of recording, after shooting went horribly today. I read that a gel pack was help, and was also told that on here, but it didn't do didily.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
harmonica44 said:
Yeah that's when I found out about the overheating, wasn't it? Then I go out and try it but after 12 minutes, it still won't cool down anytime, soon, and can't even shoot over 2 minutes after. So I figure I might as well just get a camera without any limitations, that will last under at least an hour of recording, after shooting went horribly today. I read that a gel pack was help, and was also told that on here, but it didn't do didily.
Click to expand...

:bang:

What are you shooting, that requires half-hour takes?! Why is this news to us? I thought you were going to make "Jason Bourne Goes to Canada"?
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Well I wouldn't call it Bourne goes to Canada lol. I was expirementing with some car chase shooting. The plan was to shoot all the footage then splice in a car through CGI and other car splicing effects, in afterword. But I have to shoot several minutes of road, while driving, without being able to choose when to cut, since I can't just stop the car, and wait for the camera to cool. I wanna shoot all the road footage as straight as I can and then edit down later what takes I need and what not.

Of course this probably isn't the best way to go about it, but in the event of a problem I would like to resume shooting without having overheating problems constantly, after 12 minutes. I also had to be away from the camera while shooting some other non chase stuff, and just let it run for a bit, but it kept wanting to constantly overheat after that too.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Cracker Funk said:
Choose the camera that you want most, regardless of the overheating.
Click to expand...

This.

Cracker Funk said:
:bang:

What are you shooting, that requires half-hour takes?
Click to expand...

Also this.

Takes that long are totally unnecessary on any narrative project.

If you are shooting doc's or observational stuff, DSLR may not be the weapon of choice. At the very least not one with a 12 minute limit on takes.


Edit:

Yeah, you need to break that up into shots, especially if you are trying to roto a car into a moving camera shot.

harmonica44 said:
Of course this probably isn't the best way to go about it, but in the event of a problem I would like to resume shooting without having overheating problems constantly, after 12 minutes. I also had to be away from the camera while shooting some other non chase stuff, and just let it run for a bit, but it kept wanting to constantly overheat after that too.
Click to expand...

Filmmaking considerations aside, this is probably a bad idea for the equipment. Running electronic components to their heat limit, then attempting to push them further generally ends in a feint metallic smokey odor.

And tears.

:no:
 
Last edited:
Upvote 0 Downvote
Yeah I might not need another cam, but seriously thinking about getting one just in case. Now let's compare something here. The canon 7D is just like the T2i, only difference being it has a harder bulkier body and perhaps some other things. But the video mode is exactly the same I read, which means you're just paying more for a heavier body. So is the GH2 like the 7D and has a bulky heavy body, that makes it cost more than need be? Is there a cheaper lighter version of the GH2 by comparison?
 
Last edited:
Upvote 0 Downvote
Don't know as much about them. Can they shoot without having to start a new file every 12 minutes, or overheat? They didn't tell me that at the store, when I asked the difference between T2i and T3i.
 
Last edited:
Upvote 0 Downvote
harmonica44 said:
Well I wouldn't call it Bourne goes to Canada lol. I was expirementing with some car chase shooting. The plan was to shoot all the footage then splice in a car through CGI and other car splicing effects, in afterword. But I have to shoot several minutes of road, while driving, without being able to choose when to cut, since I can't just stop the car, and wait for the camera to cool. I wanna shoot all the road footage as straight as I can and then edit down later what takes I need and what not.

Of course this probably isn't the best way to go about it, but in the event of a problem I would like to resume shooting without having overheating problems constantly, after 12 minutes. I also had to be away from the camera while shooting some other non chase stuff, and just let it run for a bit, but it kept wanting to constantly overheat after that too.
Click to expand...

Mathew 27:24

When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. “I am innocent of this man’s blood,” he said. “It is your responsibility!”
Click to expand...

I've tried. I'm done. May hurricane Irene wash my hands.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Cracker Funk said:
You're in Saskatchewan. Does anything overheat there?

Richmond, VA, gets stiflingly hot in the summertime. It's so damn humid! I shot my feature film, with a full-time shooting schedule, at the hottest part of the Summer. And damn-near half the movie takes place outside.

The camera (T2i) overheated. It was annoying. But it only happened when I was subjecting it to the most extreme conditions. We would take 5, I'd take the battery out, let it rest for a minute, then we were back in action.

For you, I think it's a non-issue. Choose the camera that you want most, regardless of the overheating. Don't you already have a T2i?
Click to expand...

Oh you shot with the T2i, your feature then? Cool. Well I will give it more tries, and take the battery out of that helps. I'll decide if I wanna either keep that or get one that doesn't have that problem. I didn't mean to make you go Pilate on me.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Take the memory card out too. Blow on it.

And to be fair, the 7D isn't a t2i with a bulkier body. It has a dual processor, way better autofocus system, faster continuous shots and a lot more, plus a weather sealed magnesium body. Video modes are similar.

One bad shooting day doesn't mean the camera is junk. I just shot an outdoor wedding a few weeks ago in over 100 degree weather. there were 4 or 5 7D's. The one inured started to overheat. I quickly stopped the take, blew on the memory card and was good to go a minute later.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top