NEX OVERHEATING:It's Time to Ask Sony

@rishi o'

I agree. Sony states on page 47 of the Nex-7 instruction manual under the Movies heading:

"Continuous recording is possible for approximately 29 minutes per recording."

Is the 5 or 7 minutes which some are reporting approximately 29 minutes ?

I got the 29 mins with my Nex-7 when I tried it but after pressing the record button immediately after the camera shut down after a couple of mins due to over heating.

After purchasing my Nex-7 I decided to keep my Panasonic Lumix GH2 because it allows me by re-pressing the record button after each 30 minutes block, to record as long as I like without any over heating issues. In fact I have successfully recorded a 2 hour dance performance in a theatre without any problems. It's a shame the the Nex- 7 won't or can't do this.

@LSHorwitz1

"The assumption that this is something which Sony is likely to change in response to newsgroup or other complaints belongs in the category: ROFLMAO"

This is not entirely true as can be witnessed by the recall Fujifilm are offering to fix a sensor issue on X10 because of pressure from the DPR forum members.

Richard

That's a great rant Marc. Now copy and paste and send it to Sony.

cheers

I think this is it. I recorded with no issues at 50fps at max bandwidth. Perhaps the lower modes means more CPU work for the camera resulting in more heat. Can the people having problems try this?

Downside is more unwieldy files, upside is action shots will be smoother! ;-)

Lightshow said:

AVC-HD 24P 24M(FX) sn# 022xxxx Lexar 32GB pro 400x
23 minutes till a temperature warning, 29:51 Min:Sec till it ended.

The battery and SD card were not very warm, behind the LCD it was warmer, but not hot.

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And just for grins, after reading this post, I once again set up the Nex-7 in video record mode 50fps AVCHD. The 16mm pancake lens was attached so left it on (not that I think lens make any difference). LCD open. It ran for 29.95 minutes and stopped recording normally. Interestingly, the heat icon was on the LCD for the last 10 minutes. So I put the cam back into REC mode and it ran for 3 minutes before shutting down...needed to cool its heels.

The sad part about all of this is the inconsistency of the REC time. Tonight it gave me the full 30 minutes, but other times, it will stop recording sooner than that, and always at some "random" time. So if you need to record some important or very interesting video of some event, you just cannot rely on grabbing the whole video scene.

Having said all that, I love the Nex-7 for image quality in stills. Just spent a day in the Lakes district Eastern Australia, and just for grins, attached the 16mm pancake due to airline carry-on luggage restrictions. (i normally have the 18-200mm attached). But the 16mm did a damn good job, and most of my shots were keepers. Even found that I preferred "neutral" to "vivid" with jpegs and especially video.
My 2 cents (AUD) worth.
Baron

...is what on earth are you needing to continuously video for 30 minutes?

A video segment should be no more than 30 seconds and preferably less than 10; any longer than this especially in a static shot will induce coma in the viewer.

If you are filming a gig from one view, then fair enough, but in that case buy a dedicated video camera that's up to the job.

I have seen so many of these threads and they really are pointless as you're using the equipment outside of it's design envelope.

C.Eaton said:

I have seen so many of these threads and they really are pointless as you're using the equipment outside of it's design envelope.

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C.
So many threads indeed. To your point see...

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/readflat.asp?forum=1042&message=40778818

Member said:

Member said:

...is what on earth are you needing to continuously video for 30 minutes?

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Long porno's................

C.Eaton said:

...is what on earth are you needing to continuously video for 30 minutes?

A video segment should be no more than 30 seconds and preferably less than 10; any longer than this especially in a static shot will induce coma in the viewer.

If you are filming a gig from one view, then fair enough, but in that case buy a dedicated video camera that's up to the job.

I have seen so many of these threads and they really are pointless as you're using the equipment outside of it's design envelope.

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Ok, I'm guessing that you are a Socialist and love telling people what they need.

I shoot my daughter's soccer game. So, I must be doing it wrong. I should be shooting in thirty second segments.

I'm glad that you know what is good for others.

pixelarte said:

@LSHorwitz1

"The assumption that this is something which Sony is likely to change in response to newsgroup or other complaints belongs in the category: ROFLMAO"

This is not entirely true as can be witnessed by the recall Fujifilm are offering to fix a sensor issue on X10 because of pressure from the DPR forum members.

Richard

Click to expand...

As my original post stated, this problem has been around for nearly 2 years. It is not something new on the NEX-7. Sony has designed a number of cameras which share this limitation, both in the NEX and alpha SLT models.

There are have been endless threads complaining of this issue, some going back to the earliest a55 release.

Is Sony going to now issue a recall????

I am laughing my a** off once again thinking about it..........

Incidentally, I applaud Fuji for their proper action. I just cannot think of a time in my 46 years of buying Sony products, either as a consumer or in my profession, that they ever issued a product recall unless there was a financial / legal liability at risk. I am thinking fires from laptop Vaio batteries, for example. Certainly not from this short video recording type of issue.

pixelarte said:

@rishi o'

I agree. Sony states on page 47 of the Nex-7 instruction manual under the Movies heading:

"Continuous recording is possible for approximately 29 minutes per recording."

Is the 5 or 7 minutes which some are reporting approximately 29 minutes ?

I got the 29 mins with my Nex-7 when I tried it but after pressing the record button immediately after the camera shut down after a couple of mins due to over heating.

Richard

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If Sony does not caveat or otherwise qualify this recording time, then they are not meeting their own specification and indeed the camera is being dishonestly advertised. That being the case, the choices would appear to be to return the camera for a refund, not purchase it in the first place, or attempt to fight with Sony for some type of repair. Certainly if some of the units work correctly and others don't (which I think is NOT the case here), then a replacement or a repair is a good and simple solution.

If there is a true design limitation, which most certainly appears to be the case, then waiting for a product recall or expecting a Sony re-design is, in my opinion, a waste of time. And adding yet another thread to rant is extremely unlikely to change their behavior. I think the only benefit of posting in this case is to let off steam, which for those users who are hoping to use the NEX-7 for video may be therapeutic.

If someone really wants to make videos using NEX format equipment, Sony offers e-mount camcorders designed for the job.

To further muddy the water, I received my NEX-7 last week and ran a sample movie capture on a Sony memory card. Recorded a full 29.55 minute video with no temperature warning at all. Pretty much default settings with continuous focus set to OFF. I then put the camera in continuous rapid slide show mode for the 40+ still pictures I had recorded and let it run for well over an hour, again with no problems. By then the battery was down to 14% charge and somewhat warm to the touch when I removed it for recharging. Go figure...

So far I love the camera in spite of the 6 month wait...

--
Supermatic

--Just got my first day out on Sunday to play with my NEX-7...

Shot plenty of stills including three shot HDR and plenty of 20-30 second videos in between stills. Never got a warning and the camera never felt hot and it was a warm day in St.Augustine Florida... Not to counter what the O.P. is trying to accomplish, but I can't imagine me ever wanting to shoot long clips with the NEX-7 anyway.

I put together clips from 10seconds to 30 seconds changing up the scene often to make the video more interesting to watch.. For me, watching one continuous video for 30 minutes is boring. If I actually did have to records a long video, I truly would have to consider getting a video camera... I hope I never have to worry about that as I do like the short clips better and I am sure the NEX-7 will handle that just fine.... I am simply not worried if the NEX-7 can shoot a 30 minute video.

Its not what I purchased it for. The nice clean video that I am seeing is a bonus for sure. And I am happy with it...

I knew about the possible overheat issue before I purchased the NEX-7 based on what I already stated how I would use the camera.... If I had thought I needed to shoot long videos, I would not have purchased this camera to begin with...

But that's just me... I hope most people will be satisfied with their purchase and that maybe SONY has a fix.... But don't hold your breath...

Vaughn T. Winfree

'Dance like no one is watching. Sing like no one is listening.
Love like you've never been hurt and live like it's
heaven on earth.' --Mark Twain

'See what the camera see's. Let the lens interpret what can be. Capture a moment in time telling a story.'--Vaughn T. Winfree

also @pixelarte:
You must be joking to cite Fuji as an example of corrective action:

Fuji X100 has the sticky blades issue.

Fuji X10 has the white disks of doom for which it issued a firmware update which helped, according to the DPREVIEW NOTHING. They did not issue a recall of their product.

Sony issued a firmware update greatly improving performance and even added functionality of the Nex 3 & 5. They also issued a firmware update to improve AF performance, which works. For the clicking issue, they offer a repair/modification service.

Yes, I'd like to use the Nex as HD camcorder, too. And a school play frequently is longer than it will record. But then, the Nex (5N) also doesn't offer an external mic input, and all Nex do not support input volume control, also a big minus for recording such events.

I don't understand the overheating issue. My first outing recording an indoor soccer game at a rather cool ambient temperature with legacy lens mounted and the camera mounted on a 501HDV fluid head hit the thirty minute mark just fine. The next week, the longest video that I could get was five minutes long. Same exact conditions. Video was 1080p & shutter 1/125sec. Given that I purchased the NEX-7 over the X-Pro1 because of the video specs, I am rather upset should this not be corrected in my next sample of the NEX-7. The prospects of having one device to do both appeal to me given that I don't shoot professional video. I'm somewhat hopeful given the positive experiences above, but we will see if you are as positive after a few weeks of use. The camera needs to be able to hit spec in hot weather, or Sony is simply being dishonest in the representation of this camera.

Vaughn T.Winfree said:

Not to counter what the O.P. is trying to accomplish, but I can't imagine me ever wanting to shoot long clips with the NEX-7 anyway.

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Short clips might be fine in some instances, but not if you are shooting a performances with one camera. Nor can you shoot all sports events in short clips, unless you know in advance when the key moves (or contested fouls) will occur, or unless you need only capture Junior's turn at bat.

In late 2010, some people who bought the a70 or a55 reported a heating issue when shooting video. However, Sony later suggested (vaguely, it's true) that subsequent models might have better thermal behavior.

Vaughn T.Winfree said:

I put together clips from 10seconds to 30 seconds changing up the scene often to make the video more interesting to watch.. For me, watching one continuous video for 30 minutes is boring.

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Perhaps an edited work can be cut to 30 minutes or less, but which debate participants do you delete or reduce to soundbites? What if your camera needed a time-out when the CEO reaches the crescendo of his address? In any case, sometimes the selection process (deciding what to toss on cutting room floor) must occur after the shooting.

Vaughn T.Winfree said:

If I actually did have to records a long video, I truly would have to consider getting a video camera...

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Sony could at least have inserted a caveat in the manual, as it did with the first generation of alphas with video.

I hope I never have to worry about that as I do like the short clips better and I am sure the NEX-7 will handle that just fine.... I am simply not worried if the NEX-7 can shoot a 30 minute video.

You hope not or, now that you know you can't, will not even try?

Some people buy the NEX cameras precisely because they dream of using the narrow DOF effect in video. Unfortunately, this tends to be useful ONLY in staged situations where the action is at a particular known distance. For most sub-Hollywood folks, this is likely to be the high school band symphony, a wedding, or the graduation ceremony, which by nature demands shots of long duration.

Meanwhile, one wonders if the much-maligned VG-20 is immune from the heat problem, perhaps due to a better heat sink, or not. Similarly, one wonders if the m4/3 models, with their smaller sensors, also allow for a longer maximum shoot time.