Vinyl wrap for Z8 heat build up

[toucan]

I am the new owner of a Z8 and noticed it gets quite warm when used for a while.

I was considering putting vinyl heat wrap kit on it to protect it which seems to be the current fad but was wondering about heat retention and build up in the camera.

Any views/experience with this please?

 

[Richard_Wong]

I haven't done that myself to any of my cameras, but i imagine vinyl is a much worse material for Heat dissipation compare to the normal painted/coating on the camera.

The difference maybe small, but if heat is already a concern i would not do that.

 

[skyrunr]

The vinyl would not likely go between the LCD and body. Or you could trim it not to do so. The back bottom left behind the LCD is where the largest source of heat was on my copy.

Keeping the LCD door open, the camera facing down, and some air flow may be the best way to keep the heat down. Nikon probably should have taken the S5II approach to cooling.

 

[michaeladawson]

I have never heard of vinyl as being a conductor of heat and therefore a good way to pass heat from inside to outside. What is this product you speak of? I can't imagine adding vinyl to the exterior of a camera would do anything except help to keep heat inside.

 

[toucan]

You can google "vinyl wrap or skin for cameras and lenses". It comes in camera and lens specific kits or in sheets or rolls. There are a couple of suppliers in USA however the same 3M product is available direct from China for between 30% and 50% of the price.

 

[Adam2]

I am the new owner of a Z8 and noticed it gets quite warm when used for a while.

I was considering putting vinyl heat wrap kit on it to protect it which seems to be the current fad but was wondering about heat retention and build up in the camera.

Any views/experience with this please?

I've owned (bought and sold) hundreds of camera bodies and by-in-large they are relatively resistant to scratches or abrasions. Additionally, when one is carrying a camera around, the lenses are more likely to sustain damage than the body itself. While a vinyl (or silicone) wrap might avoid some superficial scratches, I've never seen them protect a body from damage from a hard bump or fall. While I appreciate the desire to keep the camera as "clean" as possible, the tradeoffs are not worth it IMHO.

 

[toucan]

Yes, I think you are right regarding its (or silicone) use for lens protection. The neoprene protection gets grubby over time and starts to fray.

 

[dacrema]

The camera body is the heat sink for the internal parts of the camera that make heat. I can't see how wrapping the camera body with anything short of a cooling bag could help remove heat from the camera. I agree with pulling the screen away from the camera body.

I could understand how a wrap might slow heat build up on a camera in the sun. But that is a different subject. (I just put a second baseball cap over the camera).

 

[PLShutterbug]

When you write “vinyl heat wrap” you mean a material that shrinks when you heat it with a hair dryer or similar, right?

Doing that, you are adding additional insulation to something that is already somewhat prone to heat buildup. I don’t know that ANYONE thinks that is a good idea, much less a trend. All this will do is hold in heat, which will make any heat-buildup problem worse.

Bad idea. Don’t do it. If you are concerned about heat build-up you should look to see if there are any active cooling systems available, maybe something that has liquid that runs past a set of cooling vanes.

 

[toucan]

Yes some low heat shrinks the vinyl wrap and reheating reverses it to remove from the camera. Look at Mossy Oak Graphics website and all will ne explained.

 

[PLShutterbug]

I have used similar products to add insulation to electrical joints. No, I’m not interested in camouflaging my camera so not interested in checking it out for my cameras.

Yes, it’s a bad idea to try and cool your camera using an additional layer of insulation.

 

[michaeladawson]

I have used similar products to add insulation to electrical joints. No, I’m not interested in camouflaging my camera so not interested in checking it out for my cameras.

Yes, it’s a bad idea to try and cool your camera using an additional layer of insulation.

I agree. Not sure why the OP doesn’t get that adding a vinyl layer to his camera is going to hold in even more heat and make his warm Z8 even warmer.

 

[toucan]

Never said anything about cooling down the camera. The vinyl is sold for camouflage and secondarily to stop scratches and marks. My original post related to heat retention to which my question has been answered/views given.

Cheers

 

[PLShutterbug]

Never said anything about cooling down the camera. The vinyl is sold for camouflage and secondarily to stop scratches and marks. My original post related to heat retention to which my question has been answered/views given.

Cheers

Was about to snark on you and then quoted you here, and while reading what I was quoting I read it again, and now see that you are correct. You were really asking if that vinyl wrap would increase heat retention.

But it’s still your fault!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Are there enough exclamation marks there to convince you I’m kidding here?) You didn’t hit us over the head with your words, so we all ignored your last sentence and only read the first.

My apologies. I should have read more carefully.

 

[michaeladawson]

Never said anything about cooling down the camera. The vinyl is sold for camouflage and secondarily to stop scratches and marks. My original post related to heat retention to which my question has been answered/views given.

Cheers

I think I see what you were saying now. OK. Well, adding vinyl to the outside of the camera can only increase heat retention. Maybe it will be neutral. But more likely it will contribute at least a little bit of extra heat retention.

The real question is if it is an issue. I don't know.

 

[areallygrumpyoldsod]

There are a few choices to protect your gear - wraps/skins : a thicker neoprene layer (lens and bodies) or a silicon based product (typically only for bodies) AND then there are skins (I have no time for these - they provide no real protection most certainly not against impact and tend to come off; and they make gripping gear worse) . I have swapped from Lenscoat to RolandPro lens covers, which are far more robust and last longer in hot/damp/wet environments.

The top protection is to fit a strong L-bracket to your camera and strong replacement foot and hood - Zemlin hoods & lens caps and in my case Zenelli feet have worked really well for me. I used to almost exclusively by RRS L-plates but these have been slow to emerge for new bodies. However SmallRig are quick to emerge and have proven to work well for me.

I use Thinktank Hydrophobia weatherproofing when my gear is expected to get wet particularly with sea spray.