Z8 Overheating Frustration

[NeedMorePractice]

This probably won't be a popular thread, but I feel it's worth mentioning and am also open to suggestions if anyone has found ways to improve performance. I've had several situations now where I was recording non-8K and non-RAW video in "room temp" environments but had my camera shut down mid-video due to overheating. This morning is the latest example.

I set up my Z8 and 14-30 on a tripod with PD charger attached (batteries don't last long for video on the Z8, which is a separate discussion) intending to do a Christmas morning video of my kids opening their presents. I was shooting 4K60 H.265 10-bit (SDR, as that's where it happened to be set) with one of my Delkin Black 325GB cards in AF-F. It showed about two hours of record time and the monitor was extended.

Part way through the first video, less than 10 minutes in, I was getting hot camera and hot card warnings, but I kept it going. At 16 minutes they were still showing, but I stopped recording to move the tripod and check how hot the cards felt (hot but not burning my hand), so I started a second video. Heat warnings immediately came on again and at 9 minutes into the second video it shut down due to hot camera. It was 70 degrees Fahrenheit in the house.

I don't shoot nearly as much video as I do photos, but I have begun shooting more two-camera videos for work lately. Since the Z8 is capable of and advertised for both 8K and RAW video, I figured cooling wouldn't be an issue since I'm typically only shooting 4K; it turned out to not be the case, though. This is frustrating because it's at the point where I don't consider it reliable for professional video work if I expect each take to be longer than a few minutes, even for 4K60, and I have trouble even considering RAW at this point, which would be much more useful (8K is out of the question).

I'm aware that the cooling is not as good as the larger Z9, but I didn't expect such poor performance when not using the highest-level formats. I hate to say it, but combining this with the battery performance for both photo and video, I'm starting to regret not opting for the Z9, even though I love the size/weight of the Z8 and don't need a gripped body.

I'm pretty familiar with the camera, as I've been using it daily since it first began shipping, but again, I'm open to suggestions for improved performance if anyone has anything I may have overlooked.

 

[Frankie J]

Where to start,

4K H.265 10-bit 60p IS demanding = HEAT
Charging battery while shooting = HEAT
Continuous video shooting instead of "takes" = HEAT

Which methodology are you going to change first?

 

[NeedMorePractice]

Where to start,
4K H.265 10-bit 60p IS demanding = HEAT
Charging battery while shooting = HEAT
Continuous video shooting instead of "takes" = HEAT
Which methodology are you going to change first?

4K H.265 10-bit 60p is demanding. It's also less demanding than 8K and RAW, which this camera is designed and advertised to do.

Charging with the specific charger Nikon recommends because the batteries they chose to use for this camera have terrible life doesn't seem unreasonable. Again, they designed the camera to charge with a PD charger while in use.

I don't recall reading any warnings from Nikon that you should only be shooting non-specific short "takes" of 4K non-RAW video without the risk of overheating in 70 degrees. Correct me if I'm wrong, as maybe I missed that note (not sarcastic).

Don't get me wrong, I love my Z8 apart from the battery life and overheating issues. Unfortunately, situations that don't seem like they should be an issue for this nearly flagship camera are an issue. Do you really think anyone buying a Z8 would expect to have it shut down due to overheating while shooting a couple of 10-15 minute 4K60 videos, even if in H.265 10-bit? Maybe I'm naive, but I honestly didn't expect that, and it's disappointing. Perhaps your expectations were lower than mine (again, not sarcastic, and I'm obviously venting at the moment).

 

[pluton]

It's possible that Nikon, despite the marketing talk, intended the Z8 for short take recording (or long takes in cold places?).

Assuming that the Delkin Black cards are not the source of the issue, you could try the $39.95 aftermarket fan sold on Amazon and [presumably] elsewhere.

I note that Canon's extremely similar body--R5---has a cine version---R5C--- with built in fan.

There's also the Nikon MB-N12 battery grip, which has external PD input. Move the hot battery away from the processors?

--
-Keith B-

 

[Ninpou_Bunshinnojutsu]

Hot Card = Card issue.

 

[Horshack]

Where to start,
4K H.265 10-bit 60p IS demanding = HEAT
Charging battery while shooting = HEAT
Continuous video shooting instead of "takes" = HEAT
Which methodology are you going to change first?

4K H.265 10-bit 60p is demanding. It's also less demanding than 8K and RAW, which this camera is designed and advertised to do.

It might seem counterintuitive but 4K HEVC 60p is more computationally demanding than 8K raw, esp when oversampling is involved.

That said, I agree with your general grievance about overheating. Unfortunately it's hard to support this type of video in a body this size without active cooling and not have thermal issues.

 

[Droster]

Change your card. Try slower and lower capacity cards.

It's well known now cards can run too hot when they run too fast.

This is also why people are clamouring for companies to allow us to use the USB-C port to record it off to external SSDs. Something that Panasonic just started doing to their L mount cameras.

 

[NeedMorePractice]

It's possible that Nikon, despite the marketing talk, intended the Z8 for short take recording (or long takes in cold places?).

Assuming that the Delkin Black cards are not the source of the issue, you could try the $39.95 aftermarket fan sold on Amazon and [presumably] elsewhere.

I note that Canon's extremely similar body--R5---has a cine version---R5C--- with built in fan.

There's also the Nikon MB-N12 battery grip, which has external PD input. Move the hot battery away from the processors?

Good thoughts and ideas, thanks! I've considered trying the grip to see if it makes a difference. It would certainly help with battery life, and the nice thing is it's removeable for all of the time I wouldn't need it for extended video shoots, which is a lot of the time. Curious if it would make a difference in the heat situation.

 

[NeedMorePractice]

It might seem counterintuitive but 4K HEVC 60p is more computationally demanding than 8K raw, esp when oversampling is involved.

That said, I agree with your general grievance about overheating. Unfortunately it's hard to support this type of video in a body this size without active cooling and not have thermal issues.

Interesting on the demand. I intend to do some more testing with RAW and various formats to see if I can find one that works best for me heat wise while also achieving the quality I'm hoping for. I'll keep that in mind during those tests. Thanks for the info!

 

[NeedMorePractice]

Hot Card = Card issue.

It showed both hot camera and hot card warnings while shooting, but when it shut down, the warning said it was shutting down due to a hot camera. I won't pretend to know if it's a different error message due to one vs the other when it actually shuts down, but it didn't say it was shutting down due to a hot card. If anyone has any concrete info on this, I'd be curious to know.

 

[Laqup]

I note that Canon's extremely similar body--R5---has a cine version---R5C--- with built in fan.

The bit about the R5C is true, other than that the R5 is quite different from the Z8. Smaller, lighter, much older and actually received various firmware updates that mostly fixed overheating issues that were present when released, especially in the conditions mentioned.

Nikon seems to have a heat issue, if I would have to guess it is connected to the latest expeed processor (not only cards as usual). My Zf got quite hot in various situations too. Only complete fix is the Z9 so far. That being said ops experience is quite extreme. If possible, other cards should be tested.

 

[Stephen Brenner]

Out of 4 cards tested, the delkin black was the hottest

If you're serious about video, you might consider getting a Ninja V monitor/recorder. Not only do you save on the cost of media but it offers numerous added video features.

 

[Models By Day]

I was just transferring 1000+ RAW plus (Same # JPG) via USB C to computer from my Z7ii and I got the Card Hot error on LCD.

I found this article seems to point at this error being related to the speed of the card more then a heat issue.

Camera displays 'hot card' warning - this is the solution

The problem of the "hot card" warning is usually not due to a fault in the memory card, but to the use of an older CFX card in a Nikon Z9 or Nikon Z8 camera, for example. The solution is simple: use a faster card. But how do you know when a card is fast enough?

www.transcontinenta.co.uk

As I was not even recording video or taking photos at high speed this seems to point at another type of issue related to card speed. Also my card was warm but not hot.

 

[Droster]

Hot Card = Card issue.

It showed both hot camera and hot card warnings while shooting, but when it shut down, the warning said it was shutting down due to a hot camera. I won't pretend to know if it's a different error message due to one vs the other when it actually shuts down, but it didn't say it was shutting down due to a hot card. If anyone has any concrete info on this, I'd be curious to know.

It’s a hot card issue. I have a couple of different cards and my fastest CFexpress (exascend 256GB) cards overheat in my Z6 while I use the 128GB SanDisk CFexpress and Sony XQDs just fine. The only variable I changed is the cards. Slower cards, no problem.

There’s nothing wrong with my fast cards since they work fine in my Z9.

On a slight off tangent, even fast NVMe SSDs today tend to come with their own heatsink and it’s generally recommended that you don’t use them naked.

 

[Wezre]

Out of 4 cards tested, the delkin black was the hottest

If you're serious about video, you might consider getting a Ninja V monitor/recorder. Not only do you save on the cost of media but it offers numerous added video features.

For comparison, Thom finds that the Delkin cards run the coolest of the ones he’s tried.

https://www.zsystemuser.com/accessories/z-accessories/cfexpress-cards.html

 

[Frankie J]

I'm just thinking that maybe expecting a Z8 to be camcorder wasn't Nikon's intention for it's design.
I come from a motion picture industry background where the average Take in a professional movie setting is between 30 seconds to around three minutes. Your Z8 can do that at it's highest settings, as designed to. Setting a Z8 on a tripod to run unattended (air flow?) is inappropriate overkill. You could have spent half of the cost of a Z8 body and gotten a really great camcorder that would do what you are demanding of the Nikon.
So, complaining that your Ferrari can't haul lumber...

 

[NeedMorePractice]

I'm just thinking that maybe expecting a Z8 to be camcorder wasn't Nikon's intention for it's design.
I come from a motion picture industry background where the average Take in a professional movie setting is between 30 seconds to around three minutes. Your Z8 can do that at it's highest settings, as designed to. Setting a Z8 on a tripod to run unattended (air flow?) is inappropriate overkill. You could have spent half of the cost of a Z8 body and gotten a really great camcorder that would do what you are demanding of the Nikon.
So, complaining that your Ferrari can't haul lumber...

The majority of what I do is photography, and I love the Z8 for it (minus battery performance). I opted for the Z8 over Z9 because I prefer the size for the majority of what I do, but obviously the 9 would have helped with the times I need to shoot longer videos, which is becoming more frequent. I had hoped that shooting 4K video with the Z8 wouldn't be a problem, but obviously length of recording ended up being more of a factor than format, etc. My error making that assumption, but again, I love the Z8 for photography, which is still the majority of what I do.

All that said, I intend to do more testing with various cards and formats to see if I can dial in on an acceptable balance between quality and time needed. Hopefully I can figure out what's reliable time wise on different formats for a rough reference going into video sessions.

I appreciate everyone's thoughts and insights. I'm aware this is a "whining" thread, but it was also intended to gain feedback while making others buying or thinking about a Z8 some real world examples of its limitations in case that helps them make a better decision.

 

[NeedMorePractice]

Out of 4 cards tested, the delkin black was the hottest

If you're serious about video, you might consider getting a Ninja V monitor/recorder. Not only do you save on the cost of media but it offers numerous added video features.

For comparison, Thom finds that the Delkin cards run the coolest of the ones he’s tried.

https://www.zsystemuser.com/accessories/z-accessories/cfexpress-cards.html

This was why I went with Delkin Black for my main cards. All reviews and tests I saw of various cards put this one (and, I believe, the Prograde Cobalt?) leading the pack in terms of how cool they ran. I knew I'd be doing extended video sessions, so I did that research hoping it would maximize record time.

 

[skyrunr]

My Z8 was hottest on the bottom left under the monitor/LCD. Not the battery/card side.

 

[halfmanhalfbiscuit]

I've found that I can get about 20 minutes at 8K/60p RAW before I get the recording shutting down due to a hot card. I also set the shut-off temperature for the camera to HIGH as opposed to STANDARD - you may want to try that (Setup Menu > Auto Temperature Cutout).