A Fix for Sony Camera Overheating...Maybe

[@hteekay]

I don't get it, if you pay top money for the camera, and it underperform with constant overheating and shutdown. How can Sony get away with this? aren't they supposed to be fixing it instead of yourself? Why do you let them have your money with their faulty products?

[@ifrit35]

About Sony getting away with it. It's not first time and it probably won't be the last. People keep buying their products so why would they care.

[@airgunplanet]

Exactly. Thank You.

[@Lofote]

No, the problem is not Sony. The problem is, that at this time, a device that small with that tech (I think it was 2014 or 2015 tech) was not able to record long in a device that small. Sony communicated that and so everyone who was surprised by this just didn't inform him or herself correctly in first place. A huge DSLR can divide the heat much better. You see, the only other option back then was to not offer video at all, so Sony went the way "we give you it, but it won't replace a camcorder, if you need longer, get the NEX-VG series or any camcorder". Also note, that professional hollywood camera equipment of multiple 10.000 of dollars also overheat, it is the job of the pro to know the system well enough to get the max out of it. So don't blame Sony for this, there are also just have to follow physics. Tech has moved on the last years, with CPUs becoming more efficient and so generating less heat, so newer cameras don#t have the problem anymore with 1080p50/60.

[@HHashi]

A bit late to the party but I'm in the process of trying to fix an A5000 so quite a lot of the steps here are similar, so found this a very handy video. Just thought I'd mention though that the ribbon cable visible at 2:00 should be discharged as it can hold high voltages. Looking at Sony's service manual, they recommend discharging it using a 1K ohm resistor. The pads are the 2 large ones square/squarish pads. Just thought it's best to mention in case someone else attempts this, so they can avoid getting a nasty shock!

[@Evansmustard]

I can't believe you guys have to live with a camera that overheats in the middle of footage. That's not even usable to me. Has Sony not recognized this issue? Will they not allow consumers to return them?

[@dannylu6230]

Flash cable is friction fit, but 4:45 the LCD cable there is not friction fit, it has a latch to be opened before removing the cable. For people trying to mod this camera like me in 2021, just be 1000% careful with this part.

[@dege13]

I have a Nikon One J3 that also overheats. It does it in about 12-15 minutes. It gives no warning, just turns off. It also have no recording LED indicator on the front so if I am recording a video, it is difficult to tell it quit (a mirror has been the best solution so far). To help make it last longer, I took a computer CPU heatsink and put a 1/4 inch bolt in it. Then I made my own 1/4 inch threaded plate, screwed it to the fin part of the heatsink and I have a tripod mountable heatsink that makes the camera last up to 25 minutes at best. The heatsink gets noticeably hot so I know it is working. I have wanted to tear into the camera to try to solve the problem on the inside, but the camera is so compact that I have little faith in there being anything I can do. I also really do not want to break it while in there, like you did. My wife would be furious.

[@wellwh0]

Had Sony Xperia Z3 Compact, that thing also overheat while filming especially 4K. They fixed it with software update - removed 4K capability. Seems like Sony generally has bad thermal management.

[@GabeJohansson]

I've noticed my lighting matters too. Good lighting? 10-12 minutes. Low light? Endless recording. I also record in .mp4 (to use the wifi transfer option), so that helps lessen the load. Honestly, it's great for daily vlogging but pretty terrible for sit-down videos.

[@nicholsliwilson]

I'm so glad we're protected by The Sale of Goods Act 1899 and It's amendments here in the UK. Personally I'd have returned it within the statutory 1 year after purchase as "not fit for the purpose for which it was sold." Sadly the majority of UK consumers have no idea how well protected they are and just put up with crap like a camera with an HD video feature that overheats after around 12 minutes of recording. :/

[@chibibobo]

Nicholas Wilson It looks as though the Sale of Goods Act was replaced by the "Consumer Rights Act" back in Oct 2015.

[@jasonalmont7572]

I believe it is a still camera that can shoot video for short periods. Was never meant to be used for more than 10 minutes or so and I'm sure it says that in the paperwork. So there isn't any consumer protection when you want a product to do more than they're advertised capable of. Just a guess but I'd bet Sony would have a massive law suit if that weren't the case.

[@nicholsliwilson]

Daniel Boa you're quite right of course but the level of protection is still outstanding compared to many countries. :)

[@nicholsliwilson]

Jason Almont Haha! Yes many a company, even companies the size of Sony have made the mistake of thinking they can get away with that kind of argument in court. ;) Like a lot of legislation in the UK the wording is deliberately ambiguous so that common sense can prevail.

[@Evaldas65]

Damn. It's kinda sad to see that camera go but I'm still happy that you found a solution. It's good to know that i'm not the only one who fixes this kind of stuff and fails occasionally. Keep on the good stuff.

[@allluckyseven]

Colin, as a suggestion for a future video, I saw the other day a GBA mod that was taking the screen of a GBA SP and putting it into the case of an original GBA. It doesn't normally fit there, so the guy got a repro shell and cut off a few tabs. The end product looked really awesome.

[@nicholsliwilson]

allluckyseven have a look through Colin's previous videos… ;)

[@ToddsNerdCave]

Hi Colin! Excellent video. I use to shoot my videos with an a5100 last year and loved the camera but ultimately sold the camera off due to it's overheating issues. Found this video very interesting as I have thought about picking up another a5100. I just recently picked up an a6300 and while it overheats too, at least you can get more video recording out of it before it stops recording unlike the a5100. Have you tried using a dummy battery and external psu with your a5100? That's something I never tried and kinda wished I had. I know the batteries in these camera's get terribly hot and since they are so close to the sensor area, perhaps removing the heat from that region will allow you to record longer.

[@ThisDoesNotCompute]

Yes, a dummy battery AC adapter works about as well as the other workarounds (flip screen out, battery door open) -- it adds a couple of minutes at most. If you're in the market for another a5100, I'd advise you to wait, as it sounds like its replacement should be announced soon. Though only time will tell if that camera also overheats.

[@ChrisParayno]

All that work for 5 min of improvement and a broken camera. Thanks for experimenting for us and sacrificing the time.

[@wds555]

It's a little a bit late to comment, but anyway... Thermal pads aren't a good deal. Example: some laptops, when came with cpu and gpu bga welds, the heatsink circuit runs over both, but this processors are not at the same height, so they put a thermal pad on the gap. Well... Getting time bga breaks, because this solution doesn't dissipate properly the heat. So, we fix this fitting on the gap a cooper sheet and thermal paste and done! No more overheat. The important is keeping the contact between the metal surfaces to let heat goes away. Cheers guys!

[@TolmesClerf]

Hey Colin! Really like your videos friend! They are soothing to watch! Keep it up! :D

[@Omaryllo]

You should try again with the heat sink! It appears the space between the heat sink and pads is around 1.5mm? You should get a 1mm sheet of copper, and use heat paste to join it to the heat sink. Then if you can find it, a 0.5mm heat pad. It's just more heat sink and it's closer to the chip. You should also put a heat pad on the other side to connect it to the plastic shell of the camera so the heat can escape easier. Lemme know if you try this!

[@izzieb]

Are you sure that it's not the actual image sensor itself that is the cause? Certainly on similar cameras, recording times and exposure lengths are limited by heat built up in the sensor itself. For example, some cameras won't do exposures longer than 4 seconds to avoid damage. Either way, overheating seems to be a Sony forte. It seems their cameras and their phone cameras all suffer from a similar problem. Perhaps Sony is too conservative with the temperature limits?

[@sjm4306]

It looks like the LCD ribbon connector is fitted to a zif (zero insertion force) not a friction fit like the first connector removed. I winced a little at 2:40 when you tugged it out without lifting the brown tilting bale at the back of the connector. I've had trouble with these connectors in the past since the bale is very fragile and can easily be broken off. It's lucky you found a semi broken replacement camera. I've gotta say though having that tiny thermal pad (which is partially overlapped with the wifi antenna reducing it's effectiveness) and the relatively small heat sinking plate is very poor thermal design and execution on the part of Sony. I would've expected better.

[@ThisDoesNotCompute]

Yeah, I also thought it was a ZIF socket. It's not, which is how I ended up breaking it.

[@Blinkation]

don't feel bad, friction fit are usually white, it looks like a zif, I probably would break it also.

[@SoRealSoReal23]

I think it is a ZiF connector as well. I watched another tear down video were a guy was able to lift the connector’s lid. I wasn’t successful at letting it either. I forced it in any anyway in the end. The result, the LCD works BUT the image quality on the LCD made telling what was in focus nearly impossible, even with focus peaking. It’s like certain colors won’t render properly causing the display to show up as reddish tint .

[@nathanmead140]

Thats why the ps3 gets ylod and ps4 gets blod because of how SONY does their shity cooling Microsoft did the same thing with the Xbox but they fixed that in the newer fats and the slims

[@jesseesierra]

@@ThisDoesNotCompute is the lcd to motherboard a ZIF connector in the a5100? I can't get it to flip and don't want to damage the ribbon cable

[@lifestyleenrichmentlab]

Wow, looks very complicated. I'm planning on purchasing this camera as a vlogger...but this bothers me and my decision making

[@ThisDoesNotCompute]

Gonna be honest...while I generally like Sony products and I like the idea of the a5100, it just doesn’t hold up. If you want a camera for vlogging the Panasonic series would work well, like the G85. They’re still pretty small, have flip-out screens, mic jacks and solid battery life. Overheating is a chronic Sony problem and dealing with it gets really old really quick.

[@lifestyleenrichmentlab]

@@ThisDoesNotCompute I definitely appreciate the honesty and opinion. I will look into those options as well. I don't need my camera overheating all the time 😡 so crazy because I really wanted to get the day in camera. But I can't deal with this all the time

[@daniculturalist5516]

Sony has had huge issues with the camera causing most of their smart phones to overheat too. In fact some reviewers have also noted the new, not yet released flagship Sony XZ flashes up with overheating warnings while using the rear 23MP camera.

[@Alfabetadigital]

Wisdom in a video, your courage encourages not to try anything else beyond the obvious. I wanted to ask: is the timelapse app worth it? Regards from Argentina!

[@ThisDoesNotCompute]

The timelapse app works as advertised, but I find it rather cumbersome to set up. You're also limited to a total of 990 frames, which for some timelapses may be too few. I think the app is useful for traveling, but for serious timelapses you're probably better off using an external timed trigger.

[@TexpatOTG]

I've go several of these ... and live in Saigon .. I don't have a problem, but I don't shoot long takes.

[@jasonreviews]

thanks you help me repair my LCD screen. that's all i needed to watch.

[@ej_tech]

So either get a Sony mirrorless for much more video features like 1080p60, 4K , zebras, focus peaking, clean HDMI out, and better codec but in exchange have no mic jack and deal with overheating issues... or go with a fat ass bulk of a Canon DSLR (what I have now) and can record until my card gets full and have a mic jack, but have to rely on Magic Lantern firmware to get higher bitrate, zebras, and peaking--something that not everyone is comfortable doing.

[@ThisDoesNotCompute]

I ended up switching to the Panasonic GH5...pretty much the best of both worlds. Does everything the Sony does, but doesn't overheat, and can record continuously. I'm planning a follow-up to the A5100 overheating issue; I have an idea and I'm curious if it works.

[@corsegerspwnd]

holy shit .. if this is a know problem why dont you get a refund instead?

[@ifrit35]

Ignoring the problem cost less money than taking care of it.

[@videowhat614]

Mojo No it's far more meant as a stills camera. It's because of its size and it's huge sensor. That's why camcorders with the same sensor are thousands of dollars.

[@zwerne42]

Hey, what about an extra thermal pad between the shield and the heatsink? If the heat doesn't have a way to exit, even with a memory pad it will still be trapped inside the camera.

[@ThisDoesNotCompute]

There's already a pad where those two make contact, though it's not terribly substantial. I plan on revisiting this topic at some point, and have some ideas on ways to improve it further.

[@debalenalang09]

Is the overheating issue when shooting 7 minutes of continues video? what if you pause or stop every minute or 30 seconds, Will it still overheat? i'm interested in getting this as a travel camera taking very short video clips

[@spic3y762]

Did you try putting it in rice?

[@ifrit35]

Sony is well known for their poor heat management for many of their products. I had my share too.

[@Lofote]

No, they are known for making small devices, which means thermal problems becomes faster an issue. It is just physics you know.

[@FreeAimDog]

i hope theres a way to fix this. if not im screwed, dang i been watching videos about this camera and this is the first over heating one i seen. i really hope its not that much of a big issue

[@mertt2156]

have you tried closing back plate without metal heatsink?

[@kalakalachuchu]

So getting a higher mpbs sdxc card is not a solution to overheating ?

[@chelseavergara282]

Hello, do you think that my camera overheated? I used my A5100 video for about 20 mins maybe or more before and now if I turn it on the lens goes on and off.

[@TruscaIulian]

The overheating problem come only in 4k recording? Or it come in 1080p too? Thank's in advance!

[@crnapagoda]

this camera cant record in 4k

[@ChrismediaAlbury]

Why should you go to that length when buying a product?

[@rickramos922]

I have an a5100 I just bought. Didn't know this was an issue beforehand....watching this video made me sigh internally. Oh well, I guess I'll just have to deal with it lol

[@SnowyBlizzardMC]

I must be lucky, mine lasts consistently until 20 mins with a dummy battery lol

[@toozydude2]

So my A4000 stopped turning on and i was looking for a disassembly video. Thanks for that! But i had no idea how to fix it so i just put it back together. and then it worked. (: wtf

[@molecula2215]

so why don`t you use just metal shim 0.75-0.9 mm on both chips?

[@jbx907]

i was thinking, did you see the mics when you disassemble the camera? thinking of making an audio input which the camera does not have, porbably disconnecting the original mic and letting making it an audio line, sure its only a very small FET condenser. replacing or getting an line for external mic would be much better, i did not see the mic in this video or might have not placed it in the video. the overheating issue is no longer a problem with me because if i get it to overheat, a simple restart always gave me another rough 5 minutes of recording every time where i don't need to cool it down when i need to record another clip instantly after over heating.

[@Ifindcosplay]

Thanks, I was gonna try to find one of these used to try to apply this fix to them. Also, what would be an ideal thickness for the thermal pad? 1.5mm if they make that?

[@zatoichiable]

Is the heat problem happens only when recording?

[@diuco17]

I would love so much to just hack the firmware and stop my hx60 from shutting down... Is there any way to do this?

[@AnyaEightySeven]

is it true they rolled out a software update to fix overheating?

[@boicazsolt]

Hy, I saw your video and disassembled my A5100, but I will take a step forward the idea of canceling overheating, at least I hope :) I will put on top of the 2 processors, or over that aluminium heatsink 2 or 4 heatsinks, then I will cut the back of the camera where the heatsinks will be, thisway it will be an open area and probably will cool down more effectively, and as a last thing, I will put a 12V DC brushless cooler over these heatsinks. It will look a bit futuristic, but if this will not solve the overheating problem than nothing will. Now I'm waiting for the thermal pads, because I wil put it, where otherwise metal on metal contact would occure, plus on the processors. Let me know if you consider this a good and effective idea?

[@cris66x88]

tell us how it went

[@ChristopherOrtiz22]

Sucks you couldn't fix the issue but thank for the high quality video enjoyed it.

[@AlexTran]

if you don't want the camera to overheat turn off continuous autofocus and image stabilization, as simple as that.

[@jbx907]

does that really help?

[@suitsoup3283]

Not really, tried it and still get constant temp warnings and shutdowns.

[@angriestphotographer3590]

Note : You shouldn't ReUSE Thermal Pads, and thin Thermal Paste is Superior than Thermal Pads. Dont Give Up, Even 6500$ Nikon D5 will be Overheating in video mode. My suggestion is you can change the heatsink material into copper for better heat transfer

[@nathanmead140]

Solution: buy a 2017 LG K8 and a adjustable mount for a tripod and a 32 GB SanDisk Extreme micro SD card and only use it for videos

[@jaycorrao6648]

It’s a shame as it looks like the perfect vlogging/KZbin camera. I’ll have to look at other options.

[@ThisDoesNotCompute]

Check out the new a6400, it fixes many of the problems with the a5100.

[@ΦροντιστήριοΔρακόπουλος-Κονίδη]

Hi, anybody knows if a dslr will overheat while streaming via capture card for hours? (not recording)

[@JonasZockt]

If you are talking about this one specificaly the answer is No. The a5100 can be used to Stream for days

[@fabianmac-namara8371]

Hello, maybe you can help me. I need to fix the zoom button. Do you know how to get it off the camera? thank you

[@TAGMedia7]

Why not try copper shims with thermal paste?

[@Mohamedahmed331]

Hey this a Sony NEX camera! I have one too is the NEX-5R model and it overheats at 20 minutes

[@aussiezx3017]

i got sony a600 i lucky get 2 video 7 min's before shut off i was thinking getting very small fans sum how install them in camera body one sux air in one pull air out or could someone make small addon body with fans in it move air around inside camera we my have make mod for it get pass the overheating. anyone know were best place buy mini fans.

[@ErikAnders]

What camera does not overheat ?

[@ThisDoesNotCompute]

Panasonic GH5

[@Trommelkiste]

a simple small usb ventilator solves the problem.. over 2h of recording!

[@dmitrykresin]

Did you really try one? Could you suggest a ventilator that works well and not noisy?

[@_IRONJAW]

id like to know as well

[@SandraRaquel19]

It didn't work on my a5100

[@_IRONJAW]

@@SandraRaquel19 try having your power saving mode set to 30 mins, i managed to record atleast 30 mins.

[@STRmw2]

Wait... I could have sworn you had sub 5k subs only a few weeks ago. Or am I imagining things?

[@IKS-Exploration]

What is it with Sony and millions of screws in there cameras lol great videos though :)

[@jbx907]

it seem the chip dont have proper heat sink? will this do for a b roll cam, i need the touch focus really, i cant buy a a6500, not sure if anyone even uses a whole 5 minute clip in edits, most shot i do only last 5-10 secs or maybe 1 minute max or it will be a boring video. does it overheat just being on or only when recording. Im good in electronics, i could mod the mic to have external plug, i just haven't decided on buying the cam, my budget can only go up to an a6300 body and it does not have a touch focus either lol, im very interested in this camera, ill use my s7 edge for longer shots, and this for b roll effect shots

[@ThisDoesNotCompute]

I've never had it overheat while just being turned on, only while recording. A workaround is to connect the camera to an HDMI capture device/card and record externally -- it'll output "clean" video (without any of the on-screen icons, etc) and there will be no recording length limitations either.

[@jbx907]

thank you

[@jbx907]

just bought the a5100 with a zhiyun crane m, im am happy with it

[@jacobyu5050]

many sony cameras have this problem

[@airgunplanet]

My WX500 does not have this kind of problem.

[@legin6487]

I have an a5000 and while changing the outer screen I damaged the connection board Long story short I got a new connection board a new screen and display does not work does anyone have any ideas I would great,t appreciate it.

[@hgfdksk17]

Just experienced this! Didn’t happen my first time using it but now it’s doing it 🙄

[@dhimasfernanda5999]

wyh my sony a5100 button cannot function?

[@jbx907]

nice video colin subscribed

[@cacklinghyena5446]

You looked so disappointed @5:09 😂

[@kaleljorel6741]

Where are you looking at dude... Look at the lens when talking to the camera......

[@FallHasFallen]

first video that i have seen the video 30 minutes after the video

[@AlejandroFerrariMc]

What about watercooling? #SonyMasterRace /s Bummer, since I was planning on replacing my Canon DSLR with the new A6300 : /

[@PureloveproductionsTube]

I thought about doing this.

[@Yogowotsi]

LOVE THE INGENUITY AND PERSISTENCE OF THIS GUY! Most entertaining! Sony: do you read these message boards? If not your empire WILL eventually crumble. This camera line has been disruptively innovative. Let's keep it that way.

[@muttech16]

WTF sony?? not everyone lives in Norway!!

[@democratie_et_esprit_critique]

Na, you can find some Sony users in Greenland, too. :)

[@nathanmead140]

@@democratie_et_esprit_critique and the USA

[@alexal4179]

To prevent this from happening, you need to properly disconnect the wires. kzbin.info/www/bejne/fWGWYpmCrrKGbbs&lc=UgwT1pvbcklHQjreF3R4AaABAg.9me58MhmX9i9meQpLCvnea

[@astr0b1t]

Imma try the linus way

[@valak125]

people made hacks for this cameras and killed overheat

[@AreaGamesID]

Nice video

[@cheemsdoge977]

Same with nex series

[@Silky_boi]

I'm good

[@a1988ditya]

Holy shit Ur a stud man ☺️

[@ReIIay]

in after 6 seconds.