p.1 #1 · Sony FX3, A7S III or another videocamera?
I have a Sony A7 IV for my photos and occasional filming. Last Friday I was at a sofa concert and unfortunately the Sony often switched off after a few minutes due to overheating (setting was: XAVC S-I 4K, 30p, 300M, 4:2:2 10 bit).
Basically, the A7 IV was enough for me so far, but I was also a little disappointed that I had to switch it off all the time. I have now also set "Automatic OFF temperature" to "High". I would now have to test it again to see how much later it switches off.
Today I received an order to photograph and film a school circus event. I would like to use that as a reason to buy a second (video) camera. I would then use it to film the four events in parallel on a tripod.
The best thing would probably be a camera with an active fan, I only found the FX3 from Sony and the EOS R5C from Canon. Both have an active fan and should easily be able to film the two-hour event.
As an alternative, I was thinking about the old Sony A7S III. It probably has a better passive ventilation system, but I don't know any more than that.
And I think I filmed with the A7 IV in 4k/30. The information I've found about the A7S III so far says that it lasts 1-2 hours at 4k/60. So it should last much longer at 4k/30, right?
Well, now I'm wavering between the three cameras:
Sony FX3
Sony A7S III
Canon EOS R5C
p.1 #2 · Sony FX3, A7S III or another videocamera?
A big part of the A7S III heat advantage is that it uses a lower-resolution sensor that doesn't require oversampling to produce good 4K output. The computation from oversampling a large volume of data generates a significant amount of heat.
p.1 #4 · Sony FX3, A7S III or another videocamera?
snapsy wrote:
A big part of the A7S III heat advantage is that it uses a lower-resolution sensor that doesn't require oversampling to produce good 4K output. The computation from oversampling a large volume of data generates a significant amount of heat.
Ah, perfect, that's a good tip, of course. That would give an A7S III a clear advantage over my A7 IV.
But does that mean that an A1, for example, with its high megapixel count wouldn't be a good choice for filming? Or rather, I would choose other Sony cameras apart from the A7S III and FX3 if they didn't overheat.
p.1 #5 · Sony FX3, A7S III or another videocamera?
Donbioh wrote:
Ah, perfect, that's a good tip, of course. That would give an A7S III a clear advantage over my A7 IV.
But does that mean that an A1, for example, with its high megapixel count wouldn't be a good choice for filming? Or rather, I would choose other Sony cameras apart from the A7S III and FX3 if they didn't overheat.
How does the heat develop at 4K/30 and 4K/60?
Cameras with higher-density sensors will have a harder time avoiding overheating but there are other factors that must be considered on a camera-by-camera basis. Newer cameras have more efficient image processing ASIC chips that generate less heat than previous generations. Generally, the larger the camera the better it's able to dissipate the heat it generates. While newer models may be less susceptible to overheating vs older, the only cameras which can guarantee they wont overheat in any situation are those with built-in fans.
4k/60 oversampled generates significantly more heat than 4k/30 oversampled since it has 2x the data load.
p.1 #7 · Sony FX3, A7S III or another videocamera?
ftllens wrote:
They have those fan attachments now for Sony bodies on amazon. If you use your a74 you could get one of those so you can use as a backup recording.
I'd go fx3 for video usage for the quality of life options.
Thanks for the tip. A Smallrig fan could be the solution.
Then it could also be a Sony A7C II, with this Smallrig fan attached and a power bank, one on the A7C II and one on the fan.
With that I should be able to film comfortably for 2 hours. In any case it would be much cheaper than an A7S III or FX3.
p.1 #8 · Sony FX3, A7S III or another videocamera?
Have you checked out Sony's FX30?
Super 35/APS-C fan-cooled and quiet. Good value at $2k
You might also consider shooting with your A7IV in XAVC-S instead of XAVC-SI to reduce heating. Switching the cutoff temp to High as you've already done should noticeably help increase record times.
p.1 #9 · Sony FX3, A7S III or another videocamera?
I came in to chime in on the FX30. Currently on sale brand new for $1600. No it's not full frame but watch the video below and it will help you decide which is best for your shooting style.
p.1 #10 · Sony FX3, A7S III or another videocamera?
if you are going to consider a fan. save some money and get the ZV-E1. same sensor as Fx3/A7s iii. No mechanical shutter, however, it takes excellent photos (I've used on pro photography shoots as a second camera).
p.1 #11 · Sony FX3, A7S III or another videocamera?
Today I took a photo indoors with the A7 IV and the setting that it doesn't switch off so quickly and I got 1 hour and 10 minutes. The camera was very warm/hot, but I think with a power bank and Smallrig fan I can easily manage 2 hours. So I'm probably going to buy an A7C II for videos. Much cheaper than an FX3 and sufficient for normal 4K filming.
p.1 #13 · Sony FX3, A7S III or another videocamera?
I have a pair of A7R5's but broke down and bought a FX3 for video last fall. Phenomenal video camera and a low light beast which is the main reason I bought it. AMAZING in low light!!! I don't hesitate a bit to bump the ISO to 12,800 which I do a lot. Probably an updated version of it coming out sometime this year.
p.1 #15 · Sony FX3, A7S III or another videocamera?
I have four a7S3 and two A1 used every Saturday from March to June (HS Track) and August to Nov (HS Cross Country) for video recording continuously 6-12 hours in 80F to 102F. Here are what I learned over four years of this punishing schedule:
1. Under 85F - Sony A7S3 recording in 4k60 at 200 Mb/s no overheating in direct sunlight 10-12 hours continuous. Sony alpha1 recording 8k30 at 520 Mb/s requires a fan powered by a 5v powerbank for 10-16 hours continuous. I have video on this fan on Youtube.
2. 86F-95F - Sony A7S3 recording in 4k60 will need an umbrella shade; fan not needed. Sony A1 in 8k30 requires umbrella shade, fan .
3. 95F-104F - A7S3 needs shade + fan; Sony a1 needs fan, shade and frozen gel pack (the kind for athletic injuries) over body and lens for continuous 10-12 hours recording.
I wavered between FX3 and a7S3; in the end, I picked the a7S3 because (a) it has an awesome viewfinder; (b) $300 cheaper (or $1200 total for 4 A7S3).
BTW - between the a7S3 and A1, the image quality are stellar until about 4000 ISO for both and then the a7S3 really stands out starting at 12,800 ISO to 25,600 ISO. If cost wasn't an issue and recording below 12800, I would pick the a1 because the 8K allows reframing.
p.1 #16 · Sony FX3, A7S III or another videocamera?
Donbioh wrote:
I have a Sony A7 IV for my photos and occasional filming. Last Friday I was at a sofa concert and unfortunately the Sony often switched off after a few minutes due to overheating (setting was: XAVC S-I 4K, 30p, 300M, 4:2:2 10 bit).
Basically, the A7 IV was enough for me so far, but I was also a little disappointed that I had to switch it off all the time. I have now also set "Automatic OFF temperature" to "High". I would now have to test it again to see how much later it switches off.
Today I received an order to photograph and film a school circus event. I would like to use that as a reason to buy a second (video) camera. I would then use it to film the four events in parallel on a tripod.
The best thing would probably be a camera with an active fan, I only found the FX3 from Sony and the EOS R5C from Canon. Both have an active fan and should easily be able to film the two-hour event.
As an alternative, I was thinking about the old Sony A7S III. It probably has a better passive ventilation system, but I don't know any more than that.
And I think I filmed with the A7 IV in 4k/30. The information I've found about the A7S III so far says that it lasts 1-2 hours at 4k/60. So it should last much longer at 4k/30, right?
Well, now I'm wavering between the three cameras:
Sony FX3
Sony A7S III
Canon EOS R5C...Show more →
In my experience, when set to high, the A7IV will last about 40-50 min (and its hot here, think Florida weather)
Add the FX2 and FX30 to your list. With the apsc FX30 you may want a wide apsc lens like the 10-20, and then you can use your FF lenses for everything else.
With video cameras you generally trade weather sealing for active cooling.
Note that if you use the non-over-sampled modes on your A7IV, it is unlikely to overheat. IIRC the 1080p modes are not over-sampled.
