The Sony A7 IV is a superb hybrid camera that expands upon the Sony A7 III solid foundations. It offers many new camera options like full touchscreen control, articulating display with increased quality, and 4K recording at up to 60 frames per second. But with these outstanding features, the operating temperatures are higher, and there is a greater risk of the camera overheating than in earlier models.
In this guide, we look at Sony A7 IV overheating, what causes it, and how to prevent it.
Sony A7 IV Camera Overview
The A7 IV, which replaces the original A7 III, has a new 33MP sensor, the Bionz XR CPU, and significantly improved video capabilities, among other improvements.
Its autofocus system may no longer be superior to the Sony A7R V’s AI-driven tracking. However, it still has some of the most powerful AF capabilities beyond the pro sports cameras.
It does an unfailingly good job of staying on your selected subject when taking images or videos. The only issue with this superior camera model is the overheating of the camera body when in use.
When Does Sony A7 IV Overheat?
Sony A7 IV overheats when you record a video. This is because during video shoots, the processes that typically take a fraction of a second during photo taking—such as flushing data from the sensor, post-production, and encoding to the desired format—proceed continuously.
This continuous process produces a lot of heat. And also, if you’re producing a 4K film for 5 to 10 minutes in the sun, the Sony A7 IV camera may overheat.
Why Does Sony A7 IV Overheat?
The main reason is that Sony A7IV has a larger sensor to process but without a fan. As a result, it can only act as a heatsink on its own, which causes the overheating easily.
With Sony A7 IV, many users report it overheating for ten to fifteen minutes when they start setting it up. This primarily happens when you set the camera heat settings to standard instead of high. The camera only gets warm with high heat threshold settings and facilitates more shooting time without necessarily overheating.
6 Ways to Improve Sony A7 IV Overheating
Here are six things you can do to fix the overheating issue on your Sony A7 IV.
Take Brief Shots
When using a Sony A7 IV, aim to record what you actually need and stop when done or until you’re ready to shoot next. Limiting the recording period allows the camera time between takes to cool down and decrease temperatures before shooting again. Also, this approach facilitates workflow by allowing you to search through short clips and pick what you like rather than working with one larger clip.
Turn On Airplane Mode
If you’re not doing remote shooting on the Sony app, you need to turn off airplane mode as soon as possible.
Turning off WiFi and Bluetooth significantly extends battery life and lowers power usage. Otherwise, they waste a lot of power by always being on or Bluetooth connecting with your previously linked devices.
To do this, go to your network settings there and down at the Network Option, you’ll find the option to turn the airplane mode on/off. Make sure you turn airplane mode on to shoot for longer without the camera overheating as fast.
Shoot Under a Shade
Shooting a high-bit-rate video outside in the sun will increase your risk of overheating. Even if you’re only taking still pictures, the direct sunshine scorching down on the camera raises its body temperatures. Either shoot under a shade or use an item (umbrella) to cast a shadow and create a sun shield over your camera when shooting.
Set Up Power Saving Mode
To avoid leaving the camera switched on in standby mode, set your power saving option to turn the camera off when it’s briefly not in use. Doing so lets the camera completely shut down and cools down below idling degrees. Additionally, since it will be completely switched down, it won’t produce heat if you forget to turn it off yourself or mistakenly leave it on. Go with this option when you can, as it will preserve the heat and your battery.
Open Battery Cover
Leave the battery cover open to provide more airflow routes into the camera body and to reduce its internal temperatures. Thanks to the additional space for hot standing air to pass through, this will gradually assist with lowering the hot temperature of the Sony.
A security clasp keeps the battery from falling out, so you don’t need to worry about that happening.
How to Prevent Sony A7 IV From Overheating?
Here are a few things you can do to prevent your Sony A7 IV from overheating:
- Pull the screen away from the camera body. If you’re shooting with your screen flat on the body, this creates a lot of heat, leading to overheating. By pulling out the screen, you allow the screen to draw some heat away from the camera and pull it down a little bit.
- Don’t cradle the camera in your hand to avoid blanketing the parts with your hands when shooting.
- Because the slow and quick (S&Q) and video modes use more power than photo mode, we recommend waiting until you’re ready to shoot your videos to switch to video mode. This can help prevent unnecessary overheating of your Sony A7 IV.
- If you’re streaming or using an external recorder like your computer, don’t also record to the camera as well. We advise you to let those other gadgets do the heavy lifting for you. This enables the camera to avoid overheating from internal recording.
Did the Firmware Update Fix Sony A7 IV Overheating?
Yes, the camera performs significantly better with the new firmware update, and the overheating issue is minimal. For starters, you can continuously shoot for at least forty minutes without any temperature warning on the screen or the camera shutting off.
At the time of writing, Sony has released a firmware update to try and fix the overheating issue on the A7 IV model. So if you haven’t upgraded your A7, we highly recommend you do so.
In the newer 1.10 version update, they sneaked in a couple of things, including:
- Improved accuracy of the eye autofocus feature.
- It fixed the issue of not taking photos using the SEL2860 lens.
- It also enhances the operational stability of the camera.
You must first upgrade to version 1.05 if you update from a version earlier than version 1.01. After updating to version 1.05 then, you can proceed to update to version 1.10. Note that you won’t be able to update if you attempt to upgrade this version without first updating to version 1.05–you’ll get an error.
To check and verify the system software version of your Sony A7 IV, follow the directions below:
- Choose setup on the camera
- Choose setup version
- Tap on version
If the Date/Time setting screen shows when you switch on your camera, make sure to change/update the date and time to the appropriate current settings.
Bottom Line
One of the most outstanding hybrid mirrorless cameras available now is the Sony A7 IV. It is a true modern all-arounder with class-leading autofocus, excellent picture quality, and potent video functions packed into one adaptable body that mostly justifies its price tag. The primary issue with this camera model, though, is the overheating from even the slightest use. Thankfully, with the tips highlighted in this article, you can now avoid or fix any overheating issues when shooting with the Sony A7 IV!
