Less than a week after the official announcement of the EOS R5 and EOS R6 full-frame cameras, Canon has released an official statement regarding the potential overheating issues during video recording referring to both newcomers.
The company explains in great detail what their engineers did in terms of heat management when filming in 4K and 8K. For instance, the team decided to use a magnesium alloy body for both cameras while omitting the inclusion of a fan to keep the bodies compact and weather-sealed. There’s also a dedicated setting that one can use to reduce overheating during video recording.
Below, you can find Canon’s full statement:
The EOS R5, one of the latest additions to Canon’s full-frame mirrorless camera line, offers class-leading autofocus with high-resolution and high frame rate video recording options using the maximum width of the full-frame sensor at high bit rates. Inevitably, this combination of features has the potential to generate some significant heat, which will limit recording time.
Canon has taken several steps to manage the potential for overheating, including:
- Magnesium alloy was used in the body to dissipate heat away from internal components
- An “overheat control” function to reduce heat generation when the camera is in standby
In regard to the installation of a fan: The decision not to install a fan within the body was made in order to maintain the EOS R5’s compact size, lightweight construction, and weather resistance.
Before recording starts, the EOS R5 and EOS R6 display an estimate of the recordable time based on the current camera temperature and the set recording mode.
Canon has published and included below the approximate recording and estimated recovery times for 23°C / 73°F environments and ensures that the camera will warn users when it is getting too hot. Additionally, tips to reduce overheating as well as recovering time are listed below.
What about the EOS R6?
Like the EOS R5, the EOS R6 offers powerful movie recording and stills capabilities within a compact body design. At the highest frame rates and resolutions, heat is inevitably generated. We believe the EOS R6 offers the best in class performance, especially for enthusiast photographers and video content creators.
The EOS R6 can record up to the 29 minutes 59 seconds recording limit in the 5.1K oversampled 4K 60p mode at (23°C / 73°F) before encountering any heat-related issues within the camera and up to 40 minutes of 4K at 30p.
To avoid the existing overheating limits, Canon offers five bullet points of advice:
- Set Overheat Control function to “ON” (default). When the overheat control function is enabled, the movie size and frame rate are automatically changed while the camera is in standby mode to suppress the rise of the internal temperature
- Between recordings, it is recommended to turn off the camera
- Position the camera out of direct sunlight
- Use an external fan to dissipate heat
Unfortunately, internal Raw recording at those insane resolutions while utilizing such a compact and lightweight camera body comes with certain technical challenges and limitations.
Only time will tell, though, whether these potential issues might turn into a real deal-breaker for EOS R5 and R6 users. For now, at least, this is something that should definitely be taken into account, especially by those who are planning to do lots of continuous video shooting down the line.
[source: Canon]
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Canon EOS R5 Mirrorless Digital Camera
Canon EOS R6 Mirrorless Digital Camera
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