Nikon Z8 Overheating in Camera Mode

[Nimi]

just did a very quick and dirty test.

set up both the z8 and z9 with a 128GB lexar diamond card. i picked this card because i wanted a smaller card so i can use the card-full as a stop point. both with the 14-28 2.8 afixed, lens cap on, ss 1/1600s and 15fps (i was trying to set it to something both could sustain so we'd have the same shooting schedule).

checked starting temp of card
formated-in-camera, shot until card was full
checked ending temp of card

results were basically identical within the margin of error, which, admittedly is pretty big

cards started out about 75F, ended around 85F. but the readings where not super consistent

while i have no doubt the z9 dispels heat faster, the card wasn't super hot coming out of a full 128GB of images

i would be interested what kind of results folks who are seeing this issue have with their cards. is the card hot at the end of the shooting? mine was only warm, consistent with the 85F reading and like 10F rise over nominal

Has ANYONE experienced issues with the 9? I push mine very hard, 8k, long takes, tropics, direct sun, etc and never had an issue. Sony Tough 128 in both slots.

 

[Cameron T]

Has ANYONE experienced issues with the 9? I push mine very hard, 8k, long takes, tropics, direct sun, etc and never had an issue. Sony Tough 128 in both slots.

My first real test will be in 2 weeks, with the airshow here. I'll be out in the heat all day shooting a lot of images all day in the sun. But even in hotter weather we've been having under what I consider my normal shooting conditions (good bursts, but it's wildlife so not constant shooting for 4 hours on end) I haven't seen an issue, using angelbird SE cards as a data point.

 

[John Navitsky]

Has ANYONE experienced issues with the 9? I push mine very hard, 8k, long takes, tropics, direct sun, etc and never had an issue. Sony Tough 128 in both slots.

i have not. i do shoot action so i do have (at times) a fairly hard 20fps lossless compressed shooting schedule (but that's not comparable to high bit video), shoot outdoors, but otoh rarely in anything around 90F ambient (typically highs are more like 80F here). primarily with delkin black v2 and prograde cobalt

 

[Nimi]

i have not. i do shoot action so i do have (at times) a fairly hard 20fps lossless compressed shooting schedule (but that's not comparable to high bit video), shoot outdoors, but otoh rarely in anything around 90F ambient (typically highs are more like 80F here). primarily with delkin black v2 and prograde cobalt

I think the 9 is the only high MP FF hybrid that doesn't overheat. Maybe the R5C, but thats not a real hybrid and has active cooling. The new Lumix S5ii as well, but half the MP. Great vid camera, btw, now that they fixed the AF if anyone is on the market.

 

[PhilM]

Has ANYONE experienced issues with the 9? I push mine very hard, 8k, long takes, tropics, direct sun, etc and never had an issue. Sony Tough 128 in both slots.

I have not and I have used the Z9's longer duration (and in the heat of the day) and harder than the Z8. Not a single heat related issue for me.

 

[O]

I have not and I have used the Z9's longer duration (and in the heat of the day) and harder than the Z8. Not a single heat related issue for me.

Up to 50 degrees and once in 55 degrees, no issue with the Z9, but i am not a wild endless shot gun spray and shoot photographer, and of course never any issue with the D850, D3X, Df, D6, D4s, D3s, D4, LOL

 

[O]

Has ANYONE experienced issues with the 9? I push mine very hard, 8k, long takes, tropics, direct sun, etc and never had an issue. Sony Tough 128 in both slots.

No issues, i wonder what Nikon when they eventually need to follow others in the market into the 60 and 80 mp bench mark.

Only an opinion

 

[O]

It looks like the circuitboard plate connects to the metal plate at the bottom with the tripod mount (around 2:21 in the Kolari Vision teardown) I suspect the circuitboard plate and bottom plate serve as a heat sink and are supposed to get hot as part of keeping the processor cool. What it's lacking is a lot of the conductive heat sink elements of the Z9.

I think little steps to manage heat are going to be important. Dropping the frame rate to 15 fps from 20 fps - or shooting JPEG to reduce the amount of data. Consciously shortening bursts slightly would help. Or switching between cameras to allow cool down time.

That all makes sense Eric,

there are a myriad of different effective easy solutions, what i find hard to deal with why is there a need for a fix, compromise or need for a solution to a problem or potential problem depending on application, when the potential of the issue should have been easily known before hand and prevented with better design, the point is why does a Billion Dollar origination not get something so simple as this right in the first place.

Or was it just simply to capitalize on streamlining production and dump the guts of the camera on this line into the Z9 and this line into the Z8, or if we act quickly we make a fortune in refreshing the Z9 market with a Z8 version for extracting those consumers not wanting a big heavy camera to switch to mirror less, any issues we deal with the fall out depending on how big a issue it is when and if it happens, this seems more the business culture of many companies today.

Do they think there is only a hand full of people that will run into this issue, is it in their mind the target audience in not so much sports action wild life orientated but more so everything else and we know lots of high specs sell as a point of product difference, so it may not be where i am going and they think the Z9 is for the sports action wild life experts and the Z8 is the do everything else camera, ie: make the z9 owners a two camera owner ?

I mean blind Freddy knew some cards had real limitations, and in this application especially with those Z9 specs there would be vulnerabilities.

Again putting a V12 engine into a tiny VW Golf with out having a large or better radiator system smacks of corporate arrogance to get the product out and capture the market before the opposition delivers higher spec new 2024 models that work. I mean if you drive the Golf slow your OK but get into it boiling may be an issue.
I think there is defiantly no head room here. Would limiting the Z8 to 12 or 15 fps make sense or not make sales ?
Maybe its only 1 or 2 % of the market that will have a heat issue, hence all this of no issue.


Did they do testing in the field, and decide to take the risk ?

Its disappointing.

Thankfully these organizations are not in the space or area industry.

Sorry mate, i just find the logic in the design flaws so obvious yet they still pressed on as usual.

Only an opinion

 

[philippe]

Deleted

 

[John Navitsky]

everything has an operating window. nothing just works in any condition. we’re not talking about a design flaw here, we’re just talking about better understanding the operating window.

 

[Cameron T]

That all makes sense Eric,

there are a myriad of different effective easy solutions, what i find hard to deal with why is there a need for a fix, compromise or need for a solution to a problem or potential problem depending on application, when the potential of the issue should have been easily known before hand and prevented with better design, the point is why does a Billion Dollar origination not get something so simple as this right in the first place.

They did get it right. The camera body feeling hot/warm means it's effective at getting heat away from the processor.

There are always tradeoffs, and this is what they went with.

Sorry mate, i just find the logic in the design flaws so obvious yet they still pressed on as usual.

You assume they're flaws, but that's not necessarily the case.

I don't understand the assumption you're making here.

 

[Geoff_G]

LMAO, design flaws. That is so far from reality it makes me laugh.
But hey, I AM biased. I actually own one and think it's one the best cameras I've ever owned.