Keeping an Sony PMW EX1 XD cool

[Andrew Langcake]

Hi,

 

I have a shoot scheduled for late summer in the middle of the desert and, while I am investigating the possibilities of using film instead of digital to minimise the risk of our camera failing in the extreme heat, due to our limited budget it may not be an option. The other option would be to use a Sony PMW EX1 XD, but our D.P. is very nervous about such a camera failing / shorting in such conditions.

 

I was wondering if anyone could possibly offer any advice about keeping an EX1 cool in such conditions to try to minimise the risk of it failing due to the heat?

 

For your information, the desert shoot will take place over six days.

 

Also, sorry if this is in the wrong forum, but I assumed the EX1 was a prosumer camera due to the studio we would be hiring from, which seems to only stock prosumer cameras.

 

Thanks very much,

Andrew.

[Adrian Sierkowski]

Keep it in the shade when you can over there, just as you would any camera, and try to keep air moving cross it when you can. This will help to dissipate heat. I am not sure how the camera will react in the desert. . .but I'd recommend taking it to one if you can for a day of testing.

[Jonathan Bowerbank]

The EX1 isn't like the Red, which generates a certain amount of internal heat thus necessitating a method of keeping it cool. The EX1 is "solid state", so there aren't any moving parts inside, just electronics. If anything, what you should be worrying about most is how to keep the laptop and hard-drives cool for when you're dumping the footage from the cards!

 

I shot a short with it a couple weeks ago, all exteriors, and the camera body itself kept quite cool, even when it was out in the sun for a considerable amount of time. Mind you, I'm in San Francisco where heat isn't really an issue most of the time.

 

So as long as you can manage to get a courtesy up (flag on a c-stand) for the camera & cam op, the camera should work perfectly fine in the desert.

 

And yes, the EX1 is technically "Prosumer". But it's part of the Sony Cinealta line, so they've made an effort to give it that professional quality as well...except for that damn microphone sticking out over the lens!!! It is a nice lens, though.

Edited October 15, 2008 by Jonathan Bowerbank

[Andrew Langcake]

Ahh, thanks guys, that really puts my mind at ease. I'll make sure to keep it in the shade and see if I can't get a decent sized fan pointed at it whenever possible.

 

We do intend to travel out there a month before the shoot to do some equipment tests so I guess that will be the perfect time to work it out.

 

Thanks again!