D800 Getting Warm on the base

[Stagecoach]

I have just spent around 45 minutes playing with focus control from my laptop using the 'ControlMyNikon' programme. This is in preparation for some focus stacking.

When I picked the camera up (which had just been sat on a table) the base of the body was quite warm.

The only thing that would have generated heat would have been the use of Live View which I'm aware is limited to 30mins on.

Has anyone else noted much of a heat build up from Live View?

Ambient here is around 25 deg C at present, cool for us.

[Shadowman]

It is normal for the battery to get warm after extended use, if it continues then remove the battery for a while; if it continues then you might want to get it serviced. Was the camera on a tripod or flat surface during the operation?

[Stagecoach]

It is normal for the battery to get warm after extended use, if it continues then remove the battery for a while; if it continues then you might want to get it serviced. Was the camera on a tripod or flat surface during the operation?

The camera base was flat on the table top on this occasion John, it will be on a tripod when I'm using it for serious shooting, but then it won't be on for long.

I'm not certain it was the battery or battery area, I just quickly turned off. I'll be playing again tomorrow so I'll check to see if the battery has warmed up significantly.

[Manfred M]

The two highest power draw components in a camera are the sensor and the screen on the back. Inconveniently, both are mounted to the camera at approximately at the same location, with one being outside of the case and the other on the inside. The D800 has a metal case (titanium), so it acts as a heat sink and that will conduct the heat away from those two components.

The whole camera body is covered in an elastomer, which is an insulator, so that prevents the heat from being eliminated. Stick that part of the camera on a table top, which is likely made of wood or some kind of polymer (both are also insulators), so the heat will not be conducted away very efficiently.

The EL-15 battery is 7V and 1900 mAH. No surprise at all that you are seeing this issue.

[Stagecoach]

The two highest power draw components in a camera are the sensor and the screen on the back. Inconveniently, both are mounted to the camera at approximately at the same location, with one being outside of the case and the other on the inside. The D800 has a metal case (titanium), so it acts as a heat sink and that will conduct the heat away from those two components.

The whole camera body is covered in an elastomer, which is an insulator, so that prevents the heat from being eliminated. Stick that part of the camera on a table top, which is likely made of wood or some kind of polymer (both are also insulators), so the heat will not be conducted away very efficiently.

The EL-15 battery is 7V and 1900 mAH. No surprise at all that you are seeing this issue.

What I'm looking for Manfred is if others have come across noticeable heat build up with similar use rather than speculation.

[Manfred M]

What I'm looking for Manfred is if others have come across noticeable heat build up with similar use rather than speculation.

I just ran an experiment with the D810. I turned the screen brightness up to +5 and turned on LiveView and left the camera sitting on a wooden table for just over 30 minutes. The area that I did the test is around 20C.

At the end of the test period, the table, camera bottom and screen cover were slightly warm to the touch using the back of my hand.

I also discovered that there seems to be a mechanism that turns the screen display setting back to "0" after a while. I don't know if this is using a timer or if there is an on-board sensor that does that. All I know is that the screen was not at the setting I had left it at.

I realize that the D810 is not the same camera as the D800, so can't comment on how the two compare, but I can confirm that there is some heat buildup in the areas that you noted on your camera.

[Stagecoach]

I just ran an experiment with the D810. I turned the screen brightness up to +5 and turned on LiveView and left the camera sitting on a wooden table for just over 30 minutes. The area that I did the test is around 20C.

At the end of the test period, the table, camera bottom and screen cover were slightly warm to the touch using the back of my hand.

I also discovered that there seems to be a mechanism that turns the screen display setting back to "0" after a while. I don't know if this is using a timer or if there is an on-board sensor that does that. All I know is that the screen was not at the setting I had left it at.

I realize that the D810 is not the same camera as the D800, so can't comment on how the two compare, but I can confirm that there is some heat buildup in the areas that you noted on your camera.

That's useful Manfred.

With my situation the camera rear LCD screen was never on during the period at all, I was tethered to a laptop.

With regard to 'actual' camera body temp around the base all I can say is that I considered it both high and unusual.

Whilst I can understand the sensor generating heat I would not expect that to be more noticeable at the base of the camera compared to the rest.

Continual focusing 'may' be causing a load on the battery.

[JBW]

With the usual caveat about different cameras... when I use live view my battery definitely gets warmer than when I'm not tethered. Not overly warm but definitely warmer.

[Stagecoach]

With the usual caveat about different cameras... when I use live view my battery definitely gets warmer than when I'm not tethered. Not overly warm but definitely warmer.

I have had another session today Brian for about the same duration but using the D300 with a 50mm on it. Whilst there was some warmth around the battery area it was nothing like what I experienced with the D800, 105mm and tubes yesterday.

Unfortunately I wasted hours trying to get the communication working again between cameras and tether programmes which eventually turned out to be driver problems.

But I have now just found I can't AF with tubes fitted between the D800 and 105mm so have another problem to trace

[george013]

I have had another session today Brian for about the same duration but using the D300 with a 50mm on it. Whilst there was some warmth around the battery area it was nothing like what I experienced with the D800, 105mm and tubes yesterday.

Unfortunately I wasted hours trying to get the communication working again between cameras and tether programmes which eventually turned out to be driver problems.

But I have now just found I can't AF with tubes fitted between the D800 and 105mm so have another problem to trace

You even can't use the AF directly on the camera, with the tubes? If not, what tubes do you use?

George

[JBW]

I have had another session today Brian for about the same duration but using the D300 with a 50mm on it. Whilst there was some warmth around the battery area it was nothing like what I experienced with the D800, 105mm and tubes yesterday.

Unfortunately I wasted hours trying to get the communication working again between cameras and tether programmes which eventually turned out to be driver problems.

But I have now just found I can't AF with tubes fitted between the D800 and 105mm so have another problem to trace

Ouch. Wasnh't it Scotty from Star Trek who noted that the more complicated the machinery the easier it was to break it? I wish you luck.

[Stagecoach]

You even can't use the AF directly on the camera, with the tubes? If not, what tubes do you use?

George

I have just gone through a process of elimination and found that the pin continuity on the 12 mm tube is faulty. The 20 and 36 mm stacked are giving AF control now from both camera and tethered.

Fortunately it's a simple job to strip these Kenko tubes and fix them.