We thought with the Sony A6500 that the overheating issue days with Sony would be over, but apparently not. Eterprising user, Brian Windle, over on Thingiverse, however, has developed a solution. It’s a 3D printed bracket that houses a couple of USB-powered fans to blow cool air onto the back of the camera underneath the LCD.
The bracket clips onto the Sony A7III eyepiece and then holds two 5v 30mm Raspberry Pi fans, wired in parallel, down below the back of the camera body beneath the LCD. This forces cool air onto the back of the camera, carrying away the heat as it escapes out the sides.
There are some caveats, though. You will, obviously, need some kind of USB power source, too. But a little power bank isn’t that expensive and shouldn’t add too much weight to the setup. He also says that while the fans don’t vibrate the camera and aren’t very loud, they are picked up by the internal microphone. So, you’ll want to use an external microphone or record audio separately and sync in post. It’s a neat concept. How well it works, though, I’ve no idea, because I haven’t printed it (I don’t need to, I don’t have an A7III), although the description on Thingiverse seems to suggest that it does. There’s no word on what material he printed the bracket with, but given that it’s designed to deal with overheating issues, I’d probably avoid PLA and print it in something like PETG or ABS instead. This isn’t the only Sony accessory Brian has made. He’s also created a Sony NP-FZ100 dual battery holder, Sony ECM-XM1 microphone XLR mount, Sony ECM-XM1 hotshoe mount and an A7III LCD hood. [via Sony Alpha Rumors]
