Modding Sony ZV-E10

[indolering]

The Sony ZV-E10 is Sony’s semi-pro vlogging camera, but this $700 camera can only record 4K video for 30 minutes before hitting thermal limits. Frustrated by it’s limitations, I attached a 40mm case fan directly behind the camera, which kept the camera from overheating even in a 90F room (albeit using HDMI instead of recording to an SD card). After digging around I found this mod of the Canon R5 which greatly reduced thermal shutdowns by swapping the flat aluminium heatsink with a copper one that extends to the camera’s case.

 

Encouraged by my experiments and research, I opened up the camera:

 

 

Sadly, the heatsink isn’t a flat plate that I can just CNC:

 

 

I mocked up the heatsink and fabricating a copper replacement would cost ~$60 on i.materialise. But that would require a 3d scanner and/or lots of time spent 3D modelling. But I don’t think that is necessary, as the entire design is garbage:

• There is a 1mm pad attached to the heatsink beneath square D. It is roughly above the chip in square B but only extends partially across to the chip in square C. I’m assuming this is a thermal pad, not an insulator.
• There is a small thermal pad above square D (as seen in the photo).
• There is a thin black plastic sheet between the heatsink/thermal pad and the PCB/chips which (based on the ZV1 service manual) is an “interception sheet”. It feels like old-skool camera film or anti-static material. I’m assuming it prevents shorting, which a non-conductive thermal pad would do as well.
• There is an air gap between the heatsink and the case. Prior testing showed that the center of the case reached ~50c while the top reached ~77c. So direct thermal contact to the body should improve performance.

I had a few modding ideas and concerns:

1. Swapping out the existing 1mm thermal pads with a 1.5mm high performance Gelid pads and cutting a hole in the “interception sheet” to allow direct contact.
2. Replacing the interception sheet with a .5mm thermal pad.
   1. But would this distribute too much heat to the PCB components?
   2. Will the thermal pad deteriorate and compromise the electrical shielding?
3. Adding a 3mm thermal pad to the top of the heat sink.
   1. Would this impact the ribbon cables?
4. Filling in square A with a thermal pad and/or a thermal putty.
   1. Is there a thermal putty that A: won’t run, and B: has a better w/mK than 5? I saw someone recommend Ceramique as a gap filler, but that isn’t cited as a use-case on the manufacturer’s website.

Any other thoughts or advice would be greatly appreciated!

[MiloPlacas]

Seems like a great project, the pressed copper seet wold b e the dificult part to do. But seems like a great way to get unlimited record times, that with an added fan would make the camera perfectly coof for a really long shot. Im looking to do the same project to a ZV-E1 FF that will be a cheap camera for a great video.