Epic total failure after overheating URGENT

[Patrick Lawler]

While on a shoot just now in a slightly warm room my Epic stated that it had overheated and was going to shut down. I waited for it to cool off, then rebooted it, it said "warning improper shutdown" but would not let me press the okay button to continue. The histogram at the bottom was extremely jagged and would not change no matter where I pointed the camera (improper shutdown warning still visible, unable to hit "ok")


After a force-restart the fan does not turn on and only colorbars show up on my EVF indefinitely. I then tried to re-install the firmware, the green light started blinking but the fan did not run on high or run at all for that matter. It is now stuck either on with no fan and only color bars, or off.

Anyone seen this before? Know how to fix it?

[Patrick Lawler]

BTW I'm on the most current release build firmware

[BigLu]

Do you know what your fan was set at?

[Uli Plank]

Never seen this – we had overheating before, but it always went down gracefully and worked fine when it got cooler.

You may need to ask RED for support.

[Joseph Hutson]

Patrick, you should probably save a log file from your EPIC and send it to RED SUPPORT for diagnosis by filing a tech support ticket here http://www.red.com/contact_us.

Sorry to hear about this happening to you...

[Patrick Lawler]

Thanks guys!

BTW. my fan was set on auto at the default values.

[Judy Lehmberg]

I had exactly the same experience except shooting under different conditions. I shoot wildlife. I was in Yellowstone. It was literally freezing, snowing, and the wind was blowing so hard I didn't notice my fan wasn't running. In fact I didn't notice anything was wrong until I got the "camera is over heating and will shut down now" but it wasn't those exact words. Before it shut down I looked at the temp. I don't remember the first number but the second one was 84 C!!!! I let it cool for over an hour and turned it back on. It ran fine except the fan never came on so I turned it off. I contacted RED and they said I needed a new fan and that it had failed because I was using the camera in "extreme" conditions. I guess extreme = outside. I had about 80 hours on the camera when the fan failed. RED sent me a new fan at no charge and trusted me to install it. (Two screws. Very easy.) It cost me a couple of days but at least I didn't have to send the camera in, which would have cost much more time. I have already ordered, and received, another fan so I will be ready the next time. I love my Epic and wouldn't trade it for any camera I know of, but it seems to me they are using a fan that is designed for studio conditions only. Wildlife shooters are a small minority of Epic users, but I would still like a beefier fan.

Judy

[Russ Fill]

I just got back from 4 months of shooting in the Philippines, shooting wild life and many other situations on days over 100 degrees and during rain and wind and never had any problems but my settings are always on manual and around 30 to 50% when rolling and 65 to 70% when not depending on the situation. Never is the fan not running and I have never had any problems. I am always thinking about and using power and heat management almost always. IE turning the camera off when not going to be using it. And not parking it in full sun waiting for a shot.
Very sorry to hear about your over heating problems. Makes me want to think about having a extra fan travel with me incase it happens to me.

[Roy Rossovich]

I've had several overheating situations on my scarlet shooting in "extreme" conditions but instead of the camera dying i just get corrupt footage when the camera goes over a certain temp. I know the Epic has a higher threshold then the Scarlet so maybe the Epic just gives out instead once it hits it's high marks..

[Patrick Tresch]

Roy,
Aren t Epic and Scarlet bursting the fan @ 100% at the same temp when reaching 45 / 75 ?

Pat