Sony a6400 Overheating? Here is How to Fix It

The Sony A6400 is an excellent camera for anyone who is looking to get into photography. Unlike some of the older DSLR cameras, this modern mirrorless is small thanks to an APS-C sensor but also packs all the modern features and one of the best image qualities, as well.

The camera has become a fan favorite for a lot of people, especially those who are looking for something small and handy because you can carry it with ease.

Not just that, Sony’s color science is known for creating some of the best-looking images and if you genuinely are searching for something that will result in great-looking pictures as well as videos, the Sony A6400 is the way to go and you will not be disappointed by it, either. For the videographers, the camera is great, too. You might need a good gimbal to get the smoothest shots but other than that, it works like a charm.

However, there are users who have asked me numerous times about how I stop Sony A6400 from overheating, and to be honest, this is something that has been a concern for a lot of us over the past years, and in most cases, finding out the actual cause is not as easy as one might think.

Dealing with Camera Overheating Warning

Still, we are going to take a look at some methods that can help you keep the Sony A6400 from overheating, and it definitely is something that can be useful for a lot of people.

Before we begin, if you are wondering about how to deal with a camera’s overheating warning, I would suggest keeping the camera somewhere 65-75F, with 20-80% humidity. This will ensure that the battery heat is taken care of and there is no overheating issue that can come in the way.

Sony a6400 Overheating and All Possible Fixes

Why is My Sony A6400 overheating?

This is not something that one should let go of easily. Sure, most of the electronics that have a battery in them do overheat. Our smartphones overheat all the time and that is something that one should not worry about until you have reached a point where things are getting weird and too hot.

With that said, if you are wondering why is my Sony A6400 overheating, then there might be some issues that are a lot more serious than one might think. Still, I am going to list down a few reasons that might be there, in the first place.

Some of these issues can actually be resolved rather easily, while other issues might require expert input. Still, we are going to take a look at a few reasons why the camera might be overheating. After all, dealing with excessive battery heat or some other overheating issue is not something that people want to go with.

1- Faulty Battery

The first reason that might be causing the camera to overheat is something as simple as a faulty battery. Now, I do understand that the chances of this happening are not as common as one might think because camera batteries are very enduring but hey, they are just batteries at the end of the day, and running into issues happens all the time.

You do not have to go ahead and worry about this, though. Camera batteries are inexpensive and I would suggest that you try out a new battery and see if the overheating persists. You should also try opening the battery door to see if that fixes the issue. Simply put, opening the battery door will allow the battery to actually have some room to breathe and this might stop the overheating warning.

I would also suggest that you carry a spare battery as a general practice. Something I tell all photographers; hobbyists, as well as professionals is that would normally be the right thing to do.

Changing the battery should get rid of the overheating issue but if it does not, we have a few more suggestions for you.

2- Prolonged Use

One more issue that I have seen happening all the time is that when you are using the camera for prolonged periods, it tends to overheat and while that might not sound like a big issue for a lot of people, it certainly is something that one needs to avoid, to begin with. Whether you are using the camera to record video, especially when it is continuous recording and your camera overheats or the LCD screen becomes hot to touch.

Therefore, it is always suggested that you give your camera a much-needed break because if you are not doing it, things might go wrong and your camera might stop working altogether.

One of the most common reasons that your camera might be overheating is that you are shooting in 4K. I do understand that 4K is something that a lot of people love, but hey, it does come with some limitations and you should be aware of it, too.

Solution? Well, keep your camera actively cool, and also be sure that you are taking breaks between shooting the videos and that is a good way to get that sorted.

3- Outdated Firmware

Moving further, another thing that you need to know is that the Sony A6400 originally did suffer from an overheating problem. This would happen when you are recording videos and in some instances, when you are taking pictures, as well.

However, it is important to understand that Sony did launch a firmware that more or less fixed the issue of overheating. This means that most of the modern Sony A6400 that are available and running the latest firmware are now free of the issue.

Still, if you keep running into this issue, I would highly suggest that you go ahead and upgrade the firmware in order to free yourself from this problem because it can be an issue for a number of reasons and we do not want the camera to ultimately fail.

4- Sunlight and Other Heat Sources

I know this might sound like a strange thing but have you ever wondered why most companies suggest that you are keeping the devices away from direct sunlight or other heat sources? That is because protecting the equipment from heat is incredibly important and if you are not doing it, things might go wrong and you do not want to run into such issues.

If your Sony A6400 is overheating, I would highly suggest that you are not only looking into protecting it from heat but also from other similar sources because you do not want to run into issues of your camera ultimately failing.

5- Faulty Hardware

Another reason why your camera might be overheating refers to something that is perhaps the scariest as well. The camera could simply be overheating and while one would think that it is not really that big of an issue, it certainly is something that can create problems for a lot of people.

If you are experiencing heat-ups and none of the above reasons is the culprit behind it, there is a high chance that you are facing faulty hardware and my first and only suggestion would be that you take the camera to someone professional so they can have a look at it and sort things out for you.

How to Keep the Sony A6400 Cool?

Now that we are done looking at all the ways that the Sony A6400 can end up getting really hot, we are going to look into some ways that you can use to keep it cool. Remember, cameras getting hot is not something that is as common as you might think. Sure, the famous case of Canon EOS R5 is still there, but that was because of reasons that were valid, to say the least. Plus, that camera did bring monstrous specs and claims, so it was bound that something like this could happen.

The Sony A6400, on the other hand, is a seemingly trouble-free and bug-free camera. Still, if you wish to know how to keep it cool, we are going to take care of some of the most common aspects of it. So, let’s not waste time and have a look at a number of aspects that can help you cool the camera.

1- Taking Breaks

Now, unlike most of the recent cameras, the Sony A6400 does not come with a set limit as to how far it can go in terms of usage. Whether you are recording a video or taking pictures, there is no limit to the actual recording or shooting time, for that matter.

With that said, if you are shooting videos, or even taking pictures, I would highly advise that you take breaks in the middle. I do understand that you do not want to miss out on all the fun that you might be able to capture but hey, there is a chance that the heat generated by your camera might kill it and instead of letting that happen, it would be infinitely better than you are avoiding it altogether.

If you feel the camera overheating and hot to the touch, turn it off and wait for it to cool down, and then you can resume shooting.

2- Replace the Batteries

If the above-mentioned fix is not helping you keep your camera maintain the temperatures and remain cool, then there is a chance that you are using a battery that is faulty. Now, faulty batteries can be a scary thing because well, things do turn ugly real quick if they want to but the best way to deal with this situation is that you are looking into using a different battery for the time being.

If you are using a different battery and your camera is not heating up anymore, then you know the culprit and it is easier to replace a battery.

However, just as a general practice, I suggest that everyone carries a spare battery with them even if they have never encountered an overheating camera. It’s generally considered the right thing to do.

3- Powering Down the Camera

Now, I know this is something that most of us are doing almost every single day but I have met a lot of photographers and videographers who have a habit of not powering down the camera because, to them, it only slows them down. Sure, this could be looked at as a valid reasoning but modern cameras are fast to boot up, and even better, when you do shut them down, the cameras get some time to relax and cool down.

If you are not using your camera at all, simply power down and you are good to go.

4- External Power Sources

I know this might sound like a strange thing but most of the time, the battery is the main culprit in case you are facing heat ups and I do understand if you want to stick to using the battery but if you genuinely are running into an issue, I would suggest that you are using an external power source as it would make it infinitely easier for you to go ahead and use the camera and not be in any confusion.

The A6400 can be used with a power bank or through some other external power source and that should eliminate the heating issues, to begin with.

If you are still running into issues, I would highly suggest that you check out this very helpful video about the Sony A6400 overheating and possible fixes, too.

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

I do understand that the Sony A6400 is an incredible camera but let’s be honest, no one really likes running into issues with overheating. After all, if you have dropped so much money on hardware, it would be a sad state to see it go up in flames or develop some other faults because it ended up generating a lot of heat.

Thankfully, this guide is for fixing Sony A6400 overheating streaming problems if it helps with the overheating that has been the main issue for a lot of people. If you are still facing overheating problems, I would highly suggest that you take your camera to a service center and have it looked at by a professional.