If you are sick of cameras having 30-minute recording limits for video then you are not alone.
Luckily the Sony A7S III (ILCE-7SM3) has ditched this annoying “feature”, so there is no 30-minute video recording time limit.
But this doesn’t mean you can just record continuously forever…
Sony A7S III
One of the best mirrorless cameras for videographers and filmmakers.
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How Long Does The Sony A7S III Record Before Stopping?
The maximum continuously recordable time on the Sony A7S III is 13 hours.
However, it is unlikely you will actually get to this time limit of 13 hours due to memory card capacity.
To even get close to this upper limit of 13 hours of continuous recording time you will need the ‘Auto Power Off Temp.’ setting set to ‘High’.
The ‘Auto Power Off Temp.’ setting controls when the camera will turn off if it gets hot.
When Auto Power Off Temp. is ‘Standard’
When set to ‘Standard’ the temperature threshold for the camera is lower, so you can’t record as long.
Below are some approximate recording times when ‘Auto Power Off Temp.’ is set to ‘Standard’
Ambient temperature: 25°C (77°F)
- XAVC S HD: Approx. 30 minutes
- XAVC S 4K: Approx. 30 minutes
Ambient temperature: 40°C (104°F)
- XAVC S HD: Approx. 30 minutes
- XAVC S 4K: Approx. 30 minutes
When Auto Power Off Temp. is ‘High’
When set to ‘High’, the temperature threshold for the camera is higher, so you can record for longer.
Below are some approximate recording times when ‘Auto Power Off Temp.’ is set to ‘High’:
Ambient temperature: 25°C (77°F)
- XAVC S HD: Approx. 120 minutes
- XAVC S 4K: Approx. 90 minutes
Ambient temperature: 40°C (104°F)
- XAVC S HD: Approx. 90 minutes
- XAVC S 4K: Approx. 60 minutes
Do note that these are just approximate timings and depend on things like how hot the camera is before beginning to record and the ambient temperature.
i.e If the ambient temperature is 20°C then the camera should get more than 120 minutes at XAVC S HD and more than 90 minutes at XAVC S 4K.
As a general rule of thumb, the lower the resolution and frame rate, the longer you will be able to record without the camera getting hot.
How To Maximise Continuous Recording Time On The Sony A7S III
To get higher continuous recording times on the Sony A7S III, you need to change the Auto Power Off Temp. setting to high.
To change the ‘Auto Power Off Temp.’ to ‘High’ do the following:
- Go to the ‘Setup’ menu (this is the yellow tab).
- Go to ‘Auto Power Off Temp.’
- Set this to ‘High’.
This will let the camera stay on for longer at higher temperatures.
Just be sure to try and use a tripod instead of recording handheld as the camera may get hot after a while.
Even though there is technically a limit of 13 hours, your SD card will pretty much always fill up before you get to this limit anyways.
Note: The limits are based on ‘normal’ operating conditions. If the temperature of the camera gets too hot then the recording time may actually be lower than the limits stated above.
Tips To Avoid Overheating On The Sony A7S III
As mentioned earlier the estimated recording time available is based on normal operating conditions at different temperatures and 13 hours is the technical upper limit.
If the camera gets too hot then your actual recording time will be lower.
In general, the Sony A7SIII is a solid camera and it’s rare that it will overheat for most people’s usage.
This is especially true since the Sony A7S III is a camera that is video-focused and has improved cooling compared to older Sony models.
I’ve included some tips below just in case you want to be extra careful.
Here are some tips to make sure your Sony A7S III can stay cool:
- To get the most out of your camera, try to turn it off when it is not being used so it can cool down between recordings.
Not only will this let it cool down, but it will also save battery life.
- You can also move the touch screen away from the camera body.
This will allow more heat to dissipate from the camera and let it cool off faster.
- Keep the camera out of direct sunlight to keep the temperature of the camera body lower.
These tips will help you reduce the chance of your Sony A7S III overheating.
Conclusion
You should now know that the absolute maximum continuous recording time on the Sony A7S III is approximately 13 hours.
We hope you found this post useful.
Sony A7S III
One of the best mirrorless cameras for videographers and filmmakers.
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