How hot should Pocket 4k get?

Hi all,

Just got a new Pocket 4k! Very excited to start using it.

I was running some tests last night to make sure everything was working okay, and I noticed that the camera seems to run extremely hot.

Sitting idle whilst not recording anything (screen on, lens cap off), it gets a little warm underneath, but nothing too crazy. But when I start recording, it gets hot relatively fast. Maybe after 10/15 minutes or so, the mounting points on the top and bottom become extremely hot - almost to the point of not being able to touch them. I can confirm I hear the whirr of the fan inside.

I left it recording for 40 minutes (DCI 4k60, 3:1 to T5) to see if it would shut down or stop recording, but it seems to have recorded everything fine. But it does worry me that it is getting this hot, and I don't know how it would fare out in the sun on a hot day. I am coming from a GH4, which never got more than slightly warm.

So I wondered if this was normal and if other people face this issue?

Thanks in advance for any advice!

My Pocket 4K definitely does not do this. It gets a little warm at most.

It shouldn't get hot. Mine gets warm when recording continuously for 30+ minutes but not hot to the touch. Check if the fans are running and contact BMD if it gets hot to the touch.

It will get warm and sometimes very warm, but certainly not hot "almost to the point of not being able to touch it". If you're in the return/exchange window, exchange it. Otherwise, contact tech support immediately.

warm... hot... little... a lot... hey, put a thermometer on it and provide the temperature as well as the ambient temperature then maybe we'll have something to compare.

Exactly what manufacturer and model and capacity are the cards you’re using for the recordings? CFast2 or SDXC or SSD?

As Jeffrey indicates, ambient temperature may also be a factor these days.

Hi all,

Thanks for your feedback on this.

Unfortunately, I don't have a way to take the temperature of the camera, so having to be rather subjective using touch alone! It seems like most people do not face this issue.

I spoke with Blackmagic Support, who ran their own tests and replicated my setup (4k60 3:1 BRAW to a Samsung T5, ambient temperature about 23c), and they took temperature readings with a thermometer camera. From what the support staff said, interestingly, it sounds like their unit is similar to mine.

The hottest place they recorded was under the camera around the mounting point, which reached 50c.

That being said, it was suggested to me to test another camera, so I am going to get another this week to see if it feels the same to me.

So I will see if that is the same and post back!