Action 5 Pro overheating… any fixes?

Seeking Help
1

We got an Action 5 Pro in November for my son to record his outdoor adventures, waterparks, etc. I also wanted to use it for his baseball and basketball games.

The first time I used it, everything was fine, though it felt warm afterward. But last weekend, during a basketball game, it overheated after about 40 minutes! Super frustrating because it was a close game against a rival. I kept restarting it and even held an ice cube on top just to get the last few minutes recorded.

It was mounted on a tripod in an indoor gym (about 70°F), set to 1080p at 30 FPS, and likely in SuperNight mode since it looked better on my phone. The only difference from the previous week (when it didn’t overheat) was that this time, it was inside the bumper case.

What can I do to prevent this? If it’s struggling indoors, how will it handle recording baseball in the Houston sun? Should I use a small USB fan to keep air moving? Could I have a defective unit? I went with the Action 5 over a GoPro to avoid overheating, but now I’m second-guessing my choice.

2

Action cameras tend to overheat if they’re left in one spot for too long. They’re really meant for movement, not static recording.

3

Fern said:
Action cameras tend to overheat if they’re left in one spot for too long. They’re really meant for movement, not static recording.

Didn’t realize that! This is our first real action camera (only had a cheap $50 one before), so that’s good to know.

4

Try turning off stabilization while it’s on the tripod. It saves battery and reduces the processing load, which might help with overheating.

5

Adi said:
Try turning off stabilization while it’s on the tripod. It saves battery and reduces the processing load, which might help with overheating.

Good idea! I’ll give that a shot.