Thoughts on DSLR cooling idea.

[simmo39]

Hi all, I have been thinking about DSLR cooling. I have read as much as I can and see that its either a cool box or a peltier  finger to the sensor. I have got a canon 600d, I dont like the idea of the cool box due to moisture problems and the thought of taking apart my camera fills me with dread and aint going to happen!  so after some thought what about attaching a peltier cooler to the body via the tripod bolt hole using the bolt as a sort of finger? I know it wont be as good as either of the other options but wont your thoughts on it and do you think it will be of some use to cooling the camera?  Thoughts and any other ideas welcome .

[Stub Mandrel]

Having had my 450D apart, which is similar, the bolt hole is a long way from the sensor.

[Gina]

But it is attached to the frame which can conduct heat away from most of the camera.  Certainly not as good as a cold finger but I found it worked with an 1100D.

[simmo39]

Thanks for the replies, will look further into this as i think its an essential for summer.

5 minutes ago, Gina said:

But it is attached to the frame which can conduct heat away from most of the camera.  Certainly not as good as a cold finger but I found it worked with an 1100D.

Have you got any pics or drawings of how you did it?

[Gina]

I don't know but I guess I should have amongst my thousands of photos & drawings.  I'll see what I can find.

[simmo39]

14 minutes ago, Gina said:

I don't know but I guess I should have amongst my thousands of photos & drawings.  I'll see what I can find.

Thank you so much Gina, Im just being a bit lazy lol. Im not 100% sure what Im doing so any image would be brill, just to point me in the right direction.

[simmo39]

Hi to those who are reading this. After some more research I got side tracked to CPU fan and heatsinks, I have noticed a lot of these use a copper finger affair and was wondering if that was put into or fastened to the camera tripod mount with the fan running would it have as much affect as a peltier fitted with a finger to the same place.

Any thoughts?

[Marci]

Air cooling will never produce effects as good as peltier cooling.  Air cooling alone can only maintain ambient temps at best, whereas an aircooled TEC will maintain it's hot side:cold side delta below ambient (at best).

[simmo39]

14 hours ago, Marci said:

Air cooling will never produce effects as good as peltier cooling.  Air cooling alone can only maintain ambient temps at best, whereas an aircooled TEC will maintain it's hot side:cold side delta below ambient (at best).

Hi, im just after a simple solution, evan if it just maintained ambient temps thats got to be better than it getting hotter than that and thus reduced noise. Not much i grant you but every little helps. Im just not keen on taking apart my camera and looking at all ideas, how ever mad they seem.lol.

[Davey-T]

I have a modded Geoptek cool box (original construction was rubbish) it works OK, maintains around 0 degrees in winter which is all that's needed, no need for -20, and it makes it handy for taking darks.

No temp' control ATM but something easily achieved I believe.

It has the gaps filled with silica gel bags and no condensation to speak of.

Not that I've had a lot of use out of it so not tested in extremes of conditions.

There are DIY intructions somewhere on the internet, possibly on Gary Honis site.

Dave

[simmo39]

18 minutes ago, Davey-T said:

I have a modded Geoptek cool box (original construction was rubbish) it works OK, maintains around 0 degrees in winter which is all that's needed, no need for -20, and it makes it handy for taking darks.

No temp' control ATM but something easily achieved I believe.

It has the gaps filled with silica gel bags and no condensation to speak of.

Not that I've had a lot of use out of it so not tested in extremes of conditions.

There are DIY intructions somewhere on the internet, possibly on Gary Honis site.

Dave

Hi thanks, had a look at these too, I know im asking a lot but I wanted to be able to keep the view screen. I dont like using my computer outside, i do it for my little neximeg c5 and thats only because i have to. I can trip over enough things in the garden without adding to it lol. I think im asking to much, holy grail and all that. but thanks for the reply

Andy.

[Davey-T]

Not many options then as when in a box you need the computer to alter settings, maybe a small pad of some sort stuck to the box.

Dave

[simmo39]

22 hours ago, Davey-T said:

Not many options then as when in a box you need the computer to alter settings, maybe a small pad of some sort stuck to the box.

Dave

Hi, well Ill keep looking. Thought about a cool box with a clear soft back but dont know if it could be done that way. will keep looking. thanks

Andy

[Stub Mandrel]

Lidl are selling a cooled, insulated picnic bag for £25 at the moment. They claim an 11-degree cooling effect.

This does make me think of making some sort of insulated enclosure with a window for my camera with a peltier on it.

[simmo39]

Thanks for the pointer,will look out for one on my next visit.

[Alien 13]

I have often wondered about DSLR cooling has anyone actually stuck a load of thermocouples on the body to see where the heat is coming from my own view with the 600 series was to have a clip on device that fits into the space when the viewfinder is swung out.

Alan

[Davey-T]

Did I read somewhere that the battery generates a lot of heat ? got external power supply on my coolbox.

Dave

[DHEB]

I am reading this topic with great interest. I wonder, though, as far as DSLRs are concerned, where does the cost/benefit limit of all these modifications lie? I mean, at some point, all the work and expenditure in these modifications, plus the DSLR itself, might end up costing the same as a relatively good CCD camera, with possibly less benefit. Just wondering. I am not considering the implicit pleasure of the DIY pursuit, of course. What do you think? 

[Gina]

I measured the surface temperatures of the chips on the main board of a Canon EOS 1100D and (I think) the image board,  a couple of years back using a remote infra-red sensor designed for the purpose.  Not sure if I still have the info though - I have a feeling it was on a previous computer but it may be in a thread on here.

[simmo39]

1 hour ago, Alien 13 said:

I have often wondered about DSLR cooling has anyone actually stuck a load of thermocouples on the body to see where the heat is coming from my own view with the 600 series was to have a clip on device that fits into the space when the viewfinder is swung out.

Alan

When i started down the route, that was one of my first thoughts. it could be made to detach when packing up.

[simmo39]

1 hour ago, Davey-T said:

Did I read somewhere that the battery generates a lot of heat ? got external power supply on my coolbox.

Dave

That was the first thing i did, not sure how much it helps but hey it was a cheap step forward.

[Stub Mandrel]

I have a 10W peltier with a 2" cube of heatsink, cooling fan and power supply, all free from one of those little beer fridges. Just have to work out a way of using it - I was saving it to bolt on to a 'proper' astro camera.

 

[simmo39]

17 hours ago, Stub Mandrel said:

I have a 10W peltier with a 2" cube of heatsink, cooling fan and power supply, all free from one of those little beer fridges. Just have to work out a way of using it - I was saving it to bolt on to a 'proper' astro camera.

 

Hi, how heavy is it all? not sure if 2" may be a bit big.

[Stub Mandrel]

A few ounces? It's an alloy heatsink and not solid, it's mostly fins.