This $165 fan promises "high efficiency cooling" for the Canon EOS R5 / R6 – will it solve the overheating issue?
(Image credit: Tilta)
Accessory manufacturer Tilta has launched a cooling fan for the Canon EOS R5 and R6, which promises "high efficiency cooling" to solve the much publicized overheating issues affecting the two mirrorless cameras.
Ever since they launched, both the Canon EOS R5 and Canon EOS R6 have been the center of heated discussion (sorry) regarding their recording limits, implemented by the manufacturer to prevent the cameras from overheating when shooting oversampled 4K and (in the case of the R5) 8K video.
There have been plenty of attempts to solve the overheating issue. Canon itself has two of its own, the first being the latest firmware that almost triples Canon EOS R6 record times, and the second being the rumored Canon EOS R5c (a more video-focused version of the R5 with a built-in fan).
Until now, however, the only "proper" off-the-shelf product has been a $400 heatsink from Kolari Vision – although, as a hardware modification, this requires both sending your camera away to be tinkered with and thus invalidates the warranty.
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The Tilta cooling fan promises to draw heat away from the Canon EOS R5 and R6 to increase shooting times(Image credit: Tilta)
If affixed to the camera's mounting plate, the fan can swing down out of the way for access to the LCD screen(Image credit: Tilta)
The cooling system requires external power, so you'll need to add a source like a power bank to your rig(Image credit: Tilta)
That's all changed, though, thanks to Tilta – an accessories manufacturer that produces gear for everything from mirrorless systems through to high-end Arri and Red cinema cameras.
It has come up with the Tiltaing Cooling System for the R5 and R6: a $165 external fan module that mounts on the back of the camera body, which draws heat from the camera via separate layers of heat-conducting silicone, a conduction cooling board, and alloy cooling columns, before expelling the heat via a 7-blade, 5,000rpm low-noise fan (30db) and cooling panel.
While the System is compact, slotting into the space created when the LCD screen is open (it can be affixed to the mounting plate or a cage), and is relatively light at just 195g, it requires external power from a USB – meaning that you'll have to add an external power bank to your rig, unless you keep it in your pocket or bag and use a very long cable.
Titla also makes no promises as to how effective the device actually is, stating only that "this Cooling System allows you to shoot longer with higher resolutions and faster frame rates without overheating restrictions limiting how long you can shoot."
Still, for just $165 it's an option that many will probably feel worth the gamble. To find out more information, check out the Tiltaing Cooling System product page.
The editor of Digital Camera World, James has 21 years experience as a journalist and started working in the photographic industry in 2014 (as an assistant to Damian McGillicuddy, who succeeded David Bailey as Principal Photographer for Olympus). In this time he shot for clients like Aston Martin Racing, Elinchrom and L'Oréal, in addition to shooting campaigns and product testing for Olympus, and providing training for professionals. This has led him to being a go-to expert for camera and lens reviews, photo and lighting tutorials, as well as industry news, rumors and analysis for publications like Digital Camera Magazine, PhotoPlus: The Canon Magazine, N-Photo: The Nikon Magazine, Digital Photographer and Professional Imagemaker, as well as hosting workshops and talks at The Photography Show. He also serves as a judge for the Red Bull Illume Photo Contest. An Olympus and Canon shooter, he has a wealth of knowledge on cameras of all makes – and a fondness for vintage lenses and instant cameras.
