Sony A55 / A33 video recording limited by overheating sensor

So this is why the promo video accompanying Sony's launch of the A55 and A33 was set against a snowy backdrop. It turns out that these oh-so-revolutionary translucent mirror shooters can't keep their cool for any longer than 11 minutes when recording video at a temperature of 20 degrees Celsius with Image Stabilization turned on. The A55 is even quicker to overheat at 9 minutes, though it's worth noting that with IS switched off you can obtain the maximum of nearly half an hour of footage -- provided the weather doesn't heat up. Sony blames this on the APS-C-sized sensor within, and it' true that plenty of DSLRs come with artificial time limits -- our D5000 won't let us get past five minutes however we try to sweet-talk it -- but it's an irksome limitation to consider if you're thinking of buying either of these Alphas for their otherwise awesome video capabilities.