Camera overheating

For the first time since I've owned a dSLR my canon 7d overheated yesterday while shooting in the hot sun. I've photographed in the heat before, but never had this issue. Should I be concerned or are there any ways to keep the camera cool while shooting in the 100+ degree weather? I know there are tips for keeping batteries warm, but wasn't sure if there is a way to keep the camera itself cool while shooting. Any tips or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Can you explain what actually happened? Camera shut own? Smoke coming out? Excessive noise?

Triple digit days are a mater of course here in Phoenix: "On average, Phoenicians sweat through 109 days a year where temperatures soar above 100 degrees. Of those, about 27 days sizzle to 110 degrees or more. The hottest it has ever been in Phoenix, is 122 degrees" - ABC15.com web site.

I don't know anyone locally who does anything different with their gear - we just keep shooting. The only issue I've ever had was a bad solder connection in a Nikon D70 that I was keeping in my car year round (interior temp of 140 degrees in the company parking lot).

Richard, I was using live view to compose my images when I got a warning on my LCD screen that the cameras internal temperature was too high at which point live view became disabled. Then the camera shut off a few times by itself with half battery power. I just don't want this to happen consistently while I shoot the summer storms and miss any shots. The exterior of the camera was quite warm which I would expect being out in the sun for a few hours. I'm also going on a trip in a few weeks and want to make sure this will not effect the camera then (though the temps will be much much lower in OR and WA).

I have shot senior portraits outdoor all summer in Tempe without a shutdown, This was not with Canon though. All I can suggest is to cover the camera body with a tee shirt or towel to keep it out of direct sun. It should keep it a tad cooler. The heat will drain batteries much faster- that might be where your problem lies...too hot a battery.

I'd guess a significant chunk of the problem was related to using Live View. If you composed using the view finder, I'm guessing the problem would not have occurred.

Peter, it sounds like your 7D has the same internal temperature sensor as my 5D3. The manual talks about an overtemp warning and then a shut down if it gets too hot. Ah, the joys of modern technology, when electronics and especially processors can get too hot and not work properly, in addition to generating their own heat. In my mind, the only option is to keep the camera shaded as much as possibly when working in the bright hot sun.

I've heard a suggestions from others about keeping a camera in a car on hot days which can really bake stuff. Suggestion was to keep it in a cooler (no ice, etc., just in the cooler) which would insulate it from those high temps. If you are in a position to utilize that concept then it might work. A light cooler could be carried a fair distance, too.

Keith- I'm sure the live view played a major factor, but even after not using live view for 30 minutes the camera still shut off on it's own.

I suppose I will have to carry a white towel or light colored towel to cover my camera for the summer days. I keep a frozen bottle of water in my camera bag close to the body itself to keep it cool, but once I take it out of the bag the heat takes over and starts cooking. Thanks for the tips and suggestions.