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BP-U Third-Party Batteries That Work & Don't Risk Camera Damage (FS5, FS7, FX6 etc.)

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    FS5: BP-U Third-Party Batteries That Work & Don't Risk Camera Damage (FS5, FS7, FX6 etc.)

    Scattered around on various threads recently are some posts about third-part batteries that will or won't display power left correctly on various Sony cameras. Much more worryingly, there have been reports from Alister Chapman of certain pre-2020 manufactured BP-U type batteries completely bricking Sony cameras. As we all know, the search function on here is not perfect. So I thought it might be a good idea to have a little thread devoted entirely to this subject.

    To start it off, I wrote to SWIT about the two aftermarket batteries I own. Note: These batteries correctly display power levels on the viewfinders of both of my current cameras. Like the genuine Sony's they have the 4 LEDs of course. They also have highly useful D-Tap and USB ports too which (unlike many third-party BP-U style batteries) come out of the top and bottom of the SWITs. This is something I prefer - rather than the end/back.

    My letter and their reply is posted below:

    ........................

    Hello,

    I have two of your S-8U63 batteries which I use (along with normal Sony batteries) on both my Sony PXW-FS5 and Sony PMW-300 cameras - and I like the SWIT's a lot. The serial numbers are 001776XX and 001777XX. I have read recently that some third-party batteries can seriously damage Sony cameras, for example here on the website blog of the well regarded Alister Chapman:

    http://www.xdcam-user.com/2021/03/3r...orders-update/

    Can you please clarify if it is safe for me to continue to use these batteries or do I risk damaging my cameras? Thank you.

    Reply from SWIT Europe:

    Hi Andy,

    Our 8U63 is fully compatible with FS5, but PMW-300 has not been tested, it is theoretically possible.

    Oskar Qin

    ........................

    Anyone else got any useful information to add about aftermarket Sony style BP-U batteries to share?
    Andy K Wilkinson
    https://www.shootingimage.co.uk

    #2
    Well, I'd read that as "We have tested the FS5 and are 100% certain it is fine - but we've not tested the PMW-300, so although we cannot think of a circumstance where this is possible, we cannot say it is impossible". In this litigious era, that's close enough for me.

    I am curious though. You could say this about 13.8V XLR, 4 pin DC power supplies. It is possible one day they could fail and stick extra voltage into your camera. Is this the possibility with the internet rumours? What exactly can a battery actually do in fault circumstances? Lose voltage, lose current capacity? what is the magic fault that can brick a camera? I'm at a loss to understand? I suppose they could somehow stick 13.8V up a data line? The linked article contains absolutely no technical information, as the idiots purveying doom and gloom about so many things nowadays do. I can find no actual evidence of something going wrong, that was proven to be some fault of the batteries - clearly status reporting seems the likely cause, but very strange nobody actually published any technical data on even a guess? Perhaps Sony also could not localise the fault cause, so banned battery clones until they had counted them out?

    Comment


      #3
      Seems like older third party batts have the issue but that's it.
      ----------------------------------------------------------


      My reel
      Website

      Comment


        #4
        FWIW I have used these since 2017 in an FS5. The only issue is that if they are used straight after charging the FS5 insists on you setting the time zone and date etc. if they have been left for a few days that doesn't happen. No other issues. They seem accurate in their reporting of battery run down.
        https://www.cinegearpro.co.uk/produc...12460212944969

        Comment


          #5
          1. We used to distribute SWIT BP-U style batteries and in many years (over 10) never heard of one single issue of camera damage due to a battery failure. The fully charged voltage of a BP-U battery can't be above normal 16.4V - it just inherently can't do it due to its chemistry.
          2. It is true that about 2 years ago they stopped making them. My understanding is Sony engaged in litigation with the 3d party manufacturers as they were infringing on their IP.
          Alex Dolgin
          Dolgin Engineering
          Camera Power Solutions
          New Four Position Charger for Canon BP-A60 Batteries / EOS C300 Mark II cameras

          Comment


            #6
            Thanks Alex and all for the great info so far.

            I'm sure on one of the recent threads there was someone who had third-party BP-U type batteries that did not show time remaining - can't remember which thread/camera/battery type but suspect it was one of the FX6 threads?
            Andy K Wilkinson
            https://www.shootingimage.co.uk

            Comment


              #7
              Worth sharing...how to spot fake "Sony" BP-U batteries...

              http://www.xdcam-user.com/2021/03/be...ries/#comments
              Andy K Wilkinson
              https://www.shootingimage.co.uk

              Comment


                #8
                Originally posted by andykwilkinson View Post
                Thanks Alex and all for the great info so far.

                I'm sure on one of the recent threads there was someone who had third-party BP-U type batteries that did not show time remaining - can't remember which thread/camera/battery type but suspect it was one of the FX6 threads?
                It was in this thread
                http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread...PXW-FX6/page50

                I have 2 S-8U63 and for me the remaining time is showed correctly (I have double checked with my FX6 and my FS5 no difference and accurate with the leds on the battery).

                For the problem explained by Alister Chapman. I don't get how the battery could get inserted so badly than pins can swapped.
                Last edited by Poulpolog; 03-24-2021, 09:43 AM.

                Comment


                  #9
                  How are people on here finding these?

                  https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ...ertap_usb.html

                  I've read mixed things about them and how long they last. I have Core gold mounts and have had no issues with them.

                  Comment


                    #10
                    So I decided that I would buy an FS 5 Mark 2 to shoot a two month long project this summer since the FX 6 I ordered will probably not be in until the fall. Great I thought I have two wonderful Swit 8U63 batteries I bought a few years back from Alex Dolgin. I used them with my PMW 300K1 along with the stock battery but only kept that camera for a year and sold it and kept the batteries. They have been used to power my Zylight and other stuff off the D tap most of the time and now and then been a charging station on the road for iPad and iPhones etc. Excellent batteries! So when I got the FS 5 Mkii today I thought I was ahead of the game with a couple great batteries along with the small stock one that came with it.... NOT. I put them in and got the low battery warning and the camera shut off.
                    So now to buy some batteries for my trip Friday and like most things these days almost everyone is "out of stock"...but I think I can rent for now until I find some next month and put the 8U63s back to work on the D tap. It seems like a two step forward and one step back world these days...or maybe its just me..
                    Brian Murphy
                    Montreal-Ottawa-Toronto
                    Sony FS5 MKII-Sony FX-6 (on order) - Sony PXW-Z150 -Sony A7iii -Sony A6400/A6000
                    Sony-28/135 Cine-Tokina 11/16-Sigma 70/200 Sigma 24/70, Nikon 55(1.2)
                    Sigma 24-70/F2.8 Art
                    Collection of CY lenses and vintage Nikons, Canons.
                    DJI Osmo Plus -GoPro H5
                    DJI Mavic Mini
                    Konovas motorized slider kit.
                    Teradek Vidiu kit-PFY Eagle Eye/iPad mini 5

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Originally posted by BrianMurphy View Post
                      So I decided that I would buy an FS 5 Mark 2 to shoot a two month long project this summer since the FX 6 I ordered will probably not be in until the fall. Great I thought I have two wonderful Swit 8U63 batteries I bought a few years back from Alex Dolgin. I used them with my PMW 300K1 along with the stock battery but only kept that camera for a year and sold it and kept the batteries. They have been used to power my Zylight and other stuff off the D tap most of the time and now and then been a charging station on the road for iPad and iPhones etc. Excellent batteries! So when I got the FS 5 Mkii today I thought I was ahead of the game with a couple great batteries along with the small stock one that came with it.... NOT. I put them in and got the low battery warning and the camera shut off.
                      So now to buy some batteries for my trip Friday and like most things these days almost everyone is "out of stock"...but I think I can rent for now until I find some next month and put the 8U63s back to work on the D tap. It seems like a two step forward and one step back world these days...or maybe its just me..
                      https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ...thium_ion.html

                      these dual D-tap variants have worked great for me on recent shoots. A fellow Owner/Op uses them on his fx6 and fs5m2 as well.
                      In stock at BH! good luck
                      www.vanheestvisual.com
                      FS7m2 / A7s3 Owner / Operator
                      MoVi Pro

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