Brick batteries - Anton Bauer and the like

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I mix Vlock and BPU and car batteries - I really dislike using anything else.

All styles output 12-14.4 Volts which means that I can swap them about.

With a built up rig I will use Vlock that will power everything.
On my Movi I use BPU to save mass
On my LEDs I use the car battery unless I want a quick shot in which case I will use Vlock.
I also have a 240->12v transmofrmer

I get really annoyed by anything (dslrs, some small acc.s that dont run on a nominal 12v)
Not 12v.. focus sender, Movi mimic, movi

I hate the older sony batts (7.2v) as they dont have a power meter.

Brand? 10year old hawkwoods that are now getting a bit saggy.
Next brand.. amazon may tempt me away from Hwoods.
 
morgan_moore said:
I mix Vlock and BPU and car batteries - I really dislike using anything else.

All styles output 12-14.4 Volts which means that I can swap them about.

With a built up rig I will use Vlock that will power everything.
On my Movi I use BPU to save mass
On my LEDs I use the car battery unless I want a quick shot in which case I will use Vlock.
I also have a 240->12v transmofrmer

I get really annoyed by anything (dslrs, some small acc.s that dont run on a nominal 12v)
Not 12v.. focus sender, Movi mimic, movi

I hate the older sony batts (7.2v) as they dont have a power meter.

Brand? 10year old hawkwoods that are now getting a bit saggy.
Next brand.. amazon may tempt me away from Hwoods.
Click to expand...
A lot of well thought out choices in that.

Is BPU the same as Sony L mount and NPF? If so, i am definitely going to start saying BPU.

Vmount is a mixed bag, as i have had too many instances of the slightest knock and the cameras just loses power. But if i were building a v mount set for personal use, i could buy a plate and battery combo that locks properly. My best v mount experience has been sony to sony.

B mount is the most solid connection i have found. But would have to field test... read spend money to find out...
 
JPNola said:
I could never get past the name "Bebob". Same with "NICEYRIG". :)
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Totally agree.

Also, they have a weird European style utilitarian plastic, that looks cheap. Their branding is odd, as it doesn’t look like they try.
 
@morgan_moore

It will be difficult to pull me away from my ab investments. But i am definitely seeing the standard getting long in the tooth.

Bebob is kind of taking what i like about bricks, but also acting like a company that makes batteries for use in production.

- most rigid and solid connection i have seen yet. No play.
- dual power level read outs. One for the op side, and one for the AC side.
- led light built in for mounting batteries on a dark set, or randomly needing a flashlight.
- USB power out (so many gadgets onset these days, and makes a good phone charger for app tools)
- the B mount is small enough base to make mini bricks without compromising the mount
- reversable power-tap. That way you can route p-tap cables right or left, for an extra clean camera build.

I’ve seen a lot of batteries at NAB and Cinegear this year, and some of them are just crazy with how many powering options they have built in, but Bebob (yeah i smirk when i have to say that word), has some of the best “production” focused features in a tidy brick. No frills, but all the features that make life easier.

...Now, if they can just change that name.
 
We use IDX plates and batteries with our students, never had a knock cause a power loss. If it is clicked in properly, it is good to go. I haven't tested other brands, and probably won't, why break a system that works so well? We've been using these since 2012, some of the cameras literally have over 1000 battery mount cycles and still work fine on the old batteries or the new batteries. It pays to buy brand name in this case. If they start making a mini V-mount, I might consider it to reduce weight, but we are already using 70wh batteries and won't see too much reduction.
 
James0b57 said:
A lot of well thought out choices in that.

Is BPU the same as Sony L mount and NPF? If so, i am definitely going to start saying BPU..
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They are very NOT the same. Look similar though.

L/nfp are 7.2v and do not have charge level indicators and are from 2000s sony camcorders, currently used on amazon led panels etc.

BPU may have been launched with the EX1 and also fit FS7, F3 and maybe fs5 z280 etc.

They are 14.4v and have power level meters.

Being 14.4 they interchange with Vlocks voltage wise (doubtless delivering less current and having shorter lives and are 1/3 of the size)

SO if you want to power a monitor for 3 hours but be light and nimble you would pick a BPU, need it to run all day in the studio, use a Vlock.
 
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Greg_E said:
We use IDX plates and batteries with our students, never had a knock cause a power loss. If it is clicked in properly, it is good to go. I haven't tested other brands, and probably won't, why break a system that works so well? We've been using these since 2012, some of the cameras literally have over 1000 battery mount cycles and still work fine on the old batteries or the new batteries. It pays to buy brand name in this case. If they start making a mini V-mount, I might consider it to reduce weight, but we are already using 70wh batteries and won't see too much reduction.
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There are so many brands with v mount, it is most likely a case of ill fitting makes.

IDX has a good reputation.

Nothing was as bad as first generation Red bricks.

Try grabbing the v mount while it is on the camera, and shake it about to see if you can force a problem.
 
morgan_moore said:
They are very NOT the same. Look similar though.

L/nfp are 7.2v and do not have charge level indicators and are from 2000s sony camcorders, currently used on amazon led panels etc.

BPU may have been launched with the EX1 and also fit FS7, F3 and maybe fs5 z280 etc.

They are 14.4v and have power level meters.

Being 14.4 they interchange with Vlocks voltage wise (doubtless delivering less current and having shorter lives and are 1/3 of the size)

SO if you want to power a monitor for 3 hours but be light and nimble you would pick a BPU, need it to run all day in the studio, use a Vlock.
Click to expand...

Thank you. I guess the one time i held an F3, i thought they were L mount batts.

How do you hook them up to a monitor? A BPU plate adapter?
 
When that first came up a few months ago, I did that, as well as subjecting it to knocks in every direction. Even got out the old set and tried the same with one of them, still no issues. Just overall very pleased by there service life, and the manufacturer has always been quick to answer my questions, even when asking "stupid" things like is there a battery rebuild kit or service. They explained why they can't offer it, and it comes down to their flight certificate because of sealed batteries.

The big 4 way chargers have been perfect two, we bought the ones without cell data because it was too much money. Some days those chargers go through a lot of work.

Wish they made the Sony F style of battery and charger, had to go with Dolgin chargers for our cheap light kits.

On the flip side, the news station I worked for put AB batteries through hell. We were often gluing cases back together, etc. That was in the days of nicads. I consider both AB and V mounts to be good quality connections.
 
James0b57 said:
Thank you. I guess the one time i held an F3, i thought they were L mount batts.

How do you hook them up to a monitor? A BPU plate adapter?
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Yes Hawkwoods make a plate with 2 dtaps maybe 3.

Most of my stuff- atomos SmallHd small leds etc have a 2.5mm power input

My cables are mainly the same Dtap to 2.5

I usually have 3 monitors going on set - operator- puller - anyone else

Hawkwoods also make a four up charger which helps reduce cable hell
 
morgan_moore said:
Yes Hawkwoods make a plate with 2 dtaps maybe 3.

Most of my stuff- atomos SmallHd small leds etc have a 2.5mm power input

My cables are mainly the same Dtap to 2.5

I usually have 3 monitors going on set - operator- puller - anyone else

Hawkwoods also make a four up charger which helps reduce cable hell
Click to expand...

That sounds like a cool setup!
 
Rolux is making a camera handle that is a battery, and has p-tap and usb power out.

Tilta has a V-mount to Sony L (NP-F). Primarily designed for the z cam.
 
A handle that contains a battery pack is a good idea if you can get enough voltage and current to be worth the effort.
 
For my occasional BTS/EFP type shoulder rig shooting with the C200, I have a Wooden V-Mount plate for the C200 (it's actually an IDX plate) and I have ran the camera, the Ninja Blade and the Zacuto EVF Pro all off of one V-Mount.
I wanted the smallest, lightest, cheapest V-Mounts I could find so I bought a pair of Chinese no name 90Wh V-Mounts off of Amazon for $99.00 each. So far, they have worked really well. I rarely use this setup which is why I went
with the cheap stuff over good stuff like AB or IDX batteries. I like these cheap Chinese V-Mounts, I can power my Kamerar Brightcast LEDs, my Aputure Lightstorms from them as well. V-Mounts are great.

Back in the Betacam/DSR500/F900 days, I used only Anton Bower Gold Mounts, they are good batteries but not cheap, even the chargers are pretty expensive. I think they are better but for as often as I use them,
not worth spendng the coin. If I relied on them every day, like Run&Gun, I would invest in AB batteries and chargers.
 
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The no name batts are only bad if you get them from sharegrid or some unreputable rental house. But if you own them, you can monitor theirperformance on a case by case basis.

I’ve had several no names just crap out without warning. But they were all rented or borrowed.
 
When the “Chinese” and knockoff batteries really hit the market en mass with Li-ion batts a decade or so ago, I was 100% set against them for two reasons. 1) I didn’t trust them and 2) They were all still too small and light for my taste on a camera back then(even today the smallest I put on my big cameras are 190’s for the capacity and weight balance, but usually use the 230’s I have). But they did get the capacity up fairly quickly and some of my friends started buying Inik’s, which was by my research, a Canadian company(don’t remember right now who they got the cells from). They actually ended up being insanely good batteries. I ended up buying two 65wh’s for my audio bag bag in 2011, I believe, and they are still alive and kicking today. A friend may have some bigger ones that he bought for his camera way before I bought mine, still going. But the charger only lasted a few years. I opened it up and it was what amounted to an AC power supply that you’d plug into a wall, stuffed in a case with the tip plugged/glued into a connection inside it.
 
I am somewhat in aw of the 270wh batts i see floating around these days. Pretty compact.
 
James0b57 said:
I am somewhat in aw of the 270wh batts i see floating around these days. Pretty compact.
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Yep. About the same size as our old 65WH NiCad’s, but about four times the juice. The CoreSWX XL is 293WH and weighs two pounds less than my old A/B 65WH NiCad’s.
 
With these smaller 12v batteries and relatively high wh ratings, i am thinking i can make a F35 to fit an internal battery.
 
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