C100: C100 card and battery options

FatDaddy

FatDaddy

Veteran
I was planning on purchasing two Sandisk 64gb Extreme Pro cards http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ...DXPA_064G_A75_Extreme_Pro_64GB_SDHC_SDXC.html I wanted to do dual recording and get through a day of shooting without changing out cards. I read 64gb gets you about 5 1/2 hours of recording. Is this accurate? Is the extreme pro card overkill for AVCHD or would an extreme card work fine?

As for batteries; I was thinking of sticking with a Canon - BP-955 and not the 975 because of weight and I think the back of the battery sticks out a bit. I will be doing doc work with run and gun shooting, so trying to keep weight down. With the BP-955, how much time are folks getting out of the battery? Thoughts on not getting a 975 because of weight and size?

Anyone have experience with this Pearstone dual battery charger? http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/708406-REG/Pearstone_DLC_CNBP915_Duo_Battery_Charger_for.html

Thanks!
john
 
I bought the Pearstone charger and it didn't work with the Canon or Wasabi batteries, so I returned it. I don't find the larger batteries create a problem with the shape or weight of the camera. The 955s report about 300 minutes when you first attach a freshly charged one, but I don't think they actually last a full 5 hours. I shoot hourlong interviews so often I'm going to change batteries before I see use it down to the bitter end. You can safely expect 4 hours of usage though.

I don't think run-and-gun is viable with this camera without some kind of support or bracing -- if you don't want a full-size rig, then at least a monopod and a neckstrap will help support the camera for extended hand-held work (more than 30 minutes).
 
I have the pearstone and it works great for me. I have plates for 3 different battery types which makes it an affordable option if you have multiple battery types.
 
Welcome Cameron to DVX User. I could have asked this question on D-Word, but thought I might find more feedback here. I did the old Longley neckstrap with my 7D for the last couple of years and like it. Not sure how the neckstrap works position wise with the C100. Have you shot with the neckstrap? I am also interested in Zacuto target shooter - any experience with that?
 
Got the Zacuto Stiker, but haven't felt it necessary to use with the C100 yet. In fact, the reason I bought into the C100 after playing for a day was precisely because it could function without extra hardware and EVFs. On a couple of paying gigs now, very happy to report that in my R&G use, it doesn't. It does like monopods, though.

I'm a fan of the bigger battery. The little one lasts a long while if you're stop-start, but if you're doing continuous shooting, it droops down quite quickly. It's early days, and so I don't quite trust the 'minutes left' yet, but after shooting 2 hours continuous, I changed batteries for the next half because we were down to two dots on the battery, two chunks in the display, and it was a paying gig. The bigger battery could hold out all morning or all afternoon, so I'll be buying another one (£200! Ouch!). I've gone with Canon because (and yes, this could sound so lame) the little LEDs on the back are so nice and reassuring. Similar to EX1 BP-U60s, you know where you're at with the batts. I have generic NP-F970s and some need special chargers, they're all blank slates, so to hit a button and work out if it has an hour left in it is a lovely thing. But still, £200. Ouch.

I may get shot down in flames for mentioning this, but people with SanDisk cards seemed to report problems with recording on both slots at once - dropping out after a few minutes. I've also heard issues on FS100 with beeping on the sound channel - I've not had any of these problems with Transcend (old Class 6, now replacing them with Class 10), did lots of testing. As I shoot for a living, rather than review kit, I haven't tried other cards, and feel comfortable sticking with Transcend from a reputable dealer. YMMV.
 
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