FS7: FX9 Powering options

If I had an FX9 I would not need to retool to the tune of more than $20.

Id buy or build (get built) a Dtap lead with a 12v-19v converter built into it.

I try and run everything from 12v batts having..
BPU
Vlock
Leisure battery

I can run off thise 12v supplies..
FS7 GH4 BMcamer (the GH4 I have a 12v dummy batt to dtap)
Various monitors
Various lights
Various USB devices which I have step down leads for (follow focus, Movi bits)

This makes life easy.. so make the last step in the 12v ->required voltage.

Of course the FX9 could work with my stock of BPUs with no adapter too.

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DIYers..
We make the leads with these converters..
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B072MQYJ93/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1


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In the UK Ive never seen a goldmount on a set ever. I went Vlock as thats what my local Beeb use - and I knew that would lead to good compatibility and access to emergency borrows or rentals.
 
Donny 123 said:
AFAIK yes.. they dont put out enough power .. 19V.. there will have to be new V mount plates made .. which Im sure there will be..
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19v is a voltage figure - volts are not power; volts X amps is power.

This is relevant to my $20 fix above. Or the commercial versions that will follow.

Many 12v batteries can deliver 35w at 19v with a converter as it requires less current (power) than they are capable of delivering.

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In working out if the battery can deliver suitable power (watts) the math is simple if you know the max current the batt can deliver - it should not be confused with the 'watt hours' of a battery, because a battery might have many watt hours, it may not , however, be able to deliver all its jouls in one hour.
 
I understand VxA =W. What i don't get is why these new Sony batteries with Amp Hour ratings and Voltage ratings that are quite similar seem to power the FX9 for longer periods of time. If the older batteries can't handle the current draw they usually just shut down, they wouldn't die faster .
Why would an older style BPU60 last half as long as a Shape BPU65. Maybe its just age but it seems like the new Sony batteries (i.e. BPU 35 vs BPU 30) were designed for the FX9.

Seems like the voltage up converts to 19V in the camera in the circuit that connects to the BPU batts, but the Power Port requires 19V from outside. Hence the Vlock adapters all seem to advertise that they have the voltage increase built in.

Here's where your first thought intrigues me - a small voltage adapter to the power port plug . That's an idea but I don't want a frankenrig on camera. What do you think of this:

https://www.amazon.com/BiXPower-Eff...2v+to+19v+dc+converter&qid=1578437651&sr=8-14

It would need a couple of adapters going from standard power plugs ( 2.1 or 2.4mm doesn't specify) to the Sony yellow ones & vice versa (I forget the letters EJIA or something like that) and then velcro the adapter to my batteries. I'm not sure its worth the trouble but it might work. Would 19Vs cut it when the camera calls for 19.5?
 
If anyone needs some cheaper BP-Us for their FX-9, I'm selling five SWIT 63Whr units (with built-in DTAP and USB outputs) in the marketplace. I got them for my F3, but mostly used V-mounts, so they're pretty fresh.
 
I just got my camera last week and had my first shoot today with it. One oddity is that it shipped with the same charger/AC adaptor combo as the FS7 but the power plug doesn't fit the new 19v port on the camera. Obviously it also includes a proper power adaptor only, but it seems odd that they didn't change the lead on the battery charger cable to fit the camera it ships with.
 
Yup just checked the power plug on mine - same deal. Seems odd though because its obviously a slightly different charger and it says 36W by the power cord so that seems intended for the FX9. Maybe just a mistake . They should provide an adapter.
 
morgan_moore said:
19v is a voltage figure - volts are not power; volts X amps is power.

This is relevant to my $20 fix above. Or the commercial versions that will follow.

Many 12v batteries can deliver 35w at 19v with a converter as it requires less current (power) than they are capable of delivering.

But the point is the fs7 V mount plates wont work with the 19.5v DC in plug of the fx9.. the prosecution rests its case mi Lud

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Click to expand...
 
LennyLevy said:
Yup just checked the power plug on mine - same deal. Seems odd though because its obviously a slightly different charger and it says 36W by the power cord so that seems intended for the FX9. Maybe just a mistake . They should provide an adapter.
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Errr... not an adaptor surely ??? (or does your charger provide 19.5V ?)
That's the whole problem... you don't need an adaptor - 12V won't work!
 
Oh yeah that's probably correct though I didn't check it , but then it would make sense that the plug is the old one.
 
A possible explanation is they wanted to cut down on the use of all the 3d party power adapters and batteries - the native voltage for BP-U and V-locks is 16.8V fully charged. So connecting to the 19V port will not work. They seem to follow the Panasonic lead - when GH2 was introduced a few years ago, users discovered that external 7.2V power adapters/batteries did not work, it had to be 8.6-9V to make the camera turn on. Had to use 7.2V to 8.6V adapters to defeat the camera software. Same thing with the newer GH3, GH4.
Incidentally, Sony just went after SWIT and other 3d party BP-U vendors and made them quit production as they infringed on the Sony patents. This is why SWIT BP-UXX batteries are not available anymore.
They use a two-prong approach - legal and technical to kill the 3d party market.
 
"Mini" batteries are available in both V & Gold mounts.
https://www.cinema5d.com/pag-mini-paglink-batteries-for-v-mount-and-gold-mount-plus-micro-charger/

I don't know about any lawsuits, but CoreSWX still offers its U-series battery which includes a P-Tap as well as a USB.
https://www.coreswx.com/store.coreswx/product/nano-u98/

As a power accessory manufacturer your perspective may be different on this than mine, but I doubt the change is predatory and is instead out of blissful lack of interest in third parties. The circuitry is designed as it needs to be to run the most efficiently, and if they feel for whatever reason that it makes more sense to up the voltage level on the AC power input then they just do it. Even if the reason was to save 25 cents on manufacture, within the design team it is often thought of as a closed system anyway, with only their own products in mind. I can cite numerous examples where no one considered the products of other manufacturers until it was far too late in the process. This can be at the detriment of the company and its product and they still think this way. I have seen this from numerous Japanese manufacturers, including Sony, Canon and Panasonic. Not predatory, just ignorance.
 
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Donny 123 said:
morgan_moore said:
19v is a voltage figure - volts are not power; volts X amps is power.

This is relevant to my $20 fix above. Or the commercial versions that will follow.

Many 12v batteries can deliver 35w at 19v with a converter as it requires less current (power) than they are capable of delivering.

But the point is the fs7 V mount plates wont work with the 19.5v DC in plug of the fx9.. the prosecution rests its case mi Lud

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Click to expand...

The Hawkwoods jump on the back job I had for the fs7 had a small cable - indeed that would not work (in the unlikely event that it would physically fir onto am fx9) it also has 5 dtap outs that would work fine with said converter. I canned rear v mount as it would not work on my Movi for which I use bpu and rod mount vloxk for sticks worl
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Mitch Gross said:
"Mini" batteries are available in both V & Gold mounts.
https://www.cinema5d.com/pag-mini-paglink-batteries-for-v-mount-and-gold-mount-plus-micro-charger/

I don't know about any lawsuits, but CoreSWX still offers its U-series battery which includes a P-Tap as well as a USB.
https://www.coreswx.com/store.coreswx/product/nano-u98/

As a power accessory manufacturer your perspective may be different on this than mine, but I doubt the change is predatory and is instead out of blissful lack of interest in third parties. The circuitry is designed as it needs to be to run the most efficiently, and if they feel for whatever reason that it makes more sense to up the voltage level on the AC power input then they just do it. Even if the reason was to save 25 cents on manufacture, within the design team it is often thought of as a closed system anyway, with only their own products in mind. I can cite numerous examples where no one considered the products of other manufacturers until it was far too late in the process. This can be at the detriment of the company and its product and they still think this way. I have seen this from numerous Japanese manufacturers, including Sony, Canon and Panasonic. Not predatory, just ignorance.
Click to expand...

I hear you Mitch, and know exactly what you are talking about regarding Sony...
 
Mitch Gross said:
As a power accessory manufacturer your perspective may be different on this than mine, but I doubt the change is predatory and is instead out of blissful lack of interest in third parties.
Click to expand...

And often a blissful lack of interest in what their customers want, seems to me.
 
thiryearff, How did you derive the numbers you supplied about run times for various batteries on the FX9 and FS7?
Was that just what the camera VF showed as time remaining or did you actually run the batts until the cameras died. Also were they based on recording time or just "on time " without recording.

I just bought a couple of Kastars because they were cheap and I needed something ASAP from Amazon. When I mounted first one on the FX9 it initially read 302 minutes remaining but that number started going down rapidly . It lasted around 145 min and roughly always read about 2x's what was actually remaining

Second one was NG from the get go - read " change battery" on FX9 and EX1. So much for cheap knock off batts. I never had any problem using those with Sony L batts though - never had a bad one.

Lastly tried an old Sony BP-U60 and it lasted 112 minutes and the readout in VF was quite accurate.
 
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LennyLevy said:
thiryearff, How did you derive the numbers you supplied about run times for various batteries on the FX9 and FS7?
Was that just what the camera VF showed as time remaining or did you actually run the batts until the cameras died. Also were they based on recording time or just "on time " without recording.

I just bought a couple of Kastars because they were cheap and I needed something ASAP from Amazon. When I mounted first one on the FX9 it initially read 302 minutes remaining but that number started going down rapidly . It lasted around 145 min and roughly always read about 2x's what was actually remaining

Second one was NG from the get go - read " change battery" on FX9 and EX1. So much for cheap knock off batts. I never had any problem using those with Sony L batts though - never had a bad one.

Lastly tried an old Sony BP-U60 and it lasted 112 minutes and the readout in VF was quite accurate.
Click to expand...

Same experience with my Kastar batteries. And my Swits. The number of minutes left was inaccurate. Technically the batteries work since they're powering the camera, but the amount of time left is a lot less than the readout on the camera.
 
LennyLevy said:
thiryearff, How did you derive the numbers you supplied about run times for various batteries on the FX9 and FS7?
Was that just what the camera VF showed as time remaining or did you actually run the batts until the cameras died. Also were they based on recording time or just "on time " without recording.
Click to expand...


Yes, popped in a battery, turned the camera on and looked at time remaining...so yes there is some wiggle room in there. However, as i've been shooting projects this past week those numbers i posted up have been fairly accurate in real world situations ie camera sitting powered but idle, shooting, playback etc. But again, i'll assume there is a margin for error based on the condition of the batteries. I can say that the Shape has given me in the neighborhood of 3.5 to 4 hours of camera time on a fully charged battery.
 
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