C200: Generic Canon BP-A60 Battery Packs???

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dave12781

Well-known member
So these internal batteries for the c200/c300II are pretty darn pricey. Does anyone know of any generic 3rd party internal battery makers for the Canon BP-A60 & BP-A30 Battery Packs? Are they proprietary to Canon?

I'm figuring on needing at lease 4-5x BP-A30s and it would be nice to save some money somewhere if I can.
 
I agree. Though for under $150 for a pre-made solution, or even cheaper if you're good at soldering, a plate could be a good stopgap/safety net if you already have the brick batteries. The price for the A60's is just ridiculous.
 
I'm going for Maxoak 177Wh V-mounts for that exact reason, the Canon batteries are a complete ripoff. I got two of the Maxoaks on an Amazon Lightning Sale for $183.00, they are 12,000 maH for $200.00 versus 6,200 maH for the Canon BP-A60 that cost $500.00. No comparison, screw the weight, the Maxoaks are not that heavy, the BP-A60 weighs almost 500G, while the Maxoak weighs 1.104kg, about a pound more, big deal. Plus they have D-Tap to run an Atomos recorder, EVF, they have a USB to charge your phone or other USB devices, no D-tap on the BP-A60s. The Maxoaks even come with a charger. if you are going to fly, you need to get the 158Wh versions, about the same price, but evidently you cannot fly with the 177Wh versions but you can fly with two of the 158Wh versions. I am going to have a few of both.
https://www.amazon.com/MAXOAK-12000...1500856771&sr=1-1&keywords=Maxoak+V-mount+177

I'll keep the BP-A30 the camera comes with for occasional handheld without shoulder mount shooting (which I rarely do) but generally, for pros, the bricks make so much more sense. There are no generic BP-A60s. Almost double the power and run time for far less than half the price, no contest. Generally one brick will power your entire rig for a shooting day, possibly two for an overtime, rolling all day shoot. Plus you can power your LED panels with them too.
 
I've always been in the "buy the OEM Canon batts" camp(I have four for my original 300), but damn, those Canon batteries for the mkII are a crappy value. A Gold Mount brick is literally ~half the price for the same wattage.
 
Run&Gun said:
I've always been in the "buy the OEM Canon batts" camp(I have four for my original 300), but damn, those Canon batteries for the mkII are a crappy value. A Gold Mount brick is literally ~half the price for the same wattage.
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Me too, but Canon has not reduced the price of these down where they should be, so they lose my business and some Chinese company (Maxoak?) gains it. So far, have been running LEDs with these Maxoaks, they are great and cheap. Not built as well as an Anton Bauer but not bad for the money.
 
Come on Guys, Don't be so cheap on the small stuff LOL , a BP-A30 gives you more than 2 Hours of continuous recording for about $250 and those Sony quality batteries will last years. I had some many headaches with cheap batteries and memories that I decide never to trying to save on those. I'm a bit more worry about the cost of C-Fast cards. that for about $500 only give you 30min of RAW recording
 
I don't know about the C200, but with the C300 Mk2 I use AB Dionics AND I keep a BP series battery in the camera as a battery backup/ hot swap solution. I can and do swap out bricks without losing power. Don't know if Canon recommends against it, but no problems so far.

I also find the bricks act as a much needed counterweight when handholding. I'm ok with heavier solutions- that's what I'm used to and in the pre-gimbal days that's what gave a more stable picture- think of high frequency shakes/ vibrations with tiny (DSLR) cameras.
 
The Canon batteries are expensive, but they are good. A single BP-A60 usually sees me through for at least half a day. So really, you don't need that many of them unless you're doing very long shoot days.

I've also got a v-lock adapter but I never use it as the space taken up by them and the charger is better off being used for extra lenses or support gear (I try to pack camera, lenses & accs into one bag if I can).

I've also found that the BPA-60 is a good counterbalance on a gimbal, so you can balance it with a heavier lens.
 
klk said:
...I'm ok with heavier solutions- that's what I'm used to and in the pre-gimbal days that's what gave a more stable picture- think of high frequency shakes/ vibrations with tiny (DSLR) cameras.
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Agreed. I will be using my Zacuto VCT Pro baseplate with the C200 and with the small batteries, the camera is mounted so far back to achieve the correct balance point as to be ridiculous. Adding a couple of pounds of weight to the back will move the C200 body and lens further forward where it should be. Anyone who has watched the Zacuto VCT Pro videos will understand what I am talking about. Also, heavier rigs are much more stable as Karl alludes to. Using a brick is a win-win for pros.
 
Swit was going to make batteries for the C300 MarkII but then decided against it. I suspect they decided the market wasn't going to be large enough. Hopefully they will change their minds with the release of the C200.
 
It is true, I actually forwarded this thread to my contact at the SWIT US office. They promised to talk to the headquarters again...
 
adolgin said:
It is true, I actually forwarded this thread to my contact at the SWIT US office. They promised to talk to the headquarters again...
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A reputable battery maker like SWIT could come in with a BP-A60 clone with D-Tap at $350.00, still make a good profit and basically steal all of Canon's BP-A60 business.
 
puredrifting said:
A reputable battery maker like SWIT could come in with a BP-A60 clone with D-Tap at $350.00, still make a good profit and basically steal all of Canon's BP-A60 business.
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I always thought SWIT was a lower tier manufacturer. Somewhere a few steps above Chinese knock-offs, but well below the big boys like A/B, IDX, etc. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I was told that part of the reason Switronix changed their name to Core SWX was to distance themselves from SWIT, because people were confusing them and thought they were the same company or related.
 
Run&Gun said:
I always thought SWIT was a lower tier manufacturer. Somewhere a few steps above Chinese knock-offs, but well below the big boys like A/B, IDX, etc. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I was told that part of the reason Switronix changed their name to Core SWX was to distance themselves from SWIT, because people were confusing them and thought they were the same company or related.
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Maybe Alex could comment, I don't know. But I do know that even some of the no name Chinese batteries I have been using like the Maxoaks are much better than cheap Chinese stuff used to be. If you go on Amazon, the lines are being redrawn, it's like there is super cheap no name Chinese stuff and better quality Chinese stuff it seems? The Maxoaks I bought are well built, come with the charger and run a long time with my LED panels. So far, they're really nice. I will see how they work on the C200.

While I think AB is really good, they are so overpriced for what they are. I used to own quite a few in the Beta/DBeta/F900 days. They are bulletproof but $2k for a charger and another $4k for four batteries is a bit overkill for a $7,500.00 camera.
 
Many FS7 owners prefer SWIT batteries over the OEM's & I've never heard a complaint. I have four, & they're chipped so fully compatible with the Sonys. Love the built-in D-Tap, & USB, ports. Also use a pair of their dual chargers.
 
Bern Caughey said:
Many FS7 owners prefer SWIT batteries over the OEM's & I've never heard a complaint. I have four, & they're chipped so fully compatible with the Sonys. Love the built-in D-Tap, & USB, ports. Also use a pair of their dual chargers.
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Good real world user feedback, thanks Bern.
 
puredrifting said:
Maybe Alex could comment, I don't know. But I do know that even some of the no name Chinese batteries I have been using like the Maxoaks are much better than cheap Chinese stuff used to be. If you go on Amazon, the lines are being redrawn, it's like there is super cheap no name Chinese stuff and better quality Chinese stuff it seems? The Maxoaks I bought are well built, come with the charger and run a long time with my LED panels. So far, they're really nice. I will see how they work on the C200.

While I think AB is really good, they are so overpriced for what they are. I used to own quite a few in the Beta/DBeta/F900 days. They are bulletproof but $2k for a charger and another $4k for four batteries is a bit overkill for a $7,500.00 camera.
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My personal experience dealing with SWIT is very positive. Their engineering is solid, and inventive - I believe they were the first with DV batteries having a DC jack for on camera lights and accessories. Also, they introduced charge indicators integrated into the batteries. Their quality control is very good, DOAs/returns under warranty practically do not exist. Their US based sales/distribution ofice in CA is extremely responsive and supportive with fast shipping, answering questions, etc.
 
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