F5: Sony V-Mount Battery Charging Station and battery alternatives?

G

Gene Sung

Veteran
For the FS7, I suppose it would be nice to use just the Sony BP-FL75 V Mount battery since it seems like it will fit on the back attachment nicely and be really integrated.

However, the battery charging station is listed at B&H for $819. That's an insane price. Am I seeing right? Is there any alternative chargers that can do the job with the Sony V-mount battery?

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/898436-REG/Sony_BC_L90_Battery_Charging_Station.html

Also, what V-Mount battery alternatives (cheaper) and chargers do you guys use for the F5 / F55 that should work on the FS7?

I'm really hoping they make an attachment so the BP-U90 batteries will work on the back attachment so I don't need 2 different types of batteries.
 
Bear in mind that's an "olivine" battery -- i.e. lithium iron -- so it has different chemistry from regular V-mounts, , and presumably needs a special charger.

The price is a total rip, though. But at this point I don't know that there are any alternatives.
 
I have the BPFL75s and the charger

Sony says they will go double the lifetime, which is kinda a big deal in camera batteries. Most camera batteries will need re-celling within their lifetimes, they are things you keep long enough that the cells will eventually go. A set of IDX's will last 300-400 cycles. Sony says BP-FL75s will go double that. I've had mine only a year and a half though, so can't confirm.

What I can confirm is they charge twice as fast on the Sony charger. They charge from zero to full in 55 minutes on that charger, and the charger is dual channel, so it can do this to two batteries at the same time. It's pretty amazing, I've never seen Anton Bauers or IDXs do that. I get away with a total of 3 batteries easily, whereas with any other system I'd need at least 4 because of charging times.

They're not quite as bad a value as they might seem. Comes down to more of whether you want to go AB/IDX because you have other cameras or need more watt hours.

BPFL75 will run a 5/55 without raw recorder for 2.5, almost 3 hours, btw.
 
Thanks Nate for the response. The 55 minute charge time is amazing.

My other questions are, are they just like nomal V-Mounts batteries in that they can power other brands of cameras (Red, Alexa, etc...) or light panels, etc...? Or are they Sony only?

Also, they don't have any type of D-Tap correct? So you cannot power an extra monitor or what not?
 
gene_can_sing said:
Thanks Nate for the response. The 55 minute charge time is amazing.

My other questions are, are they just like nomal V-Mounts batteries in that they can power other brands of cameras (Red, Alexa, etc...) or light panels, etc...? Or are they Sony only?

Also, they don't have any type of D-Tap correct? So you cannot power an extra monitor or what not?
Click to expand...

Yeah, they can power other v-mount stuff.

No D-Tap. Not a biggy for me because I have a power breakout between the batt and the cam body that gives me all sorts of options (d-tap, 2-pin lemo, 3pin for Preston) but it would be nice if they had a d-tap.

Good batteries cost a bit. They're not terribly out of line price-wise, they just offer different features than AB or IDX for the price. In my case, they're worth it for the short charge time and compact size that keeps the F55 body small for doc work.
 
Also note that this chemistry makes a battery that is about 1/4 smaller in size and weight compared to a lithium ion battery of the same power capacity. But yes, you pay a premium for this.
 
I have two that I use when I don't need to power an external monitor (I'm looking into hirose to hirose cables to give me that functionality). You can think of them as conventional v-mount batteries. I charge mine on a conventional charger, use them on lights and other cameras without any issues or differences to conventional v-mounts.

The big advantage of the Sony charger is how quickly it works.

Hopefully Sony will release a version with a built-in DTAP at some point, it's the only added functionality I could really hope for.
 
Grug said:
You can think of them as conventional v-mount batteries. I charge mine on a conventional charger, use them on lights and other cameras without any issues or differences to conventional v-mounts.
Click to expand...

So you can charge the Sony V-Mounts on non-Sony chargers? Does any V-Mount charger work? Or is there a certain 3rd party brand charger that you recommend?

Thanks
 
Any lithium ion battery has software embedded that controls the charging function. Lithium ion batteries are prone to exploding when overcharged, so, it's critical to adequately monitor the charge rate and charge level. Every manufacturer has their own proprietary software. Attempting to charge an L-I battery on an unapproved charger will not work because the software won't be compatible; and, may very well fry the battery's internal processor. The software will prevent it from charging; and, trigger protective circuits that will shut down the battery. I bricked a very expensive AB battery to learn this lesson.

I think this is why these chargers are all so expensive. Software processors, plus a proprietary controller makes each brand unique to the competition. Once you invest in the battery, you invest in a proprietary charger.
 
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cuervo said:
I think this is why these chargers are all so expensive. Software processors, plus a proprietary controller ...
Click to expand...

You're quite correct that each battery chemistry needs a charger that understands its charging profiles. So yes, for an olivine battery, you need the right charger.

But software-controlled charging is absolutely routine these days. Even a crappy little $50 e-reader has this. Did you notice that when you plug a device (tablet, phone, etc.) in to charge from fully off, it turns itself on? Like to a "charging" screen? That's not to give the user a nice bit of feedback (at least not primarily) -- it's because the CPU needs to be running to control charging. It would charge faster without this, but that's not possible. So you get the "charging" screen, and they dress it up nice to make it look like a feature.

Marine chargers have quite complex charge profiles, all software-controlled, and typically capable of handling 2 or 3 different battery types (wet, gel, AGM). LiFe batteries come with built-in controllers, and still cost $150 for 12AH.
 
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