Third-Party Panasonic batteries and chargers?

S

Speedster159

Active member
What are good brand Third-Party Panasonic Batteries for my HC-X1000? It uses the VBD58 just like the PX270 and DVX200 but can also use the CGA-D54's from something like a AC90. I'd also want a charger faster than the generic bricks that I usually see with third-parties.

I'd like normal size batteries and oversized ones even if it extends further back. I mostly want the oversized batteries for when I put on the light ( YN-300 w/ NP-F970 ) on the hotshoe since it's really front heavy with it attached, but also to have it record and standby longer.
 
Speedster159 said:
What are good brand Third-Party Panasonic Batteries for my HC-X1000? It uses the VBD58 just like the PX270 and DVX200 but can also use the CGA-D54's from something like a AC90. I'd also want a charger faster than the generic bricks that I usually see with third-parties.

I'd like normal size batteries and oversized ones even if it extends further back. I mostly want the oversized batteries for when I put on the light ( YN-300 w/ NP-F970 ) on the hotshoe since it's really front heavy with it attached, but also to have it record and standby longer.
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Well i bought one of these Panasonic VW-VBD58 PREMIUM Replacement Rechargeable Camcorder Battery from Dot.Foto - with Dot.Foto InfoChip - 7,2v / 5800mAh - 2 Year Warranty [See Description for Compatibility]


it works the same as the one that came with the cam,but i use the origional mostly and keep it as a back up.It cost me £20 sterling.
 
In addition to a handful of original Panasonic VBD58 batteries, I have two Swit S-8D58 batteries that I think are actually superior to the Panasonics, and will buy in preference to them in the future. They have equivalent capacity, seem very well made, but are a little bit cheaper and have two different (USB and coaxial) output jacks on them for powering accessories -- very useful. I also bought the Swit dual charger (S-3602D) that works with all the VBD58 and CGA-D54 type batteries.

I haven't done formal tests, but my impression is that there is no difference in charging speed between the Panasonic and Swit batteries.

Finally, I have a high capacity Ikan IBP-D88, 8700 mAh battery that fits my PX270 (but not DVX200) and provides extended run time. Despite the general reputation of Ikan products, it's working well for me so far. That one is quite slow to charge fully as might be expected from its additional capacity.

- Greg
 
I've actually never had a third party batter give me problems. There was one a long time ago that was blocked by firmware, but I just had to change the firmware. Anything that doesn't have bad reviews at your retail site of choice is probably fine.
 
The problem with any third-party batteries of any model or brand is they sometimes don't last as advertised. A same capacity third-party many not last as long as the OEM, and a oversized one might last the same as the OEM.

There are brands out there that are reliable but I haven't tested any of them.

I'm leaning towards these http://www.amazon.com/Wasabi-Power-...?ie=UTF8&qid=1452489161&sr=8-2&keywords=VBD58 but looking at the reviews it's said they don't even last as long as the OEM? Has any of you guys bought from Wasabi?
 
Well my 2 third party FZ1000 CHILI POWER CP-BLC12E batteries work as good as they did new after over 18 months hard use.
 
A same capacity third-party many not last as long as the OEM, and a oversized one might last the same as the OEM
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And, the claim of capacity may just be a lie too. I forgot where I saw it, but some reviewer somewhere did a simple test of weighing the batteries and showed that some off-brands were just grossly inflating their claimed capacity.

I have never heard of any third-party batteries causing any problems. I have several, and I can say that they don't last as long as the Panasonic versions, but they haven't caused any issues. That's not to say that there can't be issues; just google "hoverboard fire" to see what can happen when cheapo lithium ion batteries go wrong. But I can't think of any instance where such a thing has happened to a camcorder.

What are good brand Third-Party Panasonic Batteries for my HC-X1000?
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I've got a Swit that's treated me well on my AVCCAM cameras, they're making one for the PX270/X1000/DVX200 now. It also features a power outlet for powering certain accessories (I used it to power my old NanoFlash), and the new battery also has a USB port on it for powering phones and such.

For higher capacity, Panasonic's announced that they'll be building bigger batteries sometime in the first quarter of this year IIRC. And IDX already sells some bigger batteries: http://idxtek.com/press-room/more-power-for-your-ag-dvx200/ I haven't used the IDX so cannot give a recommendation one way or the other, but they look promising, and they also offer a USB port and a different type of power tap (the X-tap connector).
 
With all these replies I'm still not sure which brand to go with. I just want reliability and as close to advertised capacity without going beyond $100

Buying one with the tap could be useful to reduce the front weight of the camera as I can just tap the light into it. But then running the cable might become problematic.
 
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Barry_Green said:
For higher capacity, Panasonic's announced that they'll be building bigger batteries sometime in the first quarter of this year IIRC. And IDX already sells some bigger batteries: http://idxtek.com/press-room/more-power-for-your-ag-dvx200/ I haven't used the IDX so cannot give a recommendation one way or the other, but they look promising, and they also offer a USB port and a different type of power tap (the X-tap connector).
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My DVX200 came this morning, and I used it on a shoot this evening. I got a pair of the larger IDX's... shoot was only about an hour and a half, so couldn't see how long they lasted. That said, in the DVX, the USB and probably the power tap connections are worthless. The way the battery loads into the camera, there is no way to plug into the USB port. The power tap might be possible (especially on the smaller capacity), but you would need to leave the battery compartment door open, or dremel out a notch in it to pass the power cable through (unless you want to risk pinching the cable by closing the door on it).

It loads differently onto the HC-X1000 and PX270 cameras, so those connections could be useful on them. Plus, they are cheaper than the OEM batteries, so that alone makes them worth it to me.

I'll load up a full battery and see how long it lasts tomorrow.
 
I put an IDX battery in the camera, pointed it at a TV, and hit record on 1080p/60 at 50mbps. I've reformatted the card once because it was full, and I've recorded a total of 3 hours 45 minutes so far, and the battery is still ~1/2 full. Once I've drained that battery, I'll put the other battery in and dual record at UHD 60fps since that is 150mbps, and see how long that lasts.
 
Mike Harvey said:
My DVX200 came this morning, and I used it on a shoot this evening. I got a pair of the larger IDX's... shoot was only about an hour and a half, so couldn't see how long they lasted. That said, in the DVX, the USB and probably the power tap connections are worthless. The way the battery loads into the camera, there is no way to plug into the USB port. The power tap might be possible (especially on the smaller capacity), but you would need to leave the battery compartment door open, or dremel out a notch in it to pass the power cable through (unless you want to risk pinching the cable by closing the door on it).

It loads differently onto the HC-X1000 and PX270 cameras, so those connections could be useful on them. Plus, they are cheaper than the OEM batteries, so that alone makes them worth it to me.

I'll load up a full battery and see how long it lasts tomorrow.
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Mike Harvey said:
I put an IDX battery in the camera, pointed it at a TV, and hit record on 1080p/60 at 50mbps. I've reformatted the card once because it was full, and I've recorded a total of 3 hours 45 minutes so far, and the battery is still ~1/2 full. Once I've drained that battery, I'll put the other battery in and dual record at UHD 60fps since that is 150mbps, and see how long that lasts.
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I think using the P-tap on the X1000 would be troublesome due to the size of the camera the cable would always be in the way. Have you tried the Wasabi Power batteries from Amazon? They have standard and extended capacity models and they are great replacement batteries for GoPro's, unsure about DV Batteries though.

Thanks for testing them and looking forward to your results!
 
So here are my unscientific results...

Recording at 1080p 60fps at 50mbps on one card at a time, with the camera generally pointed at a TV, the IDX battery (SL-VBD96) lasted a little over 5 hours. Yeah... 5 hours.

Recording at UHD 60fps at 150mbps to two cards at a time, with the camera completely framed on a TV screen so there was constant movement for the long-GOP codec (all of which is forcing the camera to work harder), on the other IDX battery (same model) the camera recorded a little over four hours of footage. Since the record times were much shorter on the cards, there were a few times where the card ran out of space without my knowledge. Overall, the battery probably lasted about 4 1/2 hours. 4 1/2 freakin' hours.

The IDX is a bigger battery at a cheaper price than the OEM (I'm testing it next). And it's IDX, so it's not like they're a low quality battery. I am thoroughly impressed.

EDIT/UPDATE-- For comparison, the OEM battery (VW-VBD58) only lasted 2 hours 45 minutes recording under the same UHD scenerio as above. That's still not anything to sneeze at, but considering it retails for about $35 more, I think the IDX's are the way to go.
 
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I purchased a Ikan oversized for my 270 and thus far, it has been very good for 2/3 the price. I have a burr under my saddle about the cost of batteries in general so am always looking for alternatives. I have successfully purchased a fair amount of alternative batteries and haven't had issues, but i avoid the real cheap bargain basement vendors; look for buyer ratings on this.

It looks to me like many of the major label batteries come from the same factories anyway. They build Panasonic on Mondays and no-names on Tuesday. I can't independently confirm that, but they often look identical.

Grant
 
I'm really curious if anybody has tried the Wasabi power batteries. They are great on GoPro's but unsure about DV.

I can't really order them right away since I'd have to get them shipped to the PH.
 
Interesting, so a short summary (from Mfr-provided spces), stating compatible with the HC-X1000:
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Dot.Foto DFB/PSVBD58 (7.2V, 5800mAh) - 4 power indicator LEDs, short circuit and overheat protection.
IDX SL-VBD96 (7.2V, 9600mAh, 69Wh) - 4 power indicator LEDs, USB (type-A) outlet, 7.2V X-Tap power connector, over charge, over discharge, over current protection
IDX SL-VBD64 (7.2V, 6400mAh, 46Wh) - 4 power indicator LEDs, USB (type-A) outlet, 7.2V X-Tap power connector, over charge, over discharge, over current protection
Panasonic VW-VBD58 (7.2V, 5800mAh) - 4 power indicator LEDs
Panasonic AG-VBR59 (7.28V, 5900mAh, 43Wh) - 4 power indicator LEDs, claims extended run time and reduced charge time with AG-BRD50 charger (compared to AGB23 charger)
Panasonic AG-VBR89G (7.28V, 8850mAh, 65Wh) - 4 power indicator LEDs, claims extended run time and reduced charge time with AG-BRD50 charger (compared to AGB23 charger)
Patona VW-VBD78 (7.2V, 7800mAh, 56.2 Wh) - 4 power indicator LEDs
SWIT S-8D58 (7.2V, 6000mAh, 43Wh) - 4 power indicator LEDs, 5V/1A USB charging output, 7.2V pole-tap DC output or charging input, multiple circuit protectors
Wasabi BTR-VBD78-JWP (7.2V, 7800mAh, 56.2Wh) - 4 power indicator LEDs

Similar batteries showing under different brand names; OTB, Newmowa, BATTERY PACK, ...
 
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Barry_Green said:
For higher capacity, Panasonic's announced that they'll be building bigger batteries sometime in the first quarter of this year IIRC.
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Yes, I see that Panasonic is rolling out some new batteries for "March 2016". A good summary of the batteries and their compatibility is posted at: http://panasonicprovideo.com/FTP/batteries_cata_en.pdf

Two of the new batteries are compatible with the HC-X1000 (AG-VBR59 and AG-VBR89G), but the largest capacity battery does not have the 'check' mark for the X1000 (AG-VBR118G)...maybe because of physical size...?
 
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