Barry_Green
Moderator
Starting a separate thread to clarify the battery situation with the new Panasonic cameras.
Panasonic has made three series of batteries in the last 13 years since the DVX100 came out. There's:
1) the original DVX100 battery, which worked on the DVX100, HVX200, HPX170, HPX250, AC90, and HC-X1000. An example model number for these batteries is CGA-D54. These batteries have four notched cutouts on their mounting plates. They will not physically fit in cameras that use the CGA-E/625 or VW-VBG6. They MAY fit in cameras that use the VW-VBD58.
2) the AVCCAM battery, which didn't work with any of the cameras above. Instead it worked with the HMC40, HMC80, HMC150, AC130, AC160, and AF100. An example model number for these batteries is CGA-E/625 or VW-VBG6. These batteries have a lithium info chip in them that communicates to the camera and can relay the battery state of charge in terms of the number of minutes remaining. These batteries look physically identical to the CGA-D54, but they have six notches on the mounting plate instead of four. Because of this, they will not physically fit in cameras that use the CGA-D54.
3) the new battery with a power gauge on it. This one works with the DVX200, UX90, UX180, and HC-X1000. Example model number is VW-VBD58. This battery also has six notches on the mounting plate, but four of those notches are in the exact same spot as the CGA-D54; because of that, this battery may fit in cameras that use the CGA-D54. However, these batteries are quite a bit wider than the CGA-D54, so it's possible that the battery may not physically fit into the battery compartment of an older camera. If it does fit, it should work. These batteries will not fit in or work on cameras that use the VW-VBG6 / CGA-E/625 batteries.
All these batteries are 7.2 volts.
There's been a lot of confusion, but hopefully this will clear it up. According to my using them in actual cameras, the new VW-VBD58 batteries are electrically backwards compatible with the original DVX batteries (the CGA-D54 line). So an older camera that uses the old original CGA-D54 batteries, may also be able to use the new batteries with the power gauge (the VW-VBD58) IF AND ONLY IF the new VW-VBD58 battery will fit in that older camera's battery compartment. The VW-VBD58 is wider than the CGA-D54, so it may not be able to fit, but if it does, then the mounting plate notches will line up and it should work. I tried to put the new battery in an AC90 and an HPX250 and it wouldn't fit; the battery compartment on those cameras isn't wide enough to accomodate the new batteries. I don't know if any camera can, but if they could, the battery should work.
Additionally, most of the cameras that use the new batteries, can also use the original CGA-D54 batteries. Examples include the PX270, HC-X1000, UX90 and UX180. In fact, as far as I know there's only one Panasonic camera that uses the new VW-VBD58 that cannot also use the original CGA-D54, and that's the DVX200. The notches in the DVX200 camera body won't allow a CGA-D54 to fit. (Does this mean that if you cut matching notches in an old battery, that it would then fit and work with a DVX200? Maybe. Probably. But I won't be the one trying that experiment.) It's possible there are other cameras that use the VW-VBD58 that cannot use the CGA-D54, but I am unaware of any.
The AVCCAM battery can only be used in the original AVCCAM cameras, and those AVCCAM cameras can only use the AVCCAM battery (the CGA-E/625 or VW-VBG6). There is no interchangeability or interoperability with the AVCCAM battery. One confusing aspect is that the newest AVCCAM cameras (the AC90 and AC8) are AVCCAM cameras but they use CGA-D54 batteries, so they should be thought of for the purposes of this discussion as CGA-D54 type cameras.
Regarding battery chargers: the AVCCAM battery charger works only with the AVCCAM batteries. The new VW-VBD58 will fit on and charge on an older CGA-D54 charger. And, the new dual charger that comes with the UX90/UX180 will accept and charge old CGA-D54 batteries.
The upshot for the new camcorders is that if you have a stockpile of old CGA-D54s, you are good to use them with the new UX90, UX180, and HC-X1000. However, those old batteries will not work on the DVX200.
Panasonic has made three series of batteries in the last 13 years since the DVX100 came out. There's:
1) the original DVX100 battery, which worked on the DVX100, HVX200, HPX170, HPX250, AC90, and HC-X1000. An example model number for these batteries is CGA-D54. These batteries have four notched cutouts on their mounting plates. They will not physically fit in cameras that use the CGA-E/625 or VW-VBG6. They MAY fit in cameras that use the VW-VBD58.
2) the AVCCAM battery, which didn't work with any of the cameras above. Instead it worked with the HMC40, HMC80, HMC150, AC130, AC160, and AF100. An example model number for these batteries is CGA-E/625 or VW-VBG6. These batteries have a lithium info chip in them that communicates to the camera and can relay the battery state of charge in terms of the number of minutes remaining. These batteries look physically identical to the CGA-D54, but they have six notches on the mounting plate instead of four. Because of this, they will not physically fit in cameras that use the CGA-D54.
3) the new battery with a power gauge on it. This one works with the DVX200, UX90, UX180, and HC-X1000. Example model number is VW-VBD58. This battery also has six notches on the mounting plate, but four of those notches are in the exact same spot as the CGA-D54; because of that, this battery may fit in cameras that use the CGA-D54. However, these batteries are quite a bit wider than the CGA-D54, so it's possible that the battery may not physically fit into the battery compartment of an older camera. If it does fit, it should work. These batteries will not fit in or work on cameras that use the VW-VBG6 / CGA-E/625 batteries.
All these batteries are 7.2 volts.
There's been a lot of confusion, but hopefully this will clear it up. According to my using them in actual cameras, the new VW-VBD58 batteries are electrically backwards compatible with the original DVX batteries (the CGA-D54 line). So an older camera that uses the old original CGA-D54 batteries, may also be able to use the new batteries with the power gauge (the VW-VBD58) IF AND ONLY IF the new VW-VBD58 battery will fit in that older camera's battery compartment. The VW-VBD58 is wider than the CGA-D54, so it may not be able to fit, but if it does, then the mounting plate notches will line up and it should work. I tried to put the new battery in an AC90 and an HPX250 and it wouldn't fit; the battery compartment on those cameras isn't wide enough to accomodate the new batteries. I don't know if any camera can, but if they could, the battery should work.
Additionally, most of the cameras that use the new batteries, can also use the original CGA-D54 batteries. Examples include the PX270, HC-X1000, UX90 and UX180. In fact, as far as I know there's only one Panasonic camera that uses the new VW-VBD58 that cannot also use the original CGA-D54, and that's the DVX200. The notches in the DVX200 camera body won't allow a CGA-D54 to fit. (Does this mean that if you cut matching notches in an old battery, that it would then fit and work with a DVX200? Maybe. Probably. But I won't be the one trying that experiment.) It's possible there are other cameras that use the VW-VBD58 that cannot use the CGA-D54, but I am unaware of any.
The AVCCAM battery can only be used in the original AVCCAM cameras, and those AVCCAM cameras can only use the AVCCAM battery (the CGA-E/625 or VW-VBG6). There is no interchangeability or interoperability with the AVCCAM battery. One confusing aspect is that the newest AVCCAM cameras (the AC90 and AC8) are AVCCAM cameras but they use CGA-D54 batteries, so they should be thought of for the purposes of this discussion as CGA-D54 type cameras.
Regarding battery chargers: the AVCCAM battery charger works only with the AVCCAM batteries. The new VW-VBD58 will fit on and charge on an older CGA-D54 charger. And, the new dual charger that comes with the UX90/UX180 will accept and charge old CGA-D54 batteries.
The upshot for the new camcorders is that if you have a stockpile of old CGA-D54s, you are good to use them with the new UX90, UX180, and HC-X1000. However, those old batteries will not work on the DVX200.
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