BMPCC Dummy Battery

My power plug on my bmpcc broke on a shoot, and blackmagic said my camera is out of warrenty so they can't fix it.

Does anyone know of a company that makes a Nikon EL-20 Dummy Battery?

I know companies that make them for the canon 5d batteries...
Just a simple el20 battery to dc cable that will allow me to continue to run off my v-lock batteries.

Thanks,
Zach.

Nikon makes a dummy battery for using external power on there cameras that use this battery. It is not cheap though!

Nikon makes a dummy battery for using external power on there cameras that use this battery. It is not cheap though!

Thanks for the reply Denny, would you happen to have a link for it?

It's called a battery coupler:

http://www.aliexpress.com/item/EH-5-EP- ... 41234.html

The Nikon part is a EP-5C, but you will also need the "Nikon Power Coupler to go with it to get the other end of the cable plug.

Thanks Danny,

I'll give it a try!

Was hoping there'd be an inexpensive third party option available, like there is for a few other cameras out there.

The standard connection for external power on the BMPCC is so tiny and flimsy.
I'm always worried about breaking it. I wish BMD chose a slightly bigger sized barrel connection.

Christopher, I have one of the first Pocket Cameras, got,the Wooden Camera cage for it right off the bat. Mi have used the power and HDMI cable,locks on it, never have had an issue with either one. If you take care, and use due caution, you should not have an issue either. That said, I am glad to see the larger connectors on the BM Micro cameras. I found an excellent locking HDMI connector at B&W that works great on the Micro, and with the Wooden Camera micro to HDMI A connector on the Pocket camera.

Just hire the specialist to destroy the connector and solder a new one. Hint: Remove the rubber from the lens lock side.

Any regular battery can be converted into a dummy by opening it up and replacing the cells and circuitry with a voltage regulator (e.g. LM317 or LM338) with suitable power handling capacity. Considering the price the manufacturers charge for their dummies, it is often worth the small effort it requires. Building one requires some basic tools and skills, though.

Any regular battery can be converted into a dummy by...

It's so for BMPCC but not for any regular battery. The BMPCC battery has +,-,T and D. It looks that T and D are not used but there are lots of equipment that actually reads battery temperature and data. It just would refuse to operate.

And also the LM317 needs a lot of cooling. BMPCC eats about 1A. So the LM317 dissipates about 6W. It would just melt a battery compartment. It's necessary to either supply some cooling fan or make a PWM converter (MC34063A+some transistor) or just place the regulator outside.

Any regular battery can be converted into a dummy by...

It's so for BMPCC but not for any regular battery. The BMPCC battery has +,-,T and D. It looks that T and D are not used but there are lots of equipment that actually reads battery temperature and data. It just would refuse to operate.

And also the LM317 needs a lot of cooling. BMPCC eats about 1A. So the LM317 dissipates about 6W. It would just melt a battery compartment. It's necessary to either supply some cooling fan or make a PWM converter (MC34063A+some transistor) or just place the regulator outside.

I stand corrected - if a device relies on communicating with the battery then it's not that straightforward, of course.

Regarding heat dissipation - I have successfully used LM317 based DIY dummies with Canon DSLRs using only passive heatsinks. I think the heat dissipation of linear voltage regulators also depends on input voltage so it is certainly something to consider.

I've tried all sorts of power options with my BMPCC's, including the Anker 15000/20000 (I have 3 of them) and some solutions that used Sony and Canon batteries.

The first power option that has really worked for me is the Juicebox battery. I saw someone recommend it on here. It can be purchased at Amazon and it's about $100. I think it's rated at about 50,000 mAh.

I recommend it over the Anker because it does 9v at 2 amps, or 12v and 1.5 amps, adn that seemed to be *just* barely enough, which, I believe, led to power disconnects. For instance, I would see that the camera wasn't charging off the Anker, so I'd press the power button on the Anker and it'd start again. I've tried 4 or 5 different power cords, so I'm 99 percent sure it's not a cord issue. The Juicebox has always stayed connected and I think that's due to it's 12v 2 amp current. I was able to shoot 8-10 hour days with this battery in pretty tough conditions, so I can vouch for it on the BMPCC.

A v-lock battery would also work, as would some other options that cost $200 and up. But after trying to save money and failing, I went for the Juicebox and it's been great. I'll try to post a picture with it attached to my camera.

(I have no affiliation with this company, and honestly think they need to market this better.)

Tyson, have you ever attached the JuiceBox directly to the Pocket and used it handheld like that?