Power from Moza Air 2 to BMCC 4K

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Jonesxxx

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Power from Moza Air 2 to BMCC 4K

PostFri Feb 05, 2021 10:43 am

I'm interested in power from Moza Air 2 to BMCC 4K.

I have read comments in this forum that "the Moza Air 2 ..... provides 16.8V of power to the BMPCC 4K...."

This is good news but I’m cautious as I know the spec for power IN to the BMCC 4K is 12V.

Can anyone confirm that it's OK to run 16.8V from Moza to the BMCC 4K?

Also, I've read ambiguous comments about connecting the Moza to the BMCC with the USB-C cable.

Does the USB-C also carry power out of the Moza and does the BMCC accept power in via the USB-C?


Thanks
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canon5dsquared

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Re: Power from Moza Air 2 to BMCC 4K

PostSun Aug 15, 2021 10:09 pm

From what I have read the USB-C port is for external media to be connected to your camera.

I am also wondering how the gimbal is able to power the BMPCC 4K since the input voltage is 12V. But it also says in the specs:

"Power Requirements
Power Supply
1 x External 12V power supply.

External Power Input
1 x 2-pin locking connector.

Battery Type
Canon LP-E6.

Battery Life
Approximately 60 minutes
(recording at 24 fps without any external USB-C device connected)

Power
12V-20V"

So where it says Power 12V to 20V is what confuses me the most. Perhaps the minimum external power that can be supplied is 12V and the max is 20V?

Just found our answer in the manual on page 32 number 11 and 12.

https://documents.blackmagicdesign.com/ ... 9420411000
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Jonesxxx

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Re: Power from Moza Air 2 to BMCC 4K

PostTue Aug 17, 2021 8:10 am

Hi

Yes, I have got the BMCC 4K to draw power fromt he Moza Air 2 via the 16.V power output on the Gimbal. I had this cofnirmed by Blackmagic and have tried it myself as a test.
A friend did it on a live shoot and said that the camera drained the batteries on the Gimbal very quick so I probably wont use it much.

I also tried controlling stop/start (recording) from the Gimbal via the USB-C on the BMCC 4K using this cable:

https://store.gudsen.com/products/mc3-p ... trol-cable

Gudsen said it should work but I can't make it work.

Gudsenstopped responing in the end and I've given up but if anyone knows how to make it work I'd like to hear.
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javier forza

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Re: Power from Moza Air 2 to BMCC 4K

PostTue Aug 17, 2021 11:48 pm

I use BMPCC4k with Moza Air 2 connected to the 16v port without LP6 battery in the camera and works for two hours and maybe more. I think charging the camera battery drain the Moza power too fast.
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Jonesxxx

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Re: Power from Moza Air 2 to BMCC 4K

PostWed Aug 18, 2021 7:28 am

Intersting. Thanks for posting. I'll give it a go.
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canon5dsquared

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Re: Power from Moza Air 2 to BMCC 4K

PostWed Aug 18, 2021 10:16 pm

Jonesxxx wrote:I also tried controlling stop/start (recording) from the Gimbal via the USB-C on the BMCC 4K using this cable:

https://store.gudsen.com/products/mc3-p ... trol-cable

Gudsen said it should work but I can't make it work.

Gudsenstopped responing in the end and I've given up but if anyone knows how to make it work I'd like to hear.


What are you selecting in the gimbal settings? The Moza Air 2 compatibility chart says to select "M3C-USB" in the camera selection menu of your gimbal.

And do you NEED to power the camera with something more than the battery that comes with it? If so you should look into D-Tap V-Mount batteries.
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Jonesxxx

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Re: Power from Moza Air 2 to BMCC 4K

PostThu Aug 19, 2021 8:46 am

Yeh I had it set to "M3C-USB"
I tried other settings too. Gudsen asked for a video of the setup which I sent and then they went quiet. It's possible that it's a faulty cable but it took them months to supply the cable and I just gave up.

So far I haven't needed to power camera from the Gimbal but I thought it would be a useful feature for long shoots.

I have a big external battery too (avoided Vlock due to cost). I can wire that up but I wanted to avoid adding too much baggage to the setup. So far the BMCC 4K internal batteries have been sufficient.
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canon5dsquared

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Re: Power from Moza Air 2 to BMCC 4K

PostMon Aug 23, 2021 3:29 pm

Jonesxxx wrote:Yeh I had it set to "M3C-USB"
I tried other settings too. Gudsen asked for a video of the setup which I sent and then they went quiet. It's possible that it's a faulty cable but it took them months to supply the cable and I just gave up.

So far I haven't needed to power camera from the Gimbal but I thought it would be a useful feature for long shoots.

I have a big external battery too (avoided Vlock due to cost). I can wire that up but I wanted to avoid adding too much baggage to the setup. So far the BMCC 4K internal batteries have been sufficient.


Is your firmware updated on both the camera and the gimbal?

I just checked the latest Release Notes from the Air 2 and it seems the firmware version "V1.0.4" is required to "3. Added BMPCC 4K controlling functions." and was released on 2020/03/30. But it comes with these notes as well-

"For Point 3:
4. Use M3C-CP cable for BMPCC 4K control (select M3C-CP for protocol in the Air
2).
5. When BMPCC 4K is successfully connected to the Air 2, please do not manually
operate the camera with the Air 2’s controls (if you use the Air 2 to control start/stop
recording or other functions). This will cause the Air 2’s disable the first button used,
although pressing record button again will still works.
6. When the BMPCC 4K camera battery is extremely low (red), the camera will stop
recording.
7. Please select a protocol in the Air 2 before connecting the camera control cable."
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Jonesxxx

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Re: Power from Moza Air 2 to BMCC 4K

PostMon Aug 23, 2021 4:06 pm

Yeh I saw this and have the right firmware.

Point 5 appears tio be gibberish but it may be a typo or language translation problem. I'll have a play around and see if there is an issue with pressing buttons in a given order.
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GalinMcMahon

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Re: Power from Moza Air 2 to BMCC 4K

PostMon Nov 22, 2021 8:05 pm

Used my Air 2 and bmpcc 6k (shooting 4k) on a corporate shoot yesterday. Batteries lasted maybe 15 minutes while powering the cam. It was great while it lasted. A couple things a good gimbal needs:

A power port that will accept any voltage and adapt it. Not a difficult adjustment.

HDMI built in as any HDMI cable (I've tried literally every kind) will knock the gimbal off balance.

Recharging the batteries while in the unit. This is a no brainer that a lot of people have pointed out. It is absurd that the Air 2 can't do this. Of course the batteries take so long to charge that this might not help much.

Y axis stabilization like that weird new dji...thing.

Decent gimbal otherwise. Balances incredibly easily with no offset with a long enough lens (Sigma 18-36). My quick release was defective and the company shipped a replacement (with an extra mount!) from the U.S. within a couple days.

Would still love to see external powering options per the op.
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BennoZ

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Re: Power from Moza Air 2 to BMCC 4K

PostWed Nov 24, 2021 9:50 pm

I'm working about two years with the Air2 (16,2V) in combination with the Pocket 4K and it works perfect. I always keep a full battery in the Pocket so if the battery of the Air2 is empty and I need to go on shooting I disconnect the power cable from Air2 to Pocket and then I can shoot about 40 minutes before the battery of the Pocket will go empty. The Air2 will also work then because he hasn't to power the Pocket anymore.

Rec start/stop does work by the Air2 but not in combination with the iFocus-M. As you already told Gudsen/Moza has a very bad support so there's no solution for it.
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GalinMcMahon

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Re: Power from Moza Air 2 to BMCC 4K

PostFri Dec 03, 2021 6:03 pm

This seems like the right thread. I believe the Air 2 has a power input. Has anyone connected a vmount to this? It would be great to be able to shoot all day on 1 battery.
Water cooled Windows 11 laptop
i9 12th gen - 64GB RAM - 16GB 3080ti
2TB 4th gen nvme main - 4TB 4th gen nvme scratch
Micro panel (thank you BM :) ) - Stream Deck
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BenQ ultrawide - DeckLink 4k mini via Sonnet - 48” LG C2 OLED
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BennoZ

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Re: Power from Moza Air 2 to BMCC 4K

PostFri Dec 03, 2021 6:06 pm

Yes, I know some people who do this. But not for me: to heavy with a V-mount battery.
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GalinMcMahon

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Re: Power from Moza Air 2 to BMCC 4K

PostWed Dec 15, 2021 11:34 pm

Just to follow up: I did run my vmount straight into the Moza's power port. It powered the gimbal, the cam, the T5 all evening and the vmount battery level didn't drop 1 notch. Smallrig makes a vmount belt clip although I just grabbed a tool belt clip at Home Depot and mounted it to my vmount plate. I would suggest using a safety cable with the battery though. I dropped mine during a take. Face palm.

Now I just need to get a vest system to hold the weight and I'm golden :)
Water cooled Windows 11 laptop
i9 12th gen - 64GB RAM - 16GB 3080ti
2TB 4th gen nvme main - 4TB 4th gen nvme scratch
Micro panel (thank you BM :) ) - Stream Deck
Resolve Studio 18.5
BenQ ultrawide - DeckLink 4k mini via Sonnet - 48” LG C2 OLED
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Chronic

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Re: Power from Moza Air 2 to BMCC 4K

PostThu Oct 06, 2022 5:47 pm

canon5dsquared wrote:
Jonesxxx wrote:Yeh I had it set to "M3C-USB"
I tried other settings too. Gudsen asked for a video of the setup which I sent and then they went quiet. It's possible that it's a faulty cable but it took them months to supply the cable and I just gave up.

So far I haven't needed to power camera from the Gimbal but I thought it would be a useful feature for long shoots.

I have a big external battery too (avoided Vlock due to cost). I can wire that up but I wanted to avoid adding too much baggage to the setup. So far the BMCC 4K internal batteries have been sufficient.


Is your firmware updated on both the camera and the gimbal?

I just checked the latest Release Notes from the Air 2 and it seems the firmware version "V1.0.4" is required to "3. Added BMPCC 4K controlling functions." and was released on 2020/03/30. But it comes with these notes as well-

"For Point 3:
4. Use M3C-CP cable for BMPCC 4K control (select M3C-CP for protocol in the Air
2).
5. When BMPCC 4K is successfully connected to the Air 2, please do not manually
operate the camera with the Air 2’s controls (if you use the Air 2 to control start/stop
recording or other functions). This will cause the Air 2’s disable the first button used,
although pressing record button again will still works.
6. When the BMPCC 4K camera battery is extremely low (red), the camera will stop
recording.
7. Please select a protocol in the Air 2 before connecting the camera control cable."



I would like to know if that control cable is a plain Jane usb cable or is it wired special for this task?
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BennoZ

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Re: Power from Moza Air 2 to BMCC 4K

PostThu Oct 06, 2022 6:11 pm

That cable doesn't work anymore since one of the latest updates of the BMPCC. It worked for me one year but then it was over....

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