BMPCC EN-EL20 compatible battery reports?

I'm wondering if anybody has direct experience with some of the third party EN-EL20 batteries and could post such experience.

I'm finding very reputable places selling third party batteries and some are as high as 1400mAh.
Power2000 at both Adorama and J&R is one example.
http://www.adorama.com/PQACD348.html

Somewhat more questionable but notable is this 1800mAh.
eForCity on Newegg.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 0PG0YM7011

I'm wondering what third party batteries people have tried, their mAh rating, did they seem to last longer in the camera, any problems?

I bought these

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0065M ... UTF8&psc=1


No issues at all works just as long as my stock battery. My SD Card gets full before my battery dies lol

Thanks Mark. Those are the Power2000 batteries. Given those are the same that Adorama and J&R sell it seems they may be trustworthy. The Amazon price is much better though. So it would seem there's no notable difference between those 1200mAh and the BMD 800mAh.

Not sure but I can definitely test it tomorrow at a festival. I'll keep you posted.

A Chinese factory made 1900mAh batteries!! Seem no one test it?

I have 2 cheap 1500mAh batteries coming, no idea on brand. Will update when they arrive.

I also have a pair of 1200mAh generic batteries coming. Considering how abysmal the battery life is with the default 800mAh battery the BMPCC ships with, I hope some of these higher rated batteries last longer, even if it's not by as much as the numbers would indicate.

The official Nikon battery is rated at 1020mAh. It's a lot pricier than these generic brands, although I wonder if it has a more trustworthy rating.

someone test this?
http://detail.tmall.com/item.htm?spm=a2 ... 4769237222

photo.JPG (111.05 KiB) Viewed 31049 times

7.4v 5800 mAh
got this for less than $13

I grabbed a couple of these:

http://www.bestbatt.com/Nikon-EN-EL20-B ... enel20.htm

And a dual position charger for 50 bucks. Everything works perfectly and the batteries definitely outlast the BMPCC battery.

7.4v 5800 mAh
got this for less than $13

5800 mAh ?!
How long does it last while shooting?

I did a test on the BMD 800mAh battery duration. Unfortunately I don't have any compatible SD cards yet (that'll change tomorrow). Using just an inexpensive Lumix G 14-45 with Mega OIS enabled along with Focus peaking I left the camera on. The battery meter went from 100% to 16% and the camera shut off at just over 59 minutes. I double checked by turning the camera back on. It didn't. Waited a minute or so and I was able to turn it back on and the meter showed 2%. So the meter accuracy is questionable but I wanted to make sure the camera wasn't turning off for some other reason (heat?).

So using OIS but not recording the BMD 800mAh lasted 59 minutes.

So field test with recording; the Power2000 1200mah batteries last 62minutes, and this is with recording in Film mode no IS.

So field test with recording; the Power2000 1200mah batteries last 62minutes, and this is with recording in Film mode no IS.

How much actual record time (amount recorded)? Asking just in case the encoder would have an impact.

Adorama has Power2000 but for $23. They have a Flashpoint 1200mAh for $12 so I may get that tomorrow.

I'll also have an approved card to test recording to see if it impacts battery life. If it does than it may show that 1200mAh does actually last longer than 800mAh.

Will be giving these a try this coming weekend and report back. Only $6 dollars each worth trying out to see if they're any good.
http://calcellular-store.stores.yahoo.net/en-el20.html

So field test with recording; the Power2000 1200mah batteries last 62minutes, and this is with recording in Film mode no IS.

How much actual record time (amount recorded)? Asking just in case the encoder would have an impact.

Adorama has Power2000 but for $23. They have a Flashpoint 1200mAh for $12 so I may get that tomorrow.

I'll also have an approved card to test recording to see if it impacts battery life. If it does than it may show that 1200mAh does actually last longer than 800mAh.

Total record time: 00:47:04
File size: 61GB

photo.JPG

7.4v 5800 mAh
got this for less than $13

Where from? Link please.

I bought three Flashpoint 2000mAh from Adorama, a very reliable dealer. The batteries were $11 each.

one battery dead after charging.
one battery lasted 35 minutes
one battery lasted 38 minutes

Just to double check I tested the BMD 800mAh batter again and it lasted 58 minutes.

So despite the mAh ratings the Flashpoints are duds. Going to take them back.
Low cost batteries may not be all they seem... even when coming from reliable places.

All the above ran the same test OIS lens enabled along with focus peaking. No recording though.

Please do test and report.

I'm going to buy Genuine Nikon batteries just to do a comparison but the Power2000 seem to last just as long as my BM one

Anyone tried Watsons from BH Photo? I looking at getting those with the dual-batt charger.

Anyone tried Watsons from BH Photo? I looking at getting those with the dual-batt charger.

Bought the dual battery charger which is very nice since it allows you to test the batteries even when unplugged. They give yo a percentage readout.

The Watson batteries themselves are showing 6 to 10 weeks though before delivery.

In fact yesterday B&H was out of stock on all EN-EL20 compatible batteries including the Nikons (which are expensive at $37.50 each).

Maybe I'm just having crap luck with batteries.
Picked up two Power2000 batteries at J&R today.
Fully charged them.
First one lasted only a little over 30 minutes. Camera shut off showing nearly 40% remaining. Turned it back on and it showed 2%.
Mind you, the BMD battery lasts nearly an hour.

Addendum: same for the second Power2000. Lasted about 35 minutes.

I think the MAh 5800 battery must be a fake somebody posted. Cannot find one anywhere. Well done chump!

I'm not sure how any of the battery manufacturers are deriving their mAh rating but they seem to have no relationship to how long the batteries last in the BMPCC.

So far with camera continuous on but no recording.
BMD Bat 800mAh 58 minutes
Flashpoint Bat 1200mAh 35 minutes
Power2000 Bat 1200mAh 35 minutes

So IMHO you can toss any mAh rating out the windows as far as even a remote predictor for battery life in BMPCC.

I really do BMD come to market ASAP because it seems others may not come close. Note that the review by Ned Soltz in DV mag also says he found the results about 30 minutes.

Also the BMPCC % remaining is inaccurate. I found both 30 minutes batteries shut off in the 35% remaining range. The BMD batter shuts off at around 15%.

Will be giving these a try this coming weekend and report back. Only $6 dollars each worth trying out to see if they're any good.
http://calcellular-store.stores.yahoo.net/en-el20.html

Okay so I got these in the mail yesterday I put it in the camera and it had 54% charge from the factory I turn the packet cam on and put on focus peaking and zebras and even use the auto focus by moving the camera every few minutes. At 54% the battery lasted 34 minutes. Keep in mind I didn't record anything because my cards won't get here till Monday along with my charger. once they get here I'll test again while recording. If I can get 40 to 50 minutes I'm happy because batteries on the Alexa last about 45 minutes to an hour we normal take out 6 to 8 batteries for on location shots.

Learvis, do test. My surprise was that batteries initially looked like they'd last longer but the camera shut off at around 35% remaining.

I bought these generics off Ebay: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Synergy-Battery-for-Blackmagic-Design-Pocket-Cinema-Digital-Camera-/370808648085?pt=Batteries_Chargers&hash=item5655eaf195

Funny that it's advertised for the BMPCC, as I ordered 2 of them, and neither fit perfectly in the battery slot. They go in but are just slightly big enough that the spring release mechanism doesn't pop them out. I had to pry them out with a tool. After this experience and reading about the others in this thread, it seems generics are a total crapshoot.

I think I'm going to try one of the expensive official Nikons next and see if they work better than the BMPCC ones. I also saw an Energizer brand one (1020 mAH) listed at Frys Electronics and might try to find one locally. It's still $30 but being a major brand I'd expect it to work well. I'd like to find one that lasts longer than the BMPCC one.

Otherwise I'll just load up on the official BMPCC ones when they come in stock at BHPhoto (I saw them listed there but out of stock for now).

Try the Wasabi ELN20's

Amagus, one of my two Power2000 batteries has the same issue. One is just slightly bigger and the BMPCC spring release doesn't pop it out.

I'm seeing another problem with some batteries as well.
It seems a few batteries won't charge to 100% while charging in the BMPCC. The same happens when I use my Watson 2 battery charger for the same batteries. This is not limited to one brand. Of course this is further compounded that the Battery percentage displayed on the BMPCC is inaccurate.

I'm going to call BMD on this. They really need to have an "officially supported" list.

Try the Wasabi ELN20's

Looking at the reviews of the Wasabi ENEL20 I'm seeing similar reports unrelated to BMPCC. In other words the batteries don't last long in Nikon and similar cameras.

Called Blackmagic about the battery situation.
They said their batteries should be available.
I explained that I find that they are not listed anywhere but B&H and they are listed as back ordered (never seen them in stock).
They said the next bet would be to get the Nikon batteries since they've found they behave similarly.
Of course these are expensive near the $40 price range.

Learvis, do test. My surprise was that batteries initially looked like they'd last longer but the camera shut off at around 35% remaining.

I'll do a full charge with the generic and the one BM provided. Then later tonight I'll try testing it again with both batteries and post results.

We are talking about a $1k camera, probably sporting a lens of similar value, and using rather expensive highspeed cards. I wouldn't go cheap at batteries then. Original BMD or Nikon batteries may not be cheap, and other batteries might record longer - initially. But will they keep doing so after 50 cycles? Or 200 cycles? The thought of the camera shutting down at indicated 35% capacity really scares me. As does the notion that some inexpensive batteries don't respond well to heat, some even burst into flames...

We are talking about a $1k camera, probably sporting a lens of similar value, and using rather expensive highspeed cards. I wouldn't go cheap at batteries then. Original BMD or Nikon batteries may not be cheap, and other batteries might record longer - initially. But will they keep doing so after 50 cycles? Or 200 cycles? The thought of the camera shutting down at indicated 35% capacity really scares me. As does the notion that some inexpensive batteries don't respond well to heat, some even burst into flames...

+1

...some even burst into flames...

You definitely don't want this to happen...

We are talking about a $1k camera, probably sporting a lens of similar value, and using rather expensive highspeed cards. I wouldn't go cheap at batteries then. Original BMD or Nikon batteries may not be cheap, and other batteries might record longer - initially. But will they keep doing so after 50 cycles? Or 200 cycles? The thought of the camera shutting down at indicated 35% capacity really scares me. As does the notion that some inexpensive batteries don't respond well to heat, some even burst into flames...

+666

Finding out more details from other sources.

B&H and Adorama should have the BMD batteries within the month.
B&H is taking Pre Orders for the batteries.

The batteries are likely made by Nikon (which as you may know cost close to $40) so that would be best bet for compatibility.

In addition to the Switronics external battery, Bescor should be coming out with one as well.

Read this thread I started over at BMCUSER. It's something to think about when buying BMPCC batteries.

http://www.bmcuser.com/showthread.php?5211-Something-to-think-about-when-it-comes-to-BMPCC-batteries

B&H and Adorama should have the BMD batteries within the month.
B&H is taking Pre Orders for the batteries.

I ordered several BMD branded batteries from B&H. They shipped last week and they are due to arrive here tomorrow. They are the same ones that came with the BMPCC. I currently have one Nikon and one BMD. The Nikon lasts aroud 7-10 minutes longer and is 1020mAh where as the BMD one is 800mAh.

Thanks for that info.
You mentioned the BMD battery shipped last week but how long ago did you preorder?

Good to hear confirmation on the Nikon. Despite the price it may be worth it to have a couple of those at least compared to the "cheapos" people are experimenting with.

Thanks for that info.
You mentioned the BMD battery shipped last week but how long ago did you preorder?

I order 3 of them on 8/3. So once they arrive tomorrow I will have 1 Nikon and 4 BMD batteries total.

Learvis, do test. My surprise was that batteries initially looked like they'd last longer but the camera shut off at around 35% remaining.

Okay I tested it out on a full charge from the camera when I started the camera showed 97% on the battery I turned the LCD screen to 100% and turned peaking on and pointed the camera at a wicker chair. The battery lasted 59 minutes. I just have a Lumix 14-42 lens at the moment and during my testing I used the auto focus four time during the test. The camera showed 12% before it shut down tomorrow I'll test the BMC battery and the other CS battery I brought to compare I ordered two of them to test out. So far so good at $6 dollars a pop it's a good buy for me. I will do the recording next week when i get my SD cards Monday or Tuesday. I'm a sound guy and camera assistant by trade the two BMPCCs I have are just for personal stuff and small projects. Now when I get the 4K model I'll stick with better batteries because I'll use it on larger projects!

Not a battery, but I ordered an Anker 20000mAh external battery pack for my BMPCC. The plan is to drop this battery pack into the carry bag and just recharge the BMPCC on the field when ever I'm having a pause (or just plug the battery pack in during a longer shot).

Search it from amazon with "Anker Astro Pro2 20000mAh Ultra-High Capacity Multi-Voltage External Battery". It costs around 100 USD

I haven't yet tested if the Anker ships with a correct plug, but I'll report once I got it (should be during next week).

I think the MAh 5800 battery must be a fake somebody posted. Cannot find one anywhere. Well done chump!

Sorry for the late reply. I bought it from camera shop in Singapore and not from online store.
I have not test how long it last as I'm currently powering the camera with the original Nikon and V-mount battery.

it's definitely printed as Mah 5800, but I have my doubts.
The shopkeeper also confirmed that it's Mah5800, but again I have my doubts

Will test and report back. Hopefully it won't toast my cam with a vengeance

5800mah batteries are very common in the world of RC racing, but they are the size of a BMPCC camera ! Probably just a typo and an extra zero

Or it is acutually a mWh rating, like found on some other batteries. A 7.3V battery providing 800 mAh (e.g. 800 mA for 1h) provides roughly 5800 mWh (milli Watt times hour):

P·t = U·I·t = 7.3V · 800mAh = 5840 mWh

That would put that battery in line with the original BMD batteries, which seems just about right.

And the winning battery for me is....

I broke down and bought a Nikon EN-EL20 from Adorama. 1020mAh

I had been using my Nikon lenses rather than my Lumix OIS so I tested with my Metabones SpeedBooster on so there may have been lower demand on the batter but the numbers are.

1 hour 18 minutes... yes 78 minutes.
The BMPCC went from 100% right down to 0% before turning off.

I bought 2 $20 generic 1500mAh batteries, I seem to get about 45 minutes recording with 100% LCD brightness, nothing amazing but I now have 3 batteries which are helpful if I need the extra 2.

Not a battery, but I ordered an Anker 20000mAh external battery pack for my BMPCC. The plan is to drop this battery pack into the carry bag and just recharge the BMPCC on the field when ever I'm having a pause (or just plug the battery pack in during a longer shot).

Search it from amazon with "Anker Astro Pro2 20000mAh Ultra-High Capacity Multi-Voltage External Battery". It costs around 100 USD

I haven't yet tested if the Anker ships with a correct plug, but I'll report once I got it (should be during next week).

I bought the Astro 3 battery (also branded as Anker, but rated at 10,000 mAh) for my wife to use while geocaching. It came with a bag containing about 20 different charging tips, and a small number of cables. It looks like there is one which will fit the BMPCC. Of note, it is supposedly capable of powering both the 9v / 12v (switchable) port and the USB ports simultaneously, which means I should be able to power my Tascam DR100 from it at the same time as the pocket cam.

So far, we have been very happy with it, but I have not powered my camera with it yet. The seller did caution me to run it through a couple of full charge cycles before it would reach full capacity on the battery. We haven't noticed any capacity issues yet, but it has only been used for powering a smartphone so far.

Anyway - I'm anxious to hear your report - I'm looking to get the same battery for myself before my wife finds hers missing