Smallrig NP-F Plate with 6k pro?

Hi everyone,

I'm new to the world of Blackmagic and cinema cameras in general. I recently got my kit and I'm wondering if I chose the wrong power solution. I got the Smallrig NP-F Plate with a dc to 12v cable. The camera shuts down with the battery inside the plate with a charge of around 50%. I kept the original NP-F Battery inside the BMCC6k pro while using the battery plate.

Can anyone help with that issue? Tried to google but couldn't find something regarding the 6kpro.


Also new to this forum, so I hope this is the right place to ask.

Thanks guys!

Regards
Nils

I can't say for sure (I'm a new owner as well,) but I believe it's since the 6K Pros are spec'ed for a 12V and the NP-Fs only deliver 7.4V. It appears they will run for a bit, but not very long.

That said, I have a similar question about the Smallrig Plate with the 6k pro. Rather than starting a new thread I thought I'd post here, maybe we can both get our answers met.

I bought the same Smallrig NP-F Plate for the 6K Pro, seemingly by accident:
https://smallrig.com/smallrig-np-f-batt ... -3093.html

It appears this is recommended for the 4K + 6K, but not the 6K Pro. As best I can tell it is because power specs for the earlier cameras is 7.5(ish)V, while the 6KPro is 12V (NP-F batts are spec'ed at 7.4.) All of that said, when using a beefier NP-F 970, going out of the 12V output on the adapter and to the 12V in on the side of the 6K Pro, it seems to power everything up fine. I get well over 1 1/2 hours of run and record time.

So my question is: Why? Why is this working, but (seemingly) not recommended? Am I doing any potential harm using this adapter as opposed to a standard 12V+ battery solution (like a V-Mount brick adapter?) Appreciate anyone's thoughts on it!

Hi guys,

trying to answer both your questions:

1) Connect the Camera to the 12V output of the Smallrig Plate. That's the whole point of this plate, that it converts the NPF Voltage up from 7.4 to output 12V.
This is fine and won't harm either camera nor battery or plate. All Pocket cameras have a 12v input on the Weipu connector.

Obviously you loose a slight bit of battery capacity by converting the voltage (due to inefficiencies), but really who cares if you can use 100% or 90% of the total battery capacity.

2) Keep a battery inside the Camera, so that it doesn't shut down when the NPF battery is empty but switches to the internal one. That way you can hot swap your NPFs. Keep an eye out on the battery icon. if you tap it you can see the current voltage.

Also make sure the internal battery is fully charged when you start shooting, otherwise it will get charged through the NPF (which would be a waste).

Hope that helps.
Cheers
David

unlike the 4K, i do NOT recommend using an NP-F plate on the 6Kpro,
as the current consumption is higher and therefore the upvolting works in a dangerous range.

go with a small v-mount!

unlike the 4K, i do NOT recommend using an NP-F plate on the 6Kpro,
as the current consumption is higher and therefore the upvolting works in a dangerous range.

go with a small v-mount!

what exactly is a dangerous range? 12v is 12v. If the NPF wouldnt deliver enough power (VxA=W) the camera would simply switch off. but it doesn't. the 6k Pro is happy with a small 550 internally, so it will sure be fine with a 970 externally.

I have the 6k pro and a smallrig npf plate and it works perfectly fine. tried and tested.

nothing wrong with v mount either but higher cost and more bulk.

the upvolting will not stable at this powerconsumation.

but no one is stopping you from using it ; -)

All posts here have merit. To be the safest, a V mount would be best. Having said that, the published power draw of the 6k pro is 25 watts. If we add 5% for the voltage boost circuitry the demand from the battery is 26.25 watts. Dividing that by the voltage of the battery we get about 3.5 amps. This should be well within the capability of an NP-F style battery.

the upvolting will not stable at this powerconsumation.

but no one is stopping you from using it ; -)

Please Mark, clarify your sentence, I would like to know more, or if you can tell me where I can search more info about it.
I know that pockets can be power with a variable voltage from 10 to 20v from weipu connectors.
Plate should be developed with a circuits to transform from 7.4 to 12v.
I not understand where is the weak point.
Do you think the process of upvolting is wrong? Why?
Do you think the quality of plate circuits is a weak?
I’m a curious guy and I usually very careful about these areas, if I risk I would like why


Inviato dal mio iPhone utilizzando Tapatalk

the upvolting will not stable at this powerconsumation.

but no one is stopping you from using it ; -)

Please Mark, clarify your sentence, I would like to know more, or if you can tell me where I can search more info about it.
I know that pockets can be power with a variable voltage from 10 to 20v from weipu connectors.
Plate should be developed with a circuits to transform from 7.4 to 12v.
I not understand where is the weak point.
Do you think the process of upvolting is wrong? Why?
Do you think the quality of plate circuits is a weak?
I’m a curious guy and I usually very careful about these areas, if I risk I would like why


Inviato dal mio iPhone utilizzando Tapatalk

You could try researching the constant discharge current of the battery and the current rating of the plate but I doubt you'll find anything. Manufacturers are quite negligent in providing this information.

all of them, whether smallrig, tilta, or any chinese manufacturer
builds only minimal circuitry into their adapters.
and thus a uniform upvolting is not possible.
a proper circuit including buffering would already exceed the price of these cheap adapters alone.
depending on this, the voltage provided fluctuates,
and the higher the current consumption of the device is,
the more the voltage supplied differs.
damage to the device is therefore inevitable at some point.

about my person:
i was an electronics technician before i moved into the film industry


.

all of them, whether smallrig, tilta, or any chinese manufacturer
builds only minimal circuitry into their adapters.
and thus a uniform upvolting is not possible.
a proper circuit including buffering would already exceed the price of these cheap adapters alone.
depending on this, the voltage provided fluctuates,
and the higher the current consumption of the device is,
the more the voltage supplied differs.
damage to the device is therefore inevitable at some point.

about my person:
i was an electronics technician before i moved into the film industry


.

Excellent explanation, I’m not a electronic guy, and for this reason I’m ever careful on every my choose in this environment, for this reason I all to know more. I like to learn more every times

Effectively a simple gmount plate to give me ability to share different voltage was priced since 200$ in 2015, since ten times that tilta, small rig unit.

From what I understand that mean I should connect out of nfp plate to a “stabiliser circuits” with caching system to be sure that camera not suffer about voltage fluctuation.
Could be interesting that if someone develop it.
Actually nfp battery are smaller lighter and cheaper than vlock or gmount battery, there is a marginal price to invest on stabilizer. I had two gmount battery for ursa, two x 95w battery, but I have 3 x 74w nfp that I bought for less the price of ones of gmount, and 32 nfp of 48w (I use it to power up lights panel), if I should invest I prefer to invest in a stabilizer or a better expansive plate instead to expansive batteries.


Inviato dal mio iPhone utilizzando Tapatalk

Hi guys,

trying to answer both your questions:

1) Connect the Camera to the 12V output of the Smallrig Plate. That's the whole point of this plate, that it converts the NPF Voltage up from 7.4 to output 12V.
This is fine and won't harm either camera nor battery or plate. All Pocket cameras have a 12v input on the Weipu connector.

Obviously you loose a slight bit of battery capacity by converting the voltage (due to inefficiencies), but really who cares if you can use 100% or 90% of the total battery capacity.

2) Keep a battery inside the Camera, so that it doesn't shut down when the NPF battery is empty but switches to the internal one. That way you can hot swap your NPFs. Keep an eye out on the battery icon. if you tap it you can see the current voltage.

Also make sure the internal battery is fully charged when you start shooting, otherwise it will get charged through the NPF (which would be a waste).

Hope that helps.
Cheers
David

1) I have tried this option but my camera shuts down itself while recording. Sometimes it keeps recording for 20 minutes and sometimes it lasts less than a minute. I use fully charged Baxxtar NP-F970.

2) BMPCC installation and operation manual says: "When powering your camera with a custom made power source, we recommend
removing its internal battery."

There is strange noise coming from the battery compartment of the camera when I leave the battery inside during the use of the external battery via the Smallrig battery plate (12V output).


I think the best solution for this would be a dummy battery but I haven't been able to find a proper np-f570 dummy battery.

Is there a diy the dummy battery?



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There is strange noise coming from the battery compartment of the camera when I leave the battery inside during the use of the external battery via the Smallrig battery plate (12V output).

i think is a very bad signal earing strange noise from battery compartment, to me seems bad contacts or false contacts, this happened only when you attach external battery or ever?
pockets should not have internal battery be cause this cause more energy consuming, external power is used to charge internal battery that give to camera energy, instead to use directly external power, but this should not cause bad noise.

The strange noise is coming from the battery compartment of the camera only when I leave the battery inside during the use of the external battery via the Smallrig battery plate (12V output).


Послато са M2101K6G помоћу Тапатока