Blackmagic Forum

Hey everyone,

This is my first post here because I've been looking all over the place for an answer to my question. I was hoping you could help me figure out if it would be okay to power a dummy battery within the BMPCC4K, using the 8V output of the Zhiyun Crane 3 Lab. I saw in the Crane 3 manual that the DC out can power a dummy Lp-E6 for a canon 5D. I would be using the exact same dummy battery (LP-E6) but for the BMPCC4K.

I've read that the "draw" of the BMPCC4K can be too much for some outputs and so I wanted to check with you guys.

Thanks,

Will

Why not go to power in, 12-20v
On battery if I remember is quite small the range of voltage supported.
Anyway how many hour you think you could keep on and on your arm
Gimbal + camera + lens ?
I ever use classic battery on camera, gimbal and go. Better to be lighter and less cable that can unbalance gimbal.
Ps I had crane 2, and with p4K work like a charm.



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my power solution so far is to use the internal battery while shooting with the Crane 3, after that let it charge from a power bank. If there's not enough time to recharge I simply leave the cable attached and carry the power bank in a pocket while shooting with the Crane 3.

I was also thinking to use the 8.4V output of the Crane 3, but I guess it's not certain to work in every situation. I read that the camera does power-on using that power source, but who knows if it will be enough for 4k 60fps and mic phantom power.

Did you ever manage to power the BMPCC4K from the Crane Lab 3 DC output? I have both this camera and gimbal but can't seem to find anybody managing it. There also doesn't seem to be a cable available to purchase anywhere for this purpose.

I never tried. It may work, but I prefer a proper solution, also with a microphone attached that needs phantom power from the mini-XLR. I would also guess that if you could reliably power the P4k from the Crane 3 (which I doubt), the camera would drain the gimbal batteries rather quickly. You would need to power off often. Which is something that is not practical, re-setting the A and B points of the gimbal servos every time you power on. With that alone you lose time (battery time). If you plan only short shots, without external microphone, it may be a good solution. But I don't know.

The power bank solution for the P4k has worked well. I carry it in my back pocket or jacket pocket, so it doesn't add to the gimbal weight. Each item (camera, gimbal, external monitor) has its own power source. Plenty (abundance) of power for a day, and each battery can be charged separately at the same time. Which is also something to consider. You want your entire setup to be fully charged quickly.

Another thing: in winter time, a battery pack can fail when temperature goes below 5 degrees Celsius. Carrying it in the jeans back pocket keeps it warm. The Crane 3 works fine in winter, but I wouldn't want to power it off in the cold. Better let it run when not in use, this will keep the batteries a bit warmer.

I think I've been able to okie-engineer a power solution for the P4K while on a Crane 3.

I posted this, w/ pictures on Facebook, if you care to see.
Since I'm not allowed to post a link in this forum...
You'll have to find the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K & 4K User Group, and do a keyword search for "okie", or "Brent Berry".

The hard part is finding the correct plug that will fit the Crane's 8v outlet.
The plug I used came from a mini DirecTV tuner power supply.
I'll get the measurements and formal nomenclature later.
The important part is that this plug has a pin in the center of the barrel that goes into a receptacle in the Crane's power socket.
Not an easy plug to find.
So, I cut off a length of the plug & cable, and solder spliced it onto the cable of a LP-E6 dummy battery.
The total cable length is now appox. 5".
Camera powers up without a problem.
I'll test it for Crane battery longevity and reliability with focus & zoom motors, SSD, XLR mic w/ phantom power, recording at 4k 60p.
I'll be putting it through the paces.
I'm preparing for an upcoming Israel trip, so trust me...I'll be thorough!
Stay tuned for my findings.

Before splicing, I performed a couple tests...

First, I connected a volt meter to the ends of the bare wires while plugged into the 8v outlet.
This verified the positive and negative wires, and that I was getting the full 8v.
8.2v, actually.
Check!

Then I tested the outlet while connected to the P4K's 12v power inlet.
While using the camera's 12v inlet, it will send a charge to the internal battery port.
So, I made sure it was empty. I also unplugged the SSD and anything else that might draw a current.
The camera powered up, but the battery level indicator on the screen was red, and showed 8v.
This would be my preferred power solution.
It would more closely resemble my typical V-mount rig where I have an LP-E6 battery in the camera as a backup, and uninterrupted power, while main power comes from the V-mount.
But the red indicator doesn't give me the warm & fuzzies, so I aborted that solution.

If there is a manufactured 3rd party solution like this, already on the market, I can't find it.
Maybe we can get IndiePro, Tilta, or PortKeys to come up with something.

you could build a converter that transforms the voltage from 8.2 V to 12+ V. Ask a specialist.

The external power pack I use indicates 12 V +- 0.2 V. I could change the power pack voltage to 16 V or 19 V, but from my experience it is not necessary. The camera is working at extreme settings (Q0 75 fps, phantom power to microphone) for extended time, several hours.