BMD Battery Grip Issues

Hey All,

Received the new BMD battery grip about 2 weeks ago and some testing, both on client shoots and in my own personal projects. I posted this on the facebook group when I first got the grip, but most people dismissed it as an issue with my batteries...so I decided to do more testing before posting again.

I have had some major issue that seems to limit or make the grip unusable...

All these issues are related to the battery grip and the Pocket 4k, I have not done these tests on the 6k as I purchased the grip to use exclusively with the 4k and do not want to dismantle my 6k rig.

Issue: Battery grip incorrectly reports battery level on first batter slot, no matter the charge level the UI always appears red.
Issue: Battery grip does not switch to the second slot on the depletion of the first slot prompting the camera to shut down unexpectedly during filming.



Housekeeping:
- All batteries were tested with a voltage meter to ensure they gave off enough power for the camera
- All battery range in age and brand, from the standard Sony L series to brands such as RavPower, Wasabi Power, etc... Sony being the most difficult to find, Wasabi Power and RavPower being the easiest to find on Amazon.
- All batteries have been tested in other devices that draw similar power, including other cameras, portable lighting, and Atomos Monitors (Ninja V). All devices report battery levels similar to the charger for each battery.
- Different were used to ensure that all batteries were charged properly
- The camera is updated to the latest firmware and was factory reset before testing

## Expected Behavior
Battery grip should report the correct charging level via the voltage in the proper UI color. The Battery should switch to the second slot once the first battery is completed.

I am not sure if others are having this issue; but I thought I put it somewhere so that others can comment on it and maybe I can get some feedback before reporting it to BMD.

You must contact directly Blackmagic Design to have answer, forum is not right place, only to have feedback if other have same defects


Inviato dal mio iPhone utilizzando Tapatalk

You must contact directly Blackmagic Design to have answer, forum is not right place, only to have feedback if other have same defects


Inviato dal mio iPhone utilizzando Tapatalk

I think there is a misunderstanding... I am not looking for support from BMD in the forums but asking if other users have had this issue. I want to know before reporting it to BMD support... I have updated the topic to reflect that...but given the reception in this forum, I doubt that I will get an answer.

and I have submitted this to BMD support ...

Regi,
I don't think there are a lot of units in users' hands yet. Hope you get your particular issue resolved soon.
Steve

What is the firmware version on your PCC4k?

I have had the battery grip for few weeks now. I have not experienced this issue and found it to work without any flaws. I am no longer constantly concerned about the battery levels as I was before.

The only negative I have is the lack of being able to find a cage solution due to the dimensions.

But the grip functions well and there are no cables/wires/ etc - very clean and maintains the quickness of production for which I added the BMPCC4k to our equipment package.

John, the Wooden Camera Pocket 4K Cage will work. Just get the Universal DSLR mid size cage replacement rod (that connects the top and bottom plates) to get a wider space to accommodate the battery grip. If you need a Speed Booster or other lens adapter support, you can add a longer support rod on this also.
Cheers

[Kristian Lam]

Hi Regis,

Answerd you on FB as well. You should get this swapped out as it's definitely not expected behaviour.

I have the BMD Battery Grip and am experiencing exactly the same issue. Does not switch over. Shows red on top battery regardless of battery state. Now after installing the latest camera update (6.8) the camera will not turn on with fully charged batteries.

Keith

Hello Regi, I have nearly the same issue. I ran four trials, and in three out of the four trials the camera shut down when the battery in Slot 1 depleted, with the battery in Slot 2 seemingly full. In one trial, both batteries depleted at the same time. After using the grip for about a month, I found that the camera would turn off in less than 30 minutes, typically. This was obviously less than expected. For those who also had this problem, what was the solution? Return it? Try the Neewer power grip?

I had the same issue. RMA’d my battery grip and they just replaced it with a new one. After trying it out, I’m still having the same issue. Battery 1 drains and the camera shuts down without switching to battery 2. It would seem the problem might be on the camera end. I’m going to reach out to BMD again and see what they think at this point…

Today, I purchased a new battery grip for my BMPCC 6K (Super 35) version and encountered a similar issue. When I put it on charge, it only charges one battery. Upon turning on the camera, it initially shows one battery as fully charged, but within a few seconds, the charge drops by about 25%, indicating around 75% remaining.

In my case, I've noticed that the grip only charges one specific battery in both slots. This suggests that either the battery is faulty, or the grip is recognizing only one battery.

Has anyone else faced this issue and found a solution? Until then, it feels like a waste of money. Nonetheless, I still have trust and faith in Blackmagic Design.

I used the Vello battery grip and have 3 of them for my bmpcc6k. I have batteries on all 3 and fully charged them before I go on a shoot. I bring all three of them and just swap when I am low on batt. Each goes for a good 75-80 minutes of shooting BRAW and some more with ProRes. Altogether I get through a shoot easily with the 3 batts. The 3 grips combined costs less than one BMD original grip and have been working flawlessly. I’ve owned them for a couple of years now and use them frequently.

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/ ... l/overview

For the price, I think of them just as consumables, like batteries and if I break them or it fails after a couple of years used, I just get a new one, or keep extras handy. Still cheaper than the BM made one.