Battery Life and Pocket Cinema Camera

The place for questions about shooting with Blackmagic Cameras.
  • Author
  • Message
Offline
User avatar

raadgie

  • Posts: 123
  • Joined: Sat Apr 13, 2013 11:22 am

Battery Life and Pocket Cinema Camera

PostMon Aug 26, 2013 5:53 pm

MrCheesyCam: ... If you just left the camera on without recording, I don't know if you'll even get 20 minutes out of a single battery. (
)

BMD: <see picture>

So any suggestion for battery pack?

UPDATE: BMD says 50 min. (https://vimeo.com/72972171#t=406)
Attachments
Screen Shot 2013-08-26 at 7.46.32 PM.jpg
Screen Shot 2013-08-26 at 7.46.32 PM.jpg (30.17 KiB) Viewed 29395 times
Last edited by raadgie on Mon Aug 26, 2013 6:10 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Karl von Bahnhof
CEO
Chicken shots production
Offline

Kholi Hicks

  • Posts: 732
  • Joined: Wed Aug 22, 2012 10:23 pm

Re: Battery Life and Pocket Cinema Camera

PostMon Aug 26, 2013 5:58 pm

Does he say what kind of batteries he's using?

With Original Nikon 1000mAH batteries, I witnessed Hot Rod Camera's single Pocket Camera hit a solid 30 minutes of straight recording on a 60 percent charge. I imagine that would equate to at least 45 minutes of recording on a full charge, and much longer standby times.

Without sounding too "I told you so" about this, if people are buying cheap knock-off batteries then they should expect cheap-knock off battery life. This isn't anything new or profound: professional photographers buy OEM, Manufacturer hardware for this very reason.

I hadn't posted this information yet (saw this last friday) because I'm waiting to do my own tests, but I'm pretty sure it's down to how cheap you want to be with your battery solutions.

Edit here: and, in most of these reviews, I'm seeing cheap knock-off batteries pictured. So many things can be handled before there's an issue if people stop trying to cut unnecessary corners.
Kholi Hicks
Offline
User avatar

raadgie

  • Posts: 123
  • Joined: Sat Apr 13, 2013 11:22 am

Re: Battery Life and Pocket Cinema Camera

PostMon Aug 26, 2013 6:12 pm

Kholi wrote:Does he say what kind of batteries he's using?


Is he talking about the battery which you will get in same box with camera?
Karl von Bahnhof
CEO
Chicken shots production
Offline

Kholi Hicks

  • Posts: 732
  • Joined: Wed Aug 22, 2012 10:23 pm

Re: Battery Life and Pocket Cinema Camera

PostMon Aug 26, 2013 6:18 pm

I'd be curious to know, because that battery also had about 50 minutes of life in it from what I could tell, from a full charge.

Was told that the charging of the battery that comes with the camera could be confusing, because it seems like it's at 100 percent very quickly but turns out it's not a full charge. You pretty much have to leave it charging for about two hours or so for a full charge?

I've already plotted a battery solution for the camera out... just waiting on one to play with on my own to make sure it works.
Kholi Hicks
Offline
User avatar

raadgie

  • Posts: 123
  • Joined: Sat Apr 13, 2013 11:22 am

Re: Battery Life and Pocket Cinema Camera

PostMon Aug 26, 2013 6:28 pm

Hmm, look at it ... (https://vimeo.com/72972171#t=430)
Attachments
Screen Shot 2013-08-26 at 8.17.33 PM.jpg
Original BMD battery
Screen Shot 2013-08-26 at 8.17.33 PM.jpg (61.02 KiB) Viewed 29341 times
obrázek.JPG
My ordered battery
obrázek.JPG (118.44 KiB) Viewed 29341 times
Last edited by raadgie on Mon Aug 26, 2013 6:32 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Karl von Bahnhof
CEO
Chicken shots production
Offline

Kholi Hicks

  • Posts: 732
  • Joined: Wed Aug 22, 2012 10:23 pm

Re: Battery Life and Pocket Cinema Camera

PostMon Aug 26, 2013 6:32 pm

Yeah, that's the one you get with the camera.

I saw way more than 20 minutes of usage out of the original battery on a full charge. Was definitely in the 50-60 minute range, camera on and rolling on and off.
Kholi Hicks
Offline
User avatar

raadgie

  • Posts: 123
  • Joined: Sat Apr 13, 2013 11:22 am

Re: Battery Life and Pocket Cinema Camera

PostMon Aug 26, 2013 6:37 pm

Kholi wrote:Yeah, that's the one you get with the camera.

I saw way more than 20 minutes of usage out of the original battery on a full charge. Was definitely in the 50-60 minute range, camera on and rolling on and off.


Than solved. (Let us know about your battery pack solution later.)

Ok, but "blooming" remain :lol:
Karl von Bahnhof
CEO
Chicken shots production
Offline

Kholi Hicks

  • Posts: 732
  • Joined: Wed Aug 22, 2012 10:23 pm

Re: Battery Life and Pocket Cinema Camera

PostMon Aug 26, 2013 6:38 pm

Also, that's the Nikon battery I'm referring to. That one is pretty stout, affordable, and has its own charger. Is that the battery Cheesy Cam used or is that the on you bought, Raadgie?

I think Hot Rod said they were going to sell them for 25.00 and the charger might be like 35.00.
Kholi Hicks
Offline
User avatar

raadgie

  • Posts: 123
  • Joined: Sat Apr 13, 2013 11:22 am

Re: Battery Life and Pocket Cinema Camera

PostMon Aug 26, 2013 6:49 pm

Kholi wrote:Also, that's the Nikon battery I'm referring to. That one is pretty stout, affordable, and has its own charger. Is that the battery Cheesy Cam used or is that the on you bought, Raadgie?


Already bought, like many stuff for BMPCC. Only Camera is missing.

Idk about which battery Cheesy Cam is referring. I meant about in box one.
Karl von Bahnhof
CEO
Chicken shots production
Offline

Craig Seeman

  • Posts: 598
  • Joined: Tue Aug 13, 2013 1:19 pm

Re: Battery Life and Pocket Cinema Camera

PostMon Aug 26, 2013 6:54 pm

Some people are finding an 1800mAh compatible battery on eBay. I have no idea how reliable they are but if they are, that would help battery life.

I see NewEgg has EL-EN20 1800mAh battery.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 0PG0H76816
Last edited by Craig Seeman on Mon Aug 26, 2013 7:06 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Offline
User avatar

cabo

  • Posts: 23
  • Joined: Fri Dec 21, 2012 8:16 pm

Re: Battery Life and Pocket Cinema Camera

PostMon Aug 26, 2013 7:01 pm

Real, fake, or a really good fake ?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/271199483273

Nikon ENEL20 and charger for $27 ? I'm in. That's less than Amazon for just a charger and you can't have enough of those unless you rig it out and that defeats the whole pocket cam thing.
Offline

Kholi Hicks

  • Posts: 732
  • Joined: Wed Aug 22, 2012 10:23 pm

Re: Battery Life and Pocket Cinema Camera

PostMon Aug 26, 2013 7:07 pm

cabo wrote:Real, fake, or a really good fake ?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/271199483273

Nikon ENEL20 and charger for $27 ? I'm in. That's less than Amazon for just a charger and you can't have enough of those unless you rig it out and that defeats the whole pocket cam thing.


My rule of thumb is to buy from reputable dealers. Saving a few dollars isn't worth hardware dying quickly, or something weird happening. That's just me!

Craig Seeman wrote:Some people are finding an 1800mAh compatible battery on eBay. I have no idea how reliable they are but if they are, that would help battery life.


I'll let someone else try it first, for an extended period of time.

Heard this horror story about a cheap battery exploding on an Alexa and burning half the camera.

This isn't new, though, because those old DVX/HVX knock-off batteries that people got would explode as well.

Imagine that happening inside of the Pocket Camera.

Raadgie wrote:
Kholi wrote:Also, that's the Nikon battery I'm referring to. That one is pretty stout, affordable, and has its own charger. Is that the battery Cheesy Cam used or is that the on you bought, Raadgie?


Already bought, like many stuff for BMPCC. Only Camera is missing.

Idk about which battery Cheesy Cam is referring. I meant about in box one.


Okay cool, that's the battery(ies) I would start with.
Kholi Hicks
Offline

Ryan Jones

  • Posts: 297
  • Joined: Sun Apr 14, 2013 3:25 am
  • Location: South Australia

Re: Battery Life and Pocket Cinema Camera

PostMon Aug 26, 2013 10:46 pm

Kholi, I've got cheap eBay knockoffs and they last as long as the BMD ones. I've also got knockoff batteries for my 7D, and only fault I've got is after 2 years they don't hold charge like the genuine one does, but when new they were perfect.

But those chipped batteries, like the Sony NPs, if you get fakes they don't work at all!
Offline
User avatar

rick.lang

  • Posts: 17175
  • Joined: Wed Aug 22, 2012 5:41 pm
  • Location: Victoria BC Canada

Re: Battery Life and Pocket Cinema Camera

PostMon Aug 26, 2013 11:20 pm

Craig Seeman wrote:Some people are finding an 1800mAh compatible battery on eBay. I have no idea how reliable they are but if they are, that would help battery life.

I see NewEgg has EL-EN20 1800mAh battery.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 0PG0H76816


Craig, I recall reading a post recently about 1800 mA batteries that didn't last long at all. Can't say if the short duration was the fault of the operator or the battery. Let us know.

Rick Lang
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
Rick Lang
Offline

ARTnVIDEO

  • Posts: 26
  • Joined: Mon Aug 12, 2013 3:48 am
  • Location: Texas

Re: Battery Life and Pocket Cinema Camera

PostMon Aug 26, 2013 11:26 pm

cabo wrote:Real, fake, or a really good fake ?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/271199483273

Nikon ENEL20 and charger for $27 ? I'm in. That's less than Amazon for just a charger and you can't have enough of those unless you rig it out and that defeats the whole pocket cam thing.



Those are fake without question.
Offline

Denny Smith

  • Posts: 13131
  • Joined: Thu Aug 01, 2013 4:19 pm
  • Location: USA, Northern Calif.

Re: Battery Life and Pocket Cinema Camera

PostTue Aug 27, 2013 12:00 am

The photo shows it has the "Nikon" sticker, that the new Nikon bat. I got from a "dealer" has. I ordered one before I saw this thread. I Will let you know if it's "real"
Denny Smith
SHA Productions
Offline

ARTnVIDEO

  • Posts: 26
  • Joined: Mon Aug 12, 2013 3:48 am
  • Location: Texas

Re: Battery Life and Pocket Cinema Camera

PostTue Aug 27, 2013 12:07 am

Look at the O in the word Nikon, and there are other signs.

http://www.nikonusa.com/en/Nikon-Products/Product/Batteries/3620/EN-EL20-Rechargeable-Li-ion-Battery-|-Camera-Battery.html

The counterfeiters have gotten smarter trying to pass fakes with the holograms but you can tell fake stikers from the real Nikon ones. The battery charger is fake also.
Offline

ARTnVIDEO

  • Posts: 26
  • Joined: Mon Aug 12, 2013 3:48 am
  • Location: Texas

Re: Battery Life and Pocket Cinema Camera

Offline

MagicAndMayhem

  • Posts: 77
  • Joined: Wed Aug 07, 2013 5:16 pm
  • Location: Los Angeles, CA

Re: Battery Life and Pocket Cinema Camera

PostTue Aug 27, 2013 12:26 am

Just out of curiosity, how long do batteries last on a 5D or a 7D? Does anyone here know?
Offline

David

  • Posts: 321
  • Joined: Thu Aug 23, 2012 3:05 am
  • Location: Ohio.... just marginally better than Kalgoorlie

Re: Battery Life and Pocket Cinema Camera

PostTue Aug 27, 2013 2:10 am

I used to get an hour on the 7D. Less when it was cold.
David Daniel
Dilettante
Offline
User avatar

rick.lang

  • Posts: 17175
  • Joined: Wed Aug 22, 2012 5:41 pm
  • Location: Victoria BC Canada

Re: Battery Life and Pocket Cinema Camera

PostTue Aug 27, 2013 4:27 am

Denny wrote:The photo shows it has the "Nikon" sticker, that the new Nikon bat. I got from a "dealer" has. I ordered one before I saw this thread. I Will let you know if it's "real"


Hope you are not electrocuted like those Chinese people buying fake Apple chargers made in China.

Rick Lang
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
Rick Lang
Offline

Denny Smith

  • Posts: 13131
  • Joined: Thu Aug 01, 2013 4:19 pm
  • Location: USA, Northern Calif.

Re: Battery Life and Pocket Cinema Camera

PostTue Aug 27, 2013 4:46 am

I just checked the photos on the site I got the battery from, the photos are,of a,"real" Nikon battery, based the the example from,the Nikon site. I Will check the actual,battery when it arrives. If it is a fake, back it goes, wit a full refund for shipping an item that does Not match the published description.

I,will let you know how,this pans out.

Meanwhile, I,found a "real" Nikon charger used from a US seller.
Denny Smith
SHA Productions
Offline
User avatar

raadgie

  • Posts: 123
  • Joined: Sat Apr 13, 2013 11:22 am

Re: Battery Life and Pocket Cinema Camera

PostTue Aug 27, 2013 3:02 pm

Found some tips how increase battery life. I am sure everyone knows it yet but repetition is the mother of wisdom.

http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/how_to_prime_batteries

http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/how_to_prolong_lithium_based_batteries
Karl von Bahnhof
CEO
Chicken shots production
Offline
User avatar

rick.lang

  • Posts: 17175
  • Joined: Wed Aug 22, 2012 5:41 pm
  • Location: Victoria BC Canada

Re: Battery Life and Pocket Cinema Camera

PostTue Aug 27, 2013 3:18 pm

Denny wrote:I just checked the photos on the site I got the battery from, the photos are,of a,"real" Nikon battery, based the the example from,the Nikon site. I Will check the actual,battery when it arrives. If it is a fake, back it goes, wit a full refund for shipping an item that does Not match the published description.

I,will let you know how,this pans out.

Meanwhile, I,found a "real" Nikon charger used from a US seller.


Great, Denny. Most people may not take the trouble to do that follow up.

Call me paranoid but I usually suspect very good deals as "too good to be true" and feel they may be illegal copies or, worse if the items are actually genuine, stolen goods. I know so many people feel comfortable buying from the trunk of a stranger's car in parking lots and sites like EBay but I never have. For sole operators and a legitimate company without a brick and mortar storefront, I understand webstores can be a fantastic window to a worldwide market, but the occasional rotten apple spoils the barrel.

Rick Lang
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
Rick Lang
Offline

Denny Smith

  • Posts: 13131
  • Joined: Thu Aug 01, 2013 4:19 pm
  • Location: USA, Northern Calif.

Re: Battery Life and Pocket Cinema Camera

PostTue Aug 27, 2013 4:25 pm

I agree Rick.

When using eBay, always check out the seller, to see if they are legit. I am also wary of "knock offs" ESP. Coming from China, and very rarely buy from China sellers, I try to keep my $ in the US, not overseas. But once in a while, you have to buy international, ck seller past performance and feedback is one indicator. If a "company" Goggle the company name see if they are the same.

I have also had good luck buying from fellow photographers/videographers upgrading and selling their older gear.
Denny Smith
SHA Productions
Offline

edbarton

  • Posts: 1
  • Joined: Tue Aug 27, 2013 5:07 pm

Re: Battery Life and Pocket Cinema Camera

PostTue Aug 27, 2013 5:28 pm

Be wary of unofficial batteries. Mine were all fine until one exploded in a charger, not using knock-offs again.
Offline

Andrew Lucas

  • Posts: 47
  • Joined: Mon Jul 29, 2013 8:11 pm

Re: Battery Life and Pocket Cinema Camera

PostTue Aug 27, 2013 5:35 pm

Bought 2 of these: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CMIU6OS/ref=oh_details_o04_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Both last approx 20 min max, and when i try to take them out of the cam, I need to use a key to leverage it out just far enough to grab it with pliers and remove it the rest of the way. The dimensions are off ever so slightly from regular EN-EL20 batteries, so the spring release on the cam doesn't work for these.

I knew when I bought them that they were nothing more than a stop gap to provide me with some power while charging the battery that was included with the Cam. However, I don't see myself using either of the 2 I bought ever again.
Offline
User avatar

rick.lang

  • Posts: 17175
  • Joined: Wed Aug 22, 2012 5:41 pm
  • Location: Victoria BC Canada

Re: Battery Life and Pocket Cinema Camera

PostTue Aug 27, 2013 5:50 pm

Denny wrote:I agree Rick.

When using eBay, always check out the seller, to see if they are legit. I am also wary of "knock offs" ESP. Coming from China, and very rarely buy from China sellers, I try to keep my $ in the US, not overseas. But once in a while, you have to buy international, ck seller past performance and feedback is one indicator. If a "company" Goggle the company name see if they are the same.

I have also had good luck buying from fellow photographers/videographers upgrading and selling their older gear.


Thanks for those hints, especially to verify the company exists outside of their presence on a sales website.

Rick Lang
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
Rick Lang
Offline

Ryan Jones

  • Posts: 297
  • Joined: Sun Apr 14, 2013 3:25 am
  • Location: South Australia

Re: Battery Life and Pocket Cinema Camera

PostTue Aug 27, 2013 9:32 pm

David wrote:I used to get an hour on the 7D. Less when it was cold.

So... about the same as a BMPCC then?

People, me included, thought battery life was rubbish to start with, but then it ended up that it's actually the battery meters that are rubbish, the batteries themselves last the 50 mins or so.
Offline
User avatar

Gan Eden

  • Posts: 176
  • Joined: Tue Jul 23, 2013 4:49 am

Re: Battery Life and Pocket Cinema Camera

PostMon Sep 16, 2013 12:17 am

So can anybody confim the 1800mah batteries work then?
Offline

Denny Smith

  • Posts: 13131
  • Joined: Thu Aug 01, 2013 4:19 pm
  • Location: USA, Northern Calif.

Re: Battery Life and Pocket Cinema Camera

PostMon Sep 16, 2013 1:33 am

Got the "Nikon" battery and charger, they turned out to be original Nikon, but are "B" stock, the original battery/charger packed with the Nikon J1 when it came out two years ago. Battery is holding a charge and works OK.
Denny Smith
SHA Productions
Offline

Patrick Finnegan

  • Posts: 210
  • Joined: Wed Aug 29, 2012 11:43 pm
  • Location: Los Angeles, & Santa Fe, New Mexico

Re: Battery Life and Pocket Cinema Camera

PostMon Sep 16, 2013 5:56 am

I found a cable that is the correct interface for the pocket camera with the 2.35mm X .7mm right angle adapter here:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/261046569183?ss ... 1438.l2648

I plan to solder that to an ikan battery plate
http://www.adorama.com/IABP2TSU.html
and power my pocket cinema camera with my Sony BPU 12 volt batteries from my Sony F3.
Finnegan's Wake Films
Director/ Cameraman
Offline
User avatar

Frank Glencairn

  • Posts: 1801
  • Joined: Wed Aug 22, 2012 7:07 am
  • Location: Germany

Re: Battery Life and Pocket Cinema Camera

PostMon Sep 16, 2013 6:00 am

Maybe we try to put this in perspective.

I shot a short film on the BMPC last week.
We shot two whole nights and I turned it of between takes.
I needed 2 batteries per night - not too shabby in my book.
On an Epic I would have needed something like 8 RedVolt Batteries for the same time.
We had the original and a cheapo noname from Ebay, didn't see any difference, how long they last.
On the last day, I run out of my second battery in the morning hours, so we just plugged in a v-mount brick for the last two shots.

Image
http://frankglencairn.wordpress.com/

I told you so :-)
Offline

tom gray

  • Posts: 2
  • Joined: Wed May 22, 2013 4:49 pm

Re: Battery Life and Pocket Cinema Camera

PostFri Jan 03, 2014 6:13 pm

==========================================================
it's not the battery or the camera it's the cameras built in charger that's issue. i bought an external charger, cheep, and the charge time was a lot longer but it lasted a lot longer and i mean a lot longer. the built-in charger is junk in most of these cameras and BM knows it.
Offline

Mattias Burling

  • Posts: 234
  • Joined: Sat Oct 19, 2013 8:54 am

Re: Battery Life and Pocket Cinema Camera

PostFri Jan 03, 2014 8:15 pm

I did a shootout and the included battery gives me almost exactly 60 minutes with screen brightness 100% and focus peaking on. And 5 hours with a cheap external together with a third party nl-el20.
Shooting for fun.
Tutorials, Tests, Reviews and What not:
http://www.youtube.com/user/mattiasburling
Offline
User avatar

otaku-house

  • Posts: 34
  • Joined: Tue Dec 24, 2013 8:50 am

Re: Battery Life and Pocket Cinema Camera

PostFri Jan 03, 2014 8:34 pm

Tom Gray -

What charger you recommend? Is there a Nikon branded that goes well with these batteries?
Offline
User avatar

Uli Plank

  • Posts: 21291
  • Joined: Fri Feb 08, 2013 2:48 am
  • Location: Germany and Indonesia

Re: Battery Life and Pocket Cinema Camera

PostFri Jan 03, 2014 9:15 pm

I use the original one from Nikon (MH-27) – don't want to kill my batteries with a cheapo. Works fine.
No, an iGPU is not enough, and you can't use HEVC 10 bit 4:2:2 in the free version.

Studio 18.6.5, MacOS 13.6.5
MacBook M1 Pro, 16 GPU cores, 32 GB RAM and iPhone 15 Pro
Speed Editor, UltraStudio Monitor 3G, iMac 2017, eGPU

Return to Cinematography

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Johannes Jonsson, Username and 95 guests