Hey, great review Gerald Undone. Thank you! We personally liked the one from Fxlion just a little bit more, but I guess we have to anyway. :) Keep up your great work! - The Fxlion Team
Gerald Undone: Thanks Mr. Gerald for introducing us to Bebob & FxLion V-Mount batteries !!! You explain it so newbies can also comprehend this new technology !!! Thanks Scarboro 🇨🇦🍀😎💚
No gummi's were harmed in production of this video. I love products like this. I'm all about the versatility, mobile and adapting type products. Do I look like an on location octopus? Yes but life is much happier. Also I'm getting a battery just for the VW. Thanks Gerald and yes to DDR. That suggestion gets bonus nerd points from me.
Great video, especially the ending. But I don't understand how these batteries are so expensive. A V-mount plate/adapter can't be that costly. The batteries for my cordless tools are more powerful and half the price. They'll run fans, lights, drills, grinders, saws. Should I market a Milwaukee or Dewalt battery to D-tap adapter?
You only think they're powerful. The problem is twofold. Sure, a Dewalt cordless drill can claim up to 340 UWO, but power tool manufacturers have been LONG known to fudge all of their numbers - battery capacity, tool power, efficiency, battery life, torque, speed, and a dozen other variables. None of those things will tell you exactly how many amps the motor draws, and that's the most important part. Lack of accurate source material - that's problem number one. The second problem, and the biggest problem with any battery, is its lack of amp-hours. Cameras and their accessories don't generally need high battery voltage (there's a reason mounting plates will often step the incoming 14.8V down to 12, 7, and even 5V out for different applications), but lights, gimbals, and monitor/recorders like the Atomos Shogun 7 can draw relatively high current and use a lot of power. An Aputure 300D II, for example, uses up to 350W. Since P=I*V, that means a 14.8V battery would have to provide over 25 amps (!) of current to run it at full power. There isn't a single camera battery out there capable of doing that (that I'm aware of). Most batteries top out at 12 or 14A of load draw. High-draw batteries from Fxlion top out at 18A and can provide 20Ah. That's four times as much capacity as a 5Ah Dewalt battery. Either way, the root cause is battery chemistry and cooling. With power tools, you generally don't use them nonstop for 6 or 8 hours a day. Overheating may not be an issue for smaller power tools, but it certainly is for camera equipment.
Your articulation of speech is incredible. It’s almost as precise as if you were reading a book right in the palm of your hands. You probably can go 30 minutes in a single take without cuts memorizing all that info LOL. 👏👏👏 same thing goes for Curtis Judd.
Have you tried the Blueshape Granite Minis? They’re physically just a little bit larger but have higher output and even WiFi... they gain some points in appearance too haha
I think I like the Fxlion Nano One over my Power Junkie NP-F. I like the flexibility of adding whatever sized NPF battery to the Power Junkie, but I like the V-mount option of the FXlion better.
Hi Gerald. I've seen your comment on a review of batteries uploaded by DSLR Video Shooter, where you clarified on the Amps and Watts, basically that bigger batteries may bring more Amps too. I bought a Aputure 120d ii, and wonder if a 95W/h battery will provide enough power to use that light at 100% output. I heard that Aputure recommends to use a battery larger than 130 W/h but since airlines don't allow to carry batteries with power over 100W/h, I may get my battery taken by TSA or American Airlines at the airport when leaving USA to Argentina, where I live. (I buy my video and photo stuff in the States, due to quality, availability and price). I would appreciate if you have any idea on the power performance of the under 100wh batteries you have tested, how those would fully power up the light I just bought. Thanks and great video, as always.
@@BrilliantBatgirl Very late to the party, but here goes for everyone else reading this: Aputure is right. A 95 Wh battery usually can't handle more than a 4,5 or 6 Amp continuous load, while you may think otherwise. The better brands ALWAYS state this on their batteries and the better brands usually protect their cells a bit more than the cheaper ones (as the better brands don't want people returning their batteries because they don't perform like they hoped they would). Even if a 95 Wh can power a significantly beefy light, it will strain the cells more: they will be rapidly discharged which could make them warm up and shorten their overall lifetime. A good battery has a sophisticated safety system inside (called a gas gauge) that protects the cells from overtemperature, too low temperatures, overcurrent (in both charge and discharge condition) overvoltage, undervoltage and cell-imbalance. It's this circuit that also cuts off the cells from the outside world if too much current is being drawn. You then either have to resolve the fault-situation (read: stop drawing so much current), wait a while for the electronics to recover or even connect a charger to recover it from the fault situation. Do NOT cheap out on batteries for lights. Batteries aren't linear power sources, so a 150 Wh battery can 'suddenly' lastmore than twice as long as a 95 Wh battery, even though the capacity has not doubled. It's just the cells that live up to their specced capacity more at a lower discharge rate and as bigger batteries just pack more cells together, the current-per-cell drops, making them last longer.
Great video! I honestly get confused now a lot with what v mount battery I need for what application, probably my own ignorance. I’m not great with the voltage and watts haha.
Thanks! Often the batteries are the same in terms of voltage--usually in the 14.4-14.8v range. The watt-hours are the capacity. The bigger that number, the longer it will last. The main difference between them is the max current in amps, which will usually be recommended by the device you're powering. Your light for instance might say, "gimme 6 amps" and it assumes a voltage of 14.8, because that's the standard for v-mount.
For everyone reading this: If a device can't handle anything from 12 Volts to 16,8 Volts, it should NOT have a V-mount (or Gold Mount). A standard V or Gold Mount battery always ranges from about 12 Volt (fully depleted) to 16,8 Volt (Fully charged). A device only draws the current it needs. So even a 100 Amp battery will not destroy anything as long as it sticks to the same voltages. But the amount of current the battery can deliver is a bit more problematic. Bebob WILL list this on their batteries. Because the batteries are usually rated a capacity in Watthour, just dividing that number by the voltage won't give you the maximum current they can deliver. Usually, the batteries can provide a set maximum current and if you go over that, the electronics inside the battery just turns the output off. Besides protecting the cells, this is also most likely a way to make more money by having to buy a more powerfull battery, which has more cells, but is also set with a higher maximum current. My own V-mounts for example max out at 6 Amps: if I draw more than that, the electronics inside will just cut the output until I resolve the issue. However, I got 3 'Cine' batteries from them and two 'normal' ones. In the same formfactor, both are 90 Wh packs (well, in the past then, before I recelled them myself), but the normal ones were rated at a 4,4 A load max (although the electronics proved to be set to 6Ah) while the 'Cine' batteries could be discharged with a whopping 12 Amps. This would discharge them in about 30 to 35 minutes (never tried it, but considering the total of about 8 Ah of cells in there, this would be about the usable charge). The standard had only 3 cells in each group, the 'Cine' 4: they both used the exact same cells, but just got their safety-settings set different. It is this why so many people buy a V-mount battery for a beefy LED light, to find out they can't turn it up beyond a certain brightness setting, as the current than just triggers the safety-system in the battery. They only divided Wh by voltage and don't understand why their battery cuts out. But the cells (or PCB in the battery) can't always sustain such high-drain devices, which is why you need a bigger battery.
There’s a reason gold is standard in the big leagues. So much more secure. I’ve had v mounts on solid collapse off a steadicam in low mode. Bebob’s gold mounts are perfect
You know what I really want? I want something like that V-Mount / Sony adapter, but to adapt my DeWalt FlexVolt batteries so they can power V-Mount devices like the Godox VL300. I have SO MANY power tool batteries. Sadly, the only adapter I can find (Kessler's) doesn't pass power through to V-Mount, it's just a mounting option for rigging.
Yeah, but with one downside. You will probably lose A LOT of power in the conversion from 54 Volt down to working voltage of your equipment. The conversion from that Flexvolt system for tools is most likely only efficient at higher loads. Power something that draws less current (or turn your lighting down for a while) will probably get the efficiency going south. Other 'problem' is the cells itself: tool-batteries are usually high-drain cells, with a rather limited capacity (Ah). Their capacity is limited because there need to be more connections to the outside world to handle the high currents. Where the average cell in a V-mount is a bit of a 50/50 between high drain and high capacity, a tool-battery is all about high drain capability, with only 1,3 to 1,6 Ah at most, while being able to be discharged at 8 to even 15 times their rated capacity without going defect or heating up significantly. Cells from V-mount batteries usually are specced a bit higher (2200 to 2800 mAh is now fairly typical, although I expect micro-batteries to have cells above the 3000 mAh mark) and able to be discharged at 4 to 8 times their rated capacity at most. Laptop-batteries are above this: higher capacities overall, but usually not capable of delivering more than twice or three times their rated capacity without shortening their lifespan or the cells even getting damaged. It's always a compromise between cost, power-density and maximum current that can be expected why manufacturers choose a specific cell. So in short: you could possibly use a tool-battery with the right adapter to power your camera, but the runtime could be poor compared to a dedicated battery.
Hey mate! I have one question. It is possible to use the v mount battery plate usb-c port as a charger input? For example a small rig v mount plate with USB-C? Thanks!
Great video! Thx 4 that, 2 question: how long does it work with BPCC4k and can u charge BPCC4k and monitor (smth like Shinobi) at the same time from this bebob?
I like the form factor of the bebob vmicro rod adapter plate, as it is compact! Their website states that outputs unregulated 14.4v of power. Is this a concern to consider if I want to power my camera with v-mount batteries? As I understand it, unregulated power for lights isn't has big an issue. Thanks! Great and informative video!
I always consider it like this: If a professional camera (warning: I'm talking about VIDEOcameras here, NOT photocameras-rigged-so-they-look-like-videocameras) takes V-mount batteries, it will have to work on basically everything from 12 Volt (fully depleted) to 16,8 Volt (and for safety, 17 Volt) (fully charged). If a camera can't handle that, it should not have a V-mount (or Gold Mount). 14,4 to 14,8 Volt is the nominal voltage of the pack (as the nominal voltage of a lithium cell is 3,6 to 3,7 Volt, at which they are about charged to 45-50 percent). Put 4 of those cells in series and you get to the nominal pack voltage. Unregulated means that the voltage will differ from fully charged to depleted, while a regulated output will keep it fixed at 12 Volts for example. And unregulated power is fine for cameras. They have a shitload of converters on board to make 12 Volt, 5 Volt 3,3 Volt and all other necessary voltages to power all the digital and analog electronics inside. The XLR power-input on professional camera's usually even goes down to 10,8 Volt max: the camera doesn't mind.
Dear Gerald, your reviews are great. I have a question please, I was wondering what NP charger would you recommand? I'm looking for one fast enough to charge my NP-970 for atomos or lights. On Amazon, you can see mainly NEEWER or PIXEL charger, on BH photo, WATSON. The reviews are all pretty good but there is always one that makes me close the tab. Go cheap is wrong? or a good surprise. Thank you Sir.
Hard to tell. I'm afraid these micro-batteries won't like a standard V-mount charger from them (that pumps 3 Amps in them no matter what, which is stupid considering the extremely advanced gas gauge inside the packs), so I think you need a smaller, dedicated charger. Though my standard V-mounts from them (they are older V90RM's and V95's that I recelled myself) can even be charged with laboratory power supplies if I really, really need to, they also feature the same advanced electronics inside, while the charger doesn't do anything fancy: it just starts charging with 3 Amps and that current gradually lowers as the voltage rises. Pity they didn't do anything fancy with the communication provided by the gas gauge inside.
The talking head was shot on the Pocket 4K with the Sigma 18-35mm, which I've been using for the last several weeks. The b-roll was shot on the Pocket 6K with a couple lenses. For the macro I used the Canon 100mm, and for the wider stuff I used the MIR 24M--a vintage 35mm lens adapted from M42 to EF mount.
Hello Gerald, I know this is an old video but I have a concern about powering my A7iii & Ninja V on the same V-mount battery. I people I have talked to says that it is dangerous and I could fry my camera. There have been reports of this happening including the HDMI port being fried. What precautions do I need to consider?
Yeah well, I've done the same with my Blackmagic Video Assist (first generation) on multiple camera's and never had issues with it. I always think it's down to the dodgy power solutions many of the 'riggers' use (read: people who buy a photocamera and then spend a lot of money on a pile of accesories to make it look, act and feel like a videocamera). They spent thousands on the camera and other equipment, but then they have to power everything and go for cheap powerbanks, converters from aliexpress and such. I always consider THAT to be the problem and not anything else. Though HDMI is known for getting input or output stages blown when hot-plugged, I still hope that pro-stuff is a bit more rugged and thus survives this. (although I also feel that one should not use HDMI in a professional setting and use SDI instead: HDMI is a consumer-connection). Connect EVERYTHING without power connected and then put the battery on the plate. Downside is that I expect some devices (especially photocameras) to do something 'fancy' when you flip the switch on them and thus could still fry things. But as said, I never had it happen to me and darn did I hot plug things...
Have you tested the FXLion on a Canon EOS cinema camera? I was going to buy the Nano Two but it looks like the voltage rating is 14.8v but the C200 DC in port cover says 16.7v which makes me nervous to use the FXLion... your thoughts?
I expect that to work fine. ANY standard V-mount battery ranges from 12 Volt (fully depleted, many professional cameras have shut down way before they reach this point) to 16,8 Volt (fully charged). It's weird that they list 16,7 Volt as max, but hey, that could be to convince the lesser technical minded people to buy their superfuckingfancyspecial power supply that outputs EXACTLY 16,7 Volt. But knowing power supplies, they usually can differ 0,1 or 0,2 Volts in output. It's all your own risk ofcourse, but I would be very surprised if you couldn't do this.
Forgive me but I just have to ask this: Is it just me or you kinda (a little) look like Chris Pratt? If you don't agree, then do this Intro "No I'm not Chris Pratt"
how long time it work only Atomos ninja v with Fxlion V-Mount to L-Series Battery Converter Plate without connect fxlion to bmcc? only Atomos V in record.
Regarding Fxlion, the problem I've had is the 12m warranty, no capacity warranty over those 12m and no recycle policy. Bebob does have a 24m warranty, 80% capacity warranty on their cinema batteries and a recycling program, plus they provide shipping certificates that all major airline "freight only" carriers accept (a major decision for some of my traveling filmakers as they can freight ship equipment and not require trips to the local rental house, if there even is one). And the quality of the LI-ION cells matter as not all LI-IONs are created the same, I'm not personally saying that Bebob uses better cells, but if you look at which ones rental houses stock and recommend (as they have to an rental ROI to consider) and the company's service/warranty differences, that should a big factor in your purchasing decision.
@@geraldundone Thanks(!) for the reply. Personally I think warranties, where you can get service, etc. are largely overlooked by most reviewers and you only get the "here are the great tech. specs and uses of the product", which is great but only part of what I need of the product's "big picture" to aid in a purchasing decision. If I have to ship the item (and pay for that shipping) via a freight-only shipper (i.e. LI-IONs) for service back to, say, China, for a warranty claim, I am not going to be able to have of the equipment for weeks, perhaps even months. I have personally found this out before (regarding lighting equipment) and ended up spending more for local rentals than the original price of that "inexpensive" lighting rig while waiting 9 weeks for its return. Thanks for the great vids, look forward to the next one!
On the other hand though, I consider Bebob recelling option to be a bit of a mystery: 'We can recell your battery for about half the price of a new one'. Sorry, that's not clear enough for me. If they charge 65 or even 75% of the price of a new one, I can't protest that because they will most likely call that 'for about half the price'. And considering how easy it is (I did this myself and got quite handy at it at the third battery (from the 5 I had)) I consider Bebob to be very handy (and thus quick) in doing this. Most likely it will take them just 15 to 20 minutes: they remove the old pack, perform safety-tests on the PCB so see if it's still OK, if OK put a new, prefab pack in and reprogram the gas gauge (or even swap the complete PCB as well, which would be quite stupid as you then basically renew everything but the case). I at least know that Bebob uses quality cells (My standard 98 Wh V-mounts used Sanyo/Panasonic UR18650W). The cost to get 5 recelled was a reason I started an adventure to find out if I could do that myself, besides having a nice hobby-project and a bit of a 'screw the manufacturer' feeling.
Hi Gerald. Can you help me understand why a V mount battery at 14.8V is so much more expensive than a power tool battery at 18V. Is it all a scam because it goes on a camera?
pretty much yes. same for chargers etc. - but keep in mind that the cheapest power tools battery will most probably have a cell quality that is below even the cheapest vmount offerings.
@@Digi20 Uh no. Tool-batteries from reputable brands are about the most expensive cells there are as they need to be able to sustain very high discharge currents. Hitachi for example, has used cells (Samsung INR-18650-15L) that can be discharged at 12 times their rated nominal current (in Ah). A 1,5 Amp cell is thus able to deliver 18 Amps without any problems. With 2 of them in parallel in the medium packs and 3 in the very heavy duty packs, this gets a whopping 36 or even 54 amp of maximum discharge current. Those cells are NOT cheap. V-mounts however, use a more balanced cell when it comes to capacity and discharge-capability: the capacity is higher (but still not as high as you can get by now) but the discharge-rate is lower at 4 to 8 times their rated nominal current. Laptop-batteries usually have higher capacity batteries, but usually won't be able to be discharged beyond twice their rated current. Oh yes, you can do so, but the cell-voltage will drop significantly, the cell will heat up and will most likely be damaged by doing so, shortening it's overall lifespan. The big difference in price is the amount that get made: the AV-industry is not a consumer market that puts out thousands or even tens of thousands of the same products, thus things tend to be more expensive. Besides that, the average tool-battery by far has not such an advanced safety-circuit inside as the average V-mount. I can know, I recelled mine and had to reset that safety-system (called a gas gauge) to be able to recell them. Thirdly, the batteries usually endure a rather rough life, comparable with those in the tool-industry. But where most power tools come with two batteries and thus one that cracks, goes dead or whatever, is usually not such a big deal (as you either buy a new one at the next home-improvement store or rent one), a dead or cracked-case V-mount is usually a costly problem that can delay recordings or even cost you your deadine. Pair that with the fact that tool-batteries usually are not airline-certified while 95 Wh V-mounts are, it's easy to understand why they are so much more costly, although tool-batteries also are a bit of a scam... everything in those just doesn't justify their cost.
Does anybody know if the FXlion Nanos fit to normal Vmount plates and allow powering the Plate in order to use the D-taps? Looks shorter than normal Vmount batteries. I have it but was wondering if it will work on a Vmount plate before I purchase a Vmount mount plate that powers things.
That's most likely because the cells in them are more expensive as they are higher capacity cells, although professional batteries are always a bit overpriced in my opinion ;) When I recelled my standard V-mounts (Bebobs), this became more apparent, as 80 cells (Panasonic NCR18650B) for 5 standard V-mounts cost me 360 Euro, which is about the price (incl. VAT) for a new standard 98 Wh V-mount pack from Bebob. Sure, the fact I can send them in to Bebob for recelling (As I know I'm one of the very few idiots that opens them up, resets the gauge (after spending 500 Euro on hardware to be able to do that) and recells them) will get the price up and airline-certification isn't cheap either, but I'm fairly sure they get their cells for far less. A sturdy case that gets thoroughly tested for mechanical impact isn't cheap, but I still feel there's a rather large margin on them ;)
It's absurd to me that, 3 years after this video, finding camera batteries and battery mounting plates that have USB-C PD input/output is STILL a pain in the ass.
I think that's more because it's still a 'prosumer' thing in my opinion. Real videocameras just don't use USB connectors as they can't be locked, are fragile and very susceptible to dust/foreign particles. It's far more a thing for all the people that spend the pretty penny on tons of accesories to get their photocamera look like a videocamera, and run into all the specific issues with powering all those accesories accordingly. And unfortunately, that's just not really the big thing in the market. The AV-industry is a bit conservative most of the time, so innovation takes a little longer compared to the consumer-market.
@@weeardguy this is not true. USB-C has ALWAYS had a locking mechanism as part of the specification. If you're talking about the industry being conservative, then a locking USB-C connector (which is FAR more durable than any micro HDMI connector to ever exist on a "pro" camera) should be standard issue.
@@spdcrzy @Sai Namuduri Okay let me elaborate on a 'locking connector': I consider every connector that requires a second action (that is: pressing a button (V-mount), actuating a lever (Average tripod plate), turning or pulling a ring (BNC/Hirose 12/20 pin as found on many pro-lenses) as something that locks. A connector that just has some notches that click for a just somewhat more secure connection is something I do not consider locking. The chance of just pulling the plug from the receptacle by accident is just too big and the connector just too flimsy to call it a professional connection. And don't get me started on micro-HDMI: No professional VIDEOcamera uses micro-HDMI. It's all full size on those. But full size or not, I consider both to be a consumer connector and not pro-stuff. Pro's use SDI. And for a reason, as it locks.
@@weeardguy I completely agree. IMO, micro HDMI is THE SINGLE WORST A/V connector to EVER exist. It should never have made it onto cameras, consumer or professional. But my point is that the USB-C locking spec is, in fact, a dual screw retention system a la old school VGA or RS-232 serial connectors. I'd argue that's just as secure as any other currently extant locking connector that's used in professional videography.
@@spdcrzy Wow, wait. USB-C by DEFAULT has NO screw retention. So that I was talking about USB-C not having it, is no surprise. Screw retention is just an extra design-option that (as fas I know) is not implemented in any standard concerning the USB-C connector and receptacles. Manufacturers come up with it, but devices don't have to be designed to be able to use the screws and it probably differs per manufacturer as well. It's good that there are options that cover it, but without a standard you're in the dark I'm afraid.
True, but to be honest, the V-mount receptacle on my V-mounts (Bebob standard form-factor 95Wh ones) is replaceable, but I have yet to find a supplier. The fact Bebob does not offer them on their website is weird to me. But what I think could be the case is just this: by the time the receptable wears out too much, the cells most likely have aged too much as well, so either the pack gets dispositioned or returned to Bebob for recelling, where they will then also renew the V-mount receptacle. Considering the contact-block looks so serviceable on my V-mounts as well, I expect this to be done by Bebob as well.
10/10 ending scene! Thanks for the awesome video Gerald!
Thank you! 😃🙏
Hey, great review Gerald Undone. Thank you! We personally liked the one from Fxlion just a little bit more, but I guess we have to anyway. :) Keep up your great work! - The Fxlion Team
Where will i can to buy the battery and micro v-mount plate on ebay in USA)?
Gerald Undone: Thanks Mr. Gerald for introducing us to Bebob & FxLion V-Mount batteries !!! You explain it so newbies can also comprehend this new technology !!! Thanks Scarboro 🇨🇦🍀😎💚
Cool video with the VW Bus !!!
Spent the weekend researching these batteries. Perfect timing. Thanks :)
Loved this... saw the end sequence on your Twitter feed and was waiting for it!
Haha. Thanks! 😃🙏
Loved the closing sequence Gerald, especially the crash test gummy bear! Priceless.
Say hey, that’s me! I like the series so far, keep up the good work.
Thanks for the suggestion! 😃🙏👌
No gummi's were harmed in production of this video. I love products like this. I'm all about the versatility, mobile and adapting type products. Do I look like an on location octopus? Yes but life is much happier. Also I'm getting a battery just for the VW.
Thanks Gerald and yes to DDR. That suggestion gets bonus nerd points from me.
Welcome to Dance Dance Revolution with Gerald Undone!
Exactly! 🤣👌
Your just a born natural in front of the camera, great video and I don't even have any need for these batteries.
Great info, nice to see you review on useful add-ons and stuff no one else is doing! Great end clip! Thx for sharing :)
I've been wondering when I should upgrade my battery system. I don't think I need to get but I'm definitely getting some of this stuff when I do. Wow.
Great job on the channel, almost every piece of gear I've bought I've been able to find a tutorial of yours to reference! Def Subbed
Man this video made me smile, haha been digging up the internet for smaller VLock batteries.
Well made vlog! Clean shots! Thanks for this! Buying an fxlion for my C200!
Great review. Loved the ending!
Very good reviews. Thanks and keep going.
That voice crack in the beginning definitely got me hooked for the rest of the video.
Totally off topic, but I haven't seen your old videos. And I must say that you fit the short haircut really well!
nice work mate, always entertaining
That intro never gets old for me. Love your contents man. Awesome work as always. Alright I’m Done!
That ending b-roll. LOL!!!
👊🤣
Great review and detailed info. Thank you sir . Cleared up the confusion of choosing which one to go for.
HA HA you made a crash test Gummy
Great info Gerald, but the video at the end still has me laughing, thanks!!
I was going for fxlion, but once i saw that toy car and gummies. I was sold on bebob
Great video, especially the ending.
But I don't understand how these batteries are so expensive. A V-mount plate/adapter can't be that costly.
The batteries for my cordless tools are more powerful and half the price. They'll run fans, lights, drills, grinders, saws.
Should I market a Milwaukee or Dewalt battery to D-tap adapter?
Robert Feliciano it’s like aviation or marine. The minute you add ‘camera accessory’ to a product it triples in price.
You only think they're powerful. The problem is twofold.
Sure, a Dewalt cordless drill can claim up to 340 UWO, but power tool manufacturers have been LONG known to fudge all of their numbers - battery capacity, tool power, efficiency, battery life, torque, speed, and a dozen other variables. None of those things will tell you exactly how many amps the motor draws, and that's the most important part.
Lack of accurate source material - that's problem number one.
The second problem, and the biggest problem with any battery, is its lack of amp-hours. Cameras and their accessories don't generally need high battery voltage (there's a reason mounting plates will often step the incoming 14.8V down to 12, 7, and even 5V out for different applications), but lights, gimbals, and monitor/recorders like the Atomos Shogun 7 can draw relatively high current and use a lot of power.
An Aputure 300D II, for example, uses up to 350W. Since P=I*V, that means a 14.8V battery would have to provide over 25 amps (!) of current to run it at full power.
There isn't a single camera battery out there capable of doing that (that I'm aware of). Most batteries top out at 12 or 14A of load draw. High-draw batteries from Fxlion top out at 18A and can provide 20Ah. That's four times as much capacity as a 5Ah Dewalt battery.
Either way, the root cause is battery chemistry and cooling. With power tools, you generally don't use them nonstop for 6 or 8 hours a day. Overheating may not be an issue for smaller power tools, but it certainly is for camera equipment.
A clean "Hello" from Germany :-)
Thanx for this nice Video!
😀👋
Your articulation of speech is incredible. It’s almost as precise as if you were reading a book right in the palm of your hands. You probably can go 30 minutes in a single take without cuts memorizing all that info LOL. 👏👏👏 same thing goes for Curtis Judd.
Have you tried the Blueshape Granite Minis? They’re physically just a little bit larger but have higher output and even WiFi... they gain some points in appearance too haha
I think I like the Fxlion Nano One over my Power Junkie NP-F. I like the flexibility of adding whatever sized NPF battery to the Power Junkie, but I like the V-mount option of the FXlion better.
Bro I love your vids!!
I love your hair. What shampoo do you use? Oh, sick batteries btw. :)
are those battery power enough to power lights like falcon 18t or even aputure 120d?
That sony NP F to V mount would look so dope on the Z-Cam E2
Hi Gerald. I've seen your comment on a review of batteries uploaded by DSLR Video Shooter, where you clarified on the Amps and Watts, basically that bigger batteries may bring more Amps too. I bought a Aputure 120d ii, and wonder if a 95W/h battery will provide enough power to use that light at 100% output. I heard that Aputure recommends to use a battery larger than 130 W/h but since airlines don't allow to carry batteries with power over 100W/h, I may get my battery taken by TSA or American Airlines at the airport when leaving USA to Argentina, where I live. (I buy my video and photo stuff in the States, due to quality, availability and price). I would appreciate if you have any idea on the power performance of the under 100wh batteries you have tested, how those would fully power up the light I just bought. Thanks and great video, as always.
I'm interested in this answer as well.
@@BrilliantBatgirl Very late to the party, but here goes for everyone else reading this: Aputure is right. A 95 Wh battery usually can't handle more than a 4,5 or 6 Amp continuous load, while you may think otherwise. The better brands ALWAYS state this on their batteries and the better brands usually protect their cells a bit more than the cheaper ones (as the better brands don't want people returning their batteries because they don't perform like they hoped they would).
Even if a 95 Wh can power a significantly beefy light, it will strain the cells more: they will be rapidly discharged which could make them warm up and shorten their overall lifetime.
A good battery has a sophisticated safety system inside (called a gas gauge) that protects the cells from overtemperature, too low temperatures, overcurrent (in both charge and discharge condition) overvoltage, undervoltage and cell-imbalance. It's this circuit that also cuts off the cells from the outside world if too much current is being drawn. You then either have to resolve the fault-situation (read: stop drawing so much current), wait a while for the electronics to recover or even connect a charger to recover it from the fault situation.
Do NOT cheap out on batteries for lights. Batteries aren't linear power sources, so a 150 Wh battery can 'suddenly' lastmore than twice as long as a 95 Wh battery, even though the capacity has not doubled. It's just the cells that live up to their specced capacity more at a lower discharge rate and as bigger batteries just pack more cells together, the current-per-cell drops, making them last longer.
Great Video!!!
super entertaining video!
Infotainment like only Gerald can get it done.....or undone 😎
Great video! I honestly get confused now a lot with what v mount battery I need for what application, probably my own ignorance. I’m not great with the voltage and watts haha.
Thanks! Often the batteries are the same in terms of voltage--usually in the 14.4-14.8v range. The watt-hours are the capacity. The bigger that number, the longer it will last. The main difference between them is the max current in amps, which will usually be recommended by the device you're powering. Your light for instance might say, "gimme 6 amps" and it assumes a voltage of 14.8, because that's the standard for v-mount.
For everyone reading this: If a device can't handle anything from 12 Volts to 16,8 Volts, it should NOT have a V-mount (or Gold Mount). A standard V or Gold Mount battery always ranges from about 12 Volt (fully depleted) to 16,8 Volt (Fully charged).
A device only draws the current it needs. So even a 100 Amp battery will not destroy anything as long as it sticks to the same voltages.
But the amount of current the battery can deliver is a bit more problematic. Bebob WILL list this on their batteries. Because the batteries are usually rated a capacity in Watthour, just dividing that number by the voltage won't give you the maximum current they can deliver. Usually, the batteries can provide a set maximum current and if you go over that, the electronics inside the battery just turns the output off. Besides protecting the cells, this is also most likely a way to make more money by having to buy a more powerfull battery, which has more cells, but is also set with a higher maximum current.
My own V-mounts for example max out at 6 Amps: if I draw more than that, the electronics inside will just cut the output until I resolve the issue. However, I got 3 'Cine' batteries from them and two 'normal' ones. In the same formfactor, both are 90 Wh packs (well, in the past then, before I recelled them myself), but the normal ones were rated at a 4,4 A load max (although the electronics proved to be set to 6Ah) while the 'Cine' batteries could be discharged with a whopping 12 Amps. This would discharge them in about 30 to 35 minutes (never tried it, but considering the total of about 8 Ah of cells in there, this would be about the usable charge).
The standard had only 3 cells in each group, the 'Cine' 4: they both used the exact same cells, but just got their safety-settings set different.
It is this why so many people buy a V-mount battery for a beefy LED light, to find out they can't turn it up beyond a certain brightness setting, as the current than just triggers the safety-system in the battery. They only divided Wh by voltage and don't understand why their battery cuts out. But the cells (or PCB in the battery) can't always sustain such high-drain devices, which is why you need a bigger battery.
Any recommendations for a v mount battery to power an a7rii that has a V of 7.4?
Excellent video as always. But is V-mount worth the extra weight or is it better to go with Sony NPF batteries for run & gun type shoots?
There’s a reason gold is standard in the big leagues. So much more secure. I’ve had v mounts on solid collapse off a steadicam in low mode. Bebob’s gold mounts are perfect
You know what I really want? I want something like that V-Mount / Sony adapter, but to adapt my DeWalt FlexVolt batteries so they can power V-Mount devices like the Godox VL300. I have SO MANY power tool batteries.
Sadly, the only adapter I can find (Kessler's) doesn't pass power through to V-Mount, it's just a mounting option for rigging.
Yeah, but with one downside. You will probably lose A LOT of power in the conversion from 54 Volt down to working voltage of your equipment. The conversion from that Flexvolt system for tools is most likely only efficient at higher loads. Power something that draws less current (or turn your lighting down for a while) will probably get the efficiency going south.
Other 'problem' is the cells itself: tool-batteries are usually high-drain cells, with a rather limited capacity (Ah). Their capacity is limited because there need to be more connections to the outside world to handle the high currents. Where the average cell in a V-mount is a bit of a 50/50 between high drain and high capacity, a tool-battery is all about high drain capability, with only 1,3 to 1,6 Ah at most, while being able to be discharged at 8 to even 15 times their rated capacity without going defect or heating up significantly.
Cells from V-mount batteries usually are specced a bit higher (2200 to 2800 mAh is now fairly typical, although I expect micro-batteries to have cells above the 3000 mAh mark) and able to be discharged at 4 to 8 times their rated capacity at most.
Laptop-batteries are above this: higher capacities overall, but usually not capable of delivering more than twice or three times their rated capacity without shortening their lifespan or the cells even getting damaged.
It's always a compromise between cost, power-density and maximum current that can be expected why manufacturers choose a specific cell.
So in short: you could possibly use a tool-battery with the right adapter to power your camera, but the runtime could be poor compared to a dedicated battery.
Hey mate! I have one question. It is possible to use the v mount battery plate usb-c port as a charger input? For example a small rig v mount plate with USB-C? Thanks!
Does the FXLION verison of the Double Converting Plate have Hotswap aswell ? i can't seem to find out :)
Great video! Thx 4 that, 2 question: how long does it work with BPCC4k and can u charge BPCC4k and monitor (smth like Shinobi) at the same time from this bebob?
I like the form factor of the bebob vmicro rod adapter plate, as it is compact! Their website states that outputs unregulated 14.4v of power. Is this a concern to consider if I want to power my camera with v-mount batteries? As I understand it, unregulated power for lights isn't has big an issue. Thanks! Great and informative video!
I always consider it like this: If a professional camera (warning: I'm talking about VIDEOcameras here, NOT photocameras-rigged-so-they-look-like-videocameras) takes V-mount batteries, it will have to work on basically everything from 12 Volt (fully depleted) to 16,8 Volt (and for safety, 17 Volt) (fully charged). If a camera can't handle that, it should not have a V-mount (or Gold Mount). 14,4 to 14,8 Volt is the nominal voltage of the pack (as the nominal voltage of a lithium cell is 3,6 to 3,7 Volt, at which they are about charged to 45-50 percent). Put 4 of those cells in series and you get to the nominal pack voltage. Unregulated means that the voltage will differ from fully charged to depleted, while a regulated output will keep it fixed at 12 Volts for example. And unregulated power is fine for cameras. They have a shitload of converters on board to make 12 Volt, 5 Volt 3,3 Volt and all other necessary voltages to power all the digital and analog electronics inside. The XLR power-input on professional camera's usually even goes down to 10,8 Volt max: the camera doesn't mind.
How long would the fx-lion one and two last if I'm using it for godox ul150 light ?? I'm new to this all need a v-mount asap , thanks !!
The talent visible from the movie at the end, is not V-mount swapable! 🤪 (it's permanent :) )
Dear Gerald, your reviews are great. I have a question please, I was wondering what NP charger would you recommand? I'm looking for one fast enough to charge my NP-970 for atomos or lights. On Amazon, you can see mainly NEEWER or PIXEL charger, on BH photo, WATSON. The reviews are all pretty good but there is always one that makes me close the tab. Go cheap is wrong? or a good surprise. Thank you Sir.
hi Gerald, great video. Does BeBob need its own charge, or will any other Li-Ion battery charger work? Thanks
Hard to tell. I'm afraid these micro-batteries won't like a standard V-mount charger from them (that pumps 3 Amps in them no matter what, which is stupid considering the extremely advanced gas gauge inside the packs), so I think you need a smaller, dedicated charger.
Though my standard V-mounts from them (they are older V90RM's and V95's that I recelled myself) can even be charged with laboratory power supplies if I really, really need to, they also feature the same advanced electronics inside, while the charger doesn't do anything fancy: it just starts charging with 3 Amps and that current gradually lowers as the voltage rises. Pity they didn't do anything fancy with the communication provided by the gas gauge inside.
Great video!
Thanks! 😃
A review of the core powerbase edge would be wonderful
Hi Gerald, Great video! Talking about batteries. Could you make a video powering the BMPCC4k with BP-U battery?
Is that mount adapter their own regular V-mount? Or their own B-mount?
Also, you know if they sell plates for it?
Hello ! Question: this item works whit a godos vlc150?
How come another video, by Ryan Audencial, says the micro usb is going both ways? So which one is it?
That was dope !!!
They’re not available in my country, but gonna watch the video anyway.
Appreciate that. Thanks!
wow, also 20V USB c ( with the right trigger board obviously)?? I would love to power my 20V mini pc with usb c! Is this possible?
Can the Fxlions battery connect straight to sony camera using micro usb port to power the camera?
Hey Gerald, what camera and lens did you use to film this video? I noticed that the image looks better and sharper.
The talking head was shot on the Pocket 4K with the Sigma 18-35mm, which I've been using for the last several weeks. The b-roll was shot on the Pocket 6K with a couple lenses. For the macro I used the Canon 100mm, and for the wider stuff I used the MIR 24M--a vintage 35mm lens adapted from M42 to EF mount.
@@geraldundone Thank you 🙏, keep up the great content!
Hello Gerald, I know this is an old video but I have a concern about powering my A7iii & Ninja V on the same V-mount battery. I people I have talked to says that it is dangerous and I could fry my camera. There have been reports of this happening including the HDMI port being fried. What precautions do I need to consider?
Yeah well, I've done the same with my Blackmagic Video Assist (first generation) on multiple camera's and never had issues with it. I always think it's down to the dodgy power solutions many of the 'riggers' use (read: people who buy a photocamera and then spend a lot of money on a pile of accesories to make it look, act and feel like a videocamera).
They spent thousands on the camera and other equipment, but then they have to power everything and go for cheap powerbanks, converters from aliexpress and such. I always consider THAT to be the problem and not anything else. Though HDMI is known for getting input or output stages blown when hot-plugged, I still hope that pro-stuff is a bit more rugged and thus survives this. (although I also feel that one should not use HDMI in a professional setting and use SDI instead: HDMI is a consumer-connection).
Connect EVERYTHING without power connected and then put the battery on the plate. Downside is that I expect some devices (especially photocameras) to do something 'fancy' when you flip the switch on them and thus could still fry things. But as said, I never had it happen to me and darn did I hot plug things...
Have you tested the FXLion on a Canon EOS cinema camera? I was going to buy the Nano Two but it looks like the voltage rating is 14.8v but the C200 DC in port cover says 16.7v which makes me nervous to use the FXLion... your thoughts?
I expect that to work fine. ANY standard V-mount battery ranges from 12 Volt (fully depleted, many professional cameras have shut down way before they reach this point) to 16,8 Volt (fully charged).
It's weird that they list 16,7 Volt as max, but hey, that could be to convince the lesser technical minded people to buy their superfuckingfancyspecial power supply that outputs EXACTLY 16,7 Volt. But knowing power supplies, they usually can differ 0,1 or 0,2 Volts in output.
It's all your own risk ofcourse, but I would be very surprised if you couldn't do this.
I see you're having a lot of macro fun lately. What's your macro setup?
This one was using the Canon 100mm on the Pocket 6K. My regular combo is the Sony 90mm on the a7 III.
hahah that ending earned my thumbs up after a "meh-ish" 8min long commercial ;)
How is that whenever I have a question I can find a video from you that answers it?
On which note… the afterlife? Discuss.
Forgive me but I just have to ask this:
Is it just me or you kinda (a little) look like Chris Pratt?
If you don't agree, then do this
Intro "No I'm not Chris Pratt"
New batteries candy and a bus! :)
😀😋
Cost!!! How much for mount and battery?
This is important!
how long time it work only Atomos ninja v with Fxlion V-Mount to L-Series Battery Converter Plate without connect fxlion to bmcc? only Atomos V in record.
Does this battery charge from any d tap charger?
Regarding Fxlion, the problem I've had is the 12m warranty, no capacity warranty over those 12m and no recycle policy. Bebob does have a 24m warranty, 80% capacity warranty on their cinema batteries and a recycling program, plus they provide shipping certificates that all major airline "freight only" carriers accept (a major decision for some of my traveling filmakers as they can freight ship equipment and not require trips to the local rental house, if there even is one). And the quality of the LI-ION cells matter as not all LI-IONs are created the same, I'm not personally saying that Bebob uses better cells, but if you look at which ones rental houses stock and recommend (as they have to an rental ROI to consider) and the company's service/warranty differences, that should a big factor in your purchasing decision.
Great points, Robert! Thanks for sharing your perspective.
@@geraldundone Thanks(!) for the reply. Personally I think warranties, where you can get service, etc. are largely overlooked by most reviewers and you only get the "here are the great tech. specs and uses of the product", which is great but only part of what I need of the product's "big picture" to aid in a purchasing decision. If I have to ship the item (and pay for that shipping) via a freight-only shipper (i.e. LI-IONs) for service back to, say, China, for a warranty claim, I am not going to be able to have of the equipment for weeks, perhaps even months. I have personally found this out before (regarding lighting equipment) and ended up spending more for local rentals than the original price of that "inexpensive" lighting rig while waiting 9 weeks for its return. Thanks for the great vids, look forward to the next one!
On the other hand though, I consider Bebob recelling option to be a bit of a mystery: 'We can recell your battery for about half the price of a new one'. Sorry, that's not clear enough for me. If they charge 65 or even 75% of the price of a new one, I can't protest that because they will most likely call that 'for about half the price'.
And considering how easy it is (I did this myself and got quite handy at it at the third battery (from the 5 I had)) I consider Bebob to be very handy (and thus quick) in doing this. Most likely it will take them just 15 to 20 minutes: they remove the old pack, perform safety-tests on the PCB so see if it's still OK, if OK put a new, prefab pack in and reprogram the gas gauge (or even swap the complete PCB as well, which would be quite stupid as you then basically renew everything but the case).
I at least know that Bebob uses quality cells (My standard 98 Wh V-mounts used Sanyo/Panasonic UR18650W). The cost to get 5 recelled was a reason I started an adventure to find out if I could do that myself, besides having a nice hobby-project and a bit of a 'screw the manufacturer' feeling.
Yo! How long can the 45 bebob power the black magic 4k?
does it have pass through charging?
I like silly outros, like this one or when you'd put your bloopers in
WHAT HAPPENED TO THIS SERIES!!?? I NEED MOARRRRR
Intro Hi I'm Gerald Undone and I am straight out of LowCash!
Anyone knows whether I can use Bebop rod plate with FXlion? Thank you!
Hi Gerald. Can you help me understand why a V mount battery at 14.8V is so much more expensive than a power tool battery at 18V. Is it all a scam because it goes on a camera?
pretty much yes. same for chargers etc. - but keep in mind that the cheapest power tools battery will most probably have a cell quality that is below even the cheapest vmount offerings.
@@Digi20 Uh no. Tool-batteries from reputable brands are about the most expensive cells there are as they need to be able to sustain very high discharge currents. Hitachi for example, has used cells (Samsung INR-18650-15L) that can be discharged at 12 times their rated nominal current (in Ah). A 1,5 Amp cell is thus able to deliver 18 Amps without any problems. With 2 of them in parallel in the medium packs and 3 in the very heavy duty packs, this gets a whopping 36 or even 54 amp of maximum discharge current. Those cells are NOT cheap.
V-mounts however, use a more balanced cell when it comes to capacity and discharge-capability: the capacity is higher (but still not as high as you can get by now) but the discharge-rate is lower at 4 to 8 times their rated nominal current.
Laptop-batteries usually have higher capacity batteries, but usually won't be able to be discharged beyond twice their rated current. Oh yes, you can do so, but the cell-voltage will drop significantly, the cell will heat up and will most likely be damaged by doing so, shortening it's overall lifespan.
The big difference in price is the amount that get made: the AV-industry is not a consumer market that puts out thousands or even tens of thousands of the same products, thus things tend to be more expensive.
Besides that, the average tool-battery by far has not such an advanced safety-circuit inside as the average V-mount. I can know, I recelled mine and had to reset that safety-system (called a gas gauge) to be able to recell them.
Thirdly, the batteries usually endure a rather rough life, comparable with those in the tool-industry. But where most power tools come with two batteries and thus one that cracks, goes dead or whatever, is usually not such a big deal (as you either buy a new one at the next home-improvement store or rent one), a dead or cracked-case V-mount is usually a costly problem that can delay recordings or even cost you your deadine.
Pair that with the fact that tool-batteries usually are not airline-certified while 95 Wh V-mounts are, it's easy to understand why they are so much more costly, although tool-batteries also are a bit of a scam... everything in those just doesn't justify their cost.
Does anybody know if the FXlion Nanos fit to normal Vmount plates and allow powering the Plate in order to use the D-taps? Looks shorter than normal Vmount batteries. I have it but was wondering if it will work on a Vmount plate before I purchase a Vmount mount plate that powers things.
It works on all my plates and chargers with no issues.
Next video has to end with a Gummy bear funeral
Well done. Hehe 👍
Darn it now I want bebob just to get the bus🤦🏾♀️
looking at the prices, car battery looks like a better deal :D
Stumbled upon an older video an was slightly shocked with the hair, forgot you had it long 😅
Intro suggestion: I'm Commander Shepard, and this is my favorite channel on the internet.
That compact size sure does come with a price.
That's most likely because the cells in them are more expensive as they are higher capacity cells, although professional batteries are always a bit overpriced in my opinion ;) When I recelled my standard V-mounts (Bebobs), this became more apparent, as 80 cells (Panasonic NCR18650B) for 5 standard V-mounts cost me 360 Euro, which is about the price (incl. VAT) for a new standard 98 Wh V-mount pack from Bebob.
Sure, the fact I can send them in to Bebob for recelling (As I know I'm one of the very few idiots that opens them up, resets the gauge (after spending 500 Euro on hardware to be able to do that) and recells them) will get the price up and airline-certification isn't cheap either, but I'm fairly sure they get their cells for far less. A sturdy case that gets thoroughly tested for mechanical impact isn't cheap, but I still feel there's a rather large margin on them ;)
Cool
wait WHY did it come with random candy and toys?? that's amazing
Haha. I know, right?! 😀
for your next video say: if you don't subscribe to camera conspiracies, I'll undone your face
You tha man
It's absurd to me that, 3 years after this video, finding camera batteries and battery mounting plates that have USB-C PD input/output is STILL a pain in the ass.
I think that's more because it's still a 'prosumer' thing in my opinion. Real videocameras just don't use USB connectors as they can't be locked, are fragile and very susceptible to dust/foreign particles. It's far more a thing for all the people that spend the pretty penny on tons of accesories to get their photocamera look like a videocamera, and run into all the specific issues with powering all those accesories accordingly. And unfortunately, that's just not really the big thing in the market. The AV-industry is a bit conservative most of the time, so innovation takes a little longer compared to the consumer-market.
@@weeardguy this is not true. USB-C has ALWAYS had a locking mechanism as part of the specification. If you're talking about the industry being conservative, then a locking USB-C connector (which is FAR more durable than any micro HDMI connector to ever exist on a "pro" camera) should be standard issue.
@@spdcrzy @Sai Namuduri Okay let me elaborate on a 'locking connector': I consider every connector that requires a second action (that is: pressing a button (V-mount), actuating a lever (Average tripod plate), turning or pulling a ring (BNC/Hirose 12/20 pin as found on many pro-lenses) as something that locks. A connector that just has some notches that click for a just somewhat more secure connection is something I do not consider locking. The chance of just pulling the plug from the receptacle by accident is just too big and the connector just too flimsy to call it a professional connection.
And don't get me started on micro-HDMI: No professional VIDEOcamera uses micro-HDMI. It's all full size on those. But full size or not, I consider both to be a consumer connector and not pro-stuff. Pro's use SDI. And for a reason, as it locks.
@@weeardguy I completely agree. IMO, micro HDMI is THE SINGLE WORST A/V connector to EVER exist. It should never have made it onto cameras, consumer or professional. But my point is that the USB-C locking spec is, in fact, a dual screw retention system a la old school VGA or RS-232 serial connectors. I'd argue that's just as secure as any other currently extant locking connector that's used in professional videography.
@@spdcrzy Wow, wait. USB-C by DEFAULT has NO screw retention. So that I was talking about USB-C not having it, is no surprise. Screw retention is just an extra design-option that (as fas I know) is not implemented in any standard concerning the USB-C connector and receptacles. Manufacturers come up with it, but devices don't have to be designed to be able to use the screws and it probably differs per manufacturer as well.
It's good that there are options that cover it, but without a standard you're in the dark I'm afraid.
The thing that puts me off the fxlions is that the vmount is plastic and non replaceable.
True, but to be honest, the V-mount receptacle on my V-mounts (Bebob standard form-factor 95Wh ones) is replaceable, but I have yet to find a supplier. The fact Bebob does not offer them on their website is weird to me. But what I think could be the case is just this: by the time the receptable wears out too much, the cells most likely have aged too much as well, so either the pack gets dispositioned or returned to Bebob for recelling, where they will then also renew the V-mount receptacle.
Considering the contact-block looks so serviceable on my V-mounts as well, I expect this to be done by Bebob as well.
Next intro.... " Yes, I am the very model of a Modern Major General."