NEPAL, MAY 11, 2017 ─ Camp4 Collective, a high-end brand, film and television production company, relies exclusively on Core SWX and its range of power solutions to help maintain its unique approach of production and expedition filmmaking. As a leader in battery and charging solutions, Core SWX’s Hypercore SLIM 7 V-Mt and Hypercore 98 RED help power the production company’s inventory of Sony and RED 6K Dragon with Weapon body, which it uses for its unique production projects.
Renan Ozturk, co-founder and director of Camp4 Collective, has used Core SWX products all over the world, from the mountains of Iceland, to the jungles of Congo. Most recently, he used both the Hypercore SLIM 7 V-Mt and Hypercore 98 RED to power his cameras for a documentary feature he’s shooting for National Geographic, entitled “The Last Honey Hunter.”
“While shooting ’The Last Honey Hunter,’ we found ourselves dangling in the air in bee suits documenting the hunters on cliffs,” says Ozturk. “The lightweight design of the SLIM 7s made a big difference in staying nimble in these difficult, high-angle shooting scenarios. When shooting from a rope, being lightweight is crucial. You have to be able to hold the camera in gut-wrenching positions and the SLIM 7 really helped make that a possibility.”
Renan and his team tracked a local man named Mauli who was the last honey hunter in his village. Mauli collects ‘red’ honey, which is famous for its medicinal properties across Asia. To accomplish this feat, Mauli would use hand-made bamboo ropes to hang hundreds of feet in the air off a Cliffside while engulfed in a swarm of angry bees.
To shoot such a fascinating and unique story, Ozturk needed a battery that would provide him with not only a small form factor, but also something with a long power draw that could communicate the exact time remaining to him since they were shooting so far from any power outlets. The Hypercore 98 RED and SLIM 7 V-Mt were able to achieve all of this for Ozturk.
Measuring in at only 3.8 inches x 5.87 inches x 2.44 inches and weighing only two pounds, the Hypercore 98 RED is a high capacity 98wh V-mount Lithium Ion (Li-Ion) battery pack designed to power and communicate with RED cameras. The exact percentage of remaining capacity of the battery is communicated directly to the camera’s VF/LCD. In addition, the battery pack is outfitted with a runtime LCD on the front of the pack. The front provides a canvas to place a large, back-lit LCD on the most visible part of the battery.
The Hypercore SLIM 7 V-Mt is one of the lowest form-factor batteries in the industry, weighting only 1.4 pounds with a size of only 3.8 inches x 5.87 inches x 1.49 inches. This durable, 82wh pack is capable of handling draws of up to 148w (10A) without deterioration in service life or operability.
Ozturk was also impressed with the over-molded, rubberized housing of each battery, the P-Tap power connection that allowed him to charge his other devices and the fact that these Core SWX battery packs fall within the range of accepted capacity for air travel. “The way they are innovating solutions for different cameras systems and doing things that are travel-friendly also makes a huge difference for me,” says Ozturk.
As with all products within the Hypercore series, the 98 RED and HC7 are outfitted with an accelerometer to detect motion. This causes the battery packs to hibernate when there is no usage or movement after a 48-hour period. Once the battery is back in use or detects the slightest movement, it awakens at its maximum capacity.