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RED Digital Cinema is the name behind many popular cameras; RED V-Raptor, RED Komodo, RED DSMC2, and RED Ranger. Although RED provides their own suitable power solutions which a couple of we even designed in conjunction with them on (REDVOLT BP and REDVOLT Micro-V), we always like to provide some more alternate solutions.
 
Let’s start by talking about the newest RED camera model, the RED V-Raptor. With the RED V-Raptor design, the camera as of now will only accept v-mount battery packs that are in a micro design which from the Core SWX battery lineup will be the Nano Micro v-mount battery packs. Core partners with RED in providing the REDVOLT Micro-V packs and those 12A deliverable, 98wh packs are available exclusively through RED and their channel partners. Core offers two packs compatible with the V-Raptor, the NANO-V98 and NANO-V150 which are smart battery packs so they will pass through the SMBUS data to the cameras LCD (AKA the remaining battery percentage) and they are also equipped with a USB, p-tap, and 4-stage LED power gauge. The NANO-V98 will deliver up to a 10A load and the NANO-V150 can handle a 16A peak/12A continuous load.
 

 
The Nano Micro packs are also the go-to batteries that best complement the form factor of the RED Komodo camera. To mount the brick battery packs onto the RED Komodo, we offer the only 3rd Party RED Approved v-mount (CXV-KOMU) and 3-stud (CXA-KOMU) battery plates on the market. They allow the use of 14.4v brick batteries to power the camera while leaving the camera’s DC input available for AC power and battery hot swap. Additionally, they will communicate the SMBUS data with the use of “smart” batteries (as we mentioned above, Nano Micros are) and they are equipped with 3 DC output ports: P-tap, USB, and 2-pin Lemo. To further complement the RED Komodo, we have a selection of p-tap to 2-pin Lemo cables available in different sizes as well as a rail mount plate for those who wish to rig up with a rod style setup.
 

 
Now onto powering the RED DSMC2 – The recommended battery series is the high current delivery Hypercore NEO packs in either NEO 9 Mini (98wh) or NEO 150 Mini (147wh). These batteries are packed with all the bells and whistles one can imagine for a brick battery such as an intuitive down to the minute runtime LCD display, RFID, modular build, firmware upgradeable USB, storage mode, camera communication, smart tap (p-tap), rubberized housing, LED gauge, 2K Cycles/2 Year warranty, and hibernation – Phew, that was a lot of features! As with all of our 98wh packs, the NEO 9 Mini version is also UN38.3 certified for air travel to make customer traveling experience go as smooth as possible.
 

 
To further outfit the RED DSMC2 and keep it running continuously without any down time is the EVO battery backup which is an accessory many DSMC2 operators find to be a no-brainer when it comes to powering their rig. Not only does it have an internal 29wh battery inside to allow your camera to stay powered when hot swapping your on-board battery, it also has a “boost” or battery assist function to start your camera up faster, should your on-board pack be unable to handle the startup current necessary. The EVO is offered in either a direct mount to the DSMC2, minimizing the need for an additional mount plate, or it is available in either v-mount and 3-stud backing to attach to any v-mount or 3-stud plate which means it can be used for other pieces of equipment that accept brick batteries.
 

 
Lastly, we have the RED Ranger which can support a wider input voltage up to 32V. For this model, our Helix dual voltage battery packs would be the perfect option as they can operate as standard 14.4V battery pack or at 28V when coupled with a Helix mount plate.
 
The Helix series has the following battery offerings: Helix 9 Mini (98wh), Helix 150 Mini (147wh), Helix Prime (2-part 190wh), and Helix XL (293wh). Like the NEO series, they have RFID, an intuitive runtime LCD, smart tap, rubberized housing, camera communication, storage mode, and LED gauge. They’re different from the NEO series in that they offer the dual voltage output as mentioned above and they have higher voltage efficiency.
 

 
Of course one last topic we need to discuss is how to charge all of these batteries! Although we offer our own lines of dual and quad charger options ranging from our most economical X2 Mini charger, up to our most advanced Fleet Micro with VoltBridge, all of the battery packs are charger compatible with other manufacturer’s chargers, even the RED brick charger.
 
Now you’re all set to keep calm and power on those RED cameras 😉

Sony, as we all know, is a widely diversified corporation selling products from consumer electronics, to their array of professional cameras. Of course they offer many of their own power solutions along with those, but we’re here to offer unique options that may solve your everyday production needs.
 
Let’s start first with the Sony a7 and a9 series of cameras. The Powerbase Edge is a 49Wh lithium ion battery that is the most versatile pack on the market. It will either mount to the bottom of the camera using a ¼-20 screw mount, or if you have it set up as a rig, it can mount using the V-Mount on the other side of the pack. The battery is feature packed with two P-taps and two USB ports for additional accessories such a monitor or to even charge your cell phone. In addition, it has a multipurpose runtime LCD to provide remaining runtime in hours and minutes when connected to the camera and a charge indicator when connected to a charger. The appropriate Edge sku for the a7 cameras using FW50 batteries is the PBE-A7, and the sku for the a7 cameras using the FZ100 style battery is the PBE-A7FZ.
 
For Sony cameras accepting the L-Series batteries such as the HXR-NX100 or PXW-Z150, there is a Powerbase Edge model, PBE-S.
All of Powerbase Edge models mentioned here will come with the 6” adapter cable and PB70-C15 charger. If you need additional cable length there is an extension cable (PBEC-EXT) offered which provides an extra 18 inches.
 
Up next for the professional Sony cameras are the Sony FS5, Sony FS7, Sony FX6 and FX9. Luckily for you (and us), we offer the most unique BP style option out there, the NANO-U98. This 98Wh lithium ion pack equipped with a LED power gauge, 1 USB, and 1 p-tap, making it capable of powering additional accessories such as an on-camera light. The batteries will charge on Sony OEM chargers, allowing you to extend the service life on your already existent chargers.
 
If you’d rather use more of a brick style battery option for your FS7, FX6 or FX9, we have v-mount and 3-stud mount options as well as the appropriate mount plates. The plates for the FS7 are the GP-S-FS7 (v-mount) and GP-A-FS7 (3-stud mount). They mount directly to the back of the FS7 as alternative option to the XDCA-FS7. Our plates do not have any video related processing capabilities as the XDCA, just adapting the camera to V-mount. They have a 4-pin XLR input option and two p-taps. If you prefer an even more advanced mounting option, we have our compact Jetpack series offering all the power outputs you’ll need. In addition to having the same power options offered on the plates, the JP-V-FS7 (v-mount) and JP-A-FS7 (3-stud mount) also includes one USB, one 5v Lemo output, and two 12v regulated Hirose 4-pin outputs. Again, no video related processing, just a power option.
 
The appropriate mount plates for the Sony FX6 are the CXVM-FX6 (v-mount) and CXAM-FX6 (3-stud mount). The milled aluminum product attaches into the top of the camera (with included screw hardware) to provide a secure platform for mounting brick batteries directly onto the FX6. It has a 19.5v DC output with a visual low battery warning LED and a DC barrel input (OEM camera power supply) for hotswapping between external and on-board power. Another option for hotswapping is the ability to put up to a BP-U100 battery pack inside the battery cavity on the camera, allowing the user to hotswap batteries. Once the v-mount on-board pack dies, it will automatically pull power from the BP-U battery and you will see the battery indication on the viewfinder change. The plates are also equipped with a powertap and USB to power additional accessories.
 
To end out the mount plate category, the plates for the FX9 are the CXV-FX9 (v-mount) and CXA-FX9 (3-stud mount). Similar to the FX6 plates, the milled aluminum product also attaches into the top of the camera(with included screw hardware), but on this one it also inserts into the battery slot of the camera. It has a 19.5v DC output with a visual low battery warning LED and a 4-pin XLR DC input for hotswapping between external and on-board power. For another way to hotswap with this camera, a BP-U30 or BP-U35 battery pack fits inside of the battery cavity on the camera and again once the on-board pack dies, it will automatically pull power from the BP-U pack and you will see the battery indication on the viewfinder change. The FX9 plates are equipped with two powertaps and one USB to power additional accessories and three 1/4-20 threads on the top to attach accessories.
 
Now let’s talk what batteries to put onto all of these mounts by starting with our Nano Micro packs which are 98wh, 14.8v capable of handling up to a 10A load. They are UN tested and certified, passing UN38.3 certification, allowing them to be air travel compliant. The packs are equipped with an unregulated p-tap and a 5V, 3A USB port, and a 4-stage LED gauge to view remaining power.
 

 
For a bit larger, more advanced pack, we have our Hypercore NEO series available in both 98wh (NEO 9 Mini and NEO Slim 98) and 147wh (NEO 150 Mini) capacities. The packs in the NEO series are capable of handling a 12A continuous load/16A peak and are outfitted with an intuitive multipurpose runtime LCD, RFID to view battery vitals via an app, p-tap, firmware upgradeable USB, 4-stage LED gauge, rubberized housing, and storage mode.
 

 
Although all of the brick batteries work great for all the plates, the form factor on the Nano Micro compliments the FX6 plate best, the NEO 9 Mini and NEO 150 Mini on the FX9, and the Neo Slim 98 for the FS7 plates.
 
If you are looking for an even higher capacity, we have our original Hypercore series featuring the Hypercore Prime which is a two part 190wh (95wh each half) and the 293wh Hypercore XL.
 
Lastly, an even more advanced battery option is the Helix series. This line encompasses all of the features of Hypercore NEO, but has dual voltage. The packs can function as standard voltage battery packs allowing them to seamlessly integrate into your current battery fleet, but when paired with a Helix mount plate, a user can access the high voltage to simultaneously output 14v/28v. This series comes in handy for the next camera we’re going to talk about, Sony Venice.
 
In the Helix system, we have a Helix mount plates for the Sony Venice which outputs standard voltage to the camera as that’s what the camera accepts but then outputs 24-34v for the two 3-pin Fischers on the top of the plate, providing 100% efficiency rather than using a standard 14v pack that has to boost voltage. These plates come in a v-mount to v-mount model (HLX-VEN-V) and a v-mount to gold mount model (HLX-VEN-G). Furthermore, we have a Helix power management control plate for the Sony Venice, providing a “hot swappable” platform between on-board and block battery/AC mains. There’s an on-board LCD to monitor input percentage/voltage of the power sources, as well as current draw of the whole setup. As with the other plate, these come in v-mount to v-mount (HLX-VEN-VP) and v-mount to gold mount (HLX-VEN-GP) as well.
 

 
The brick style battery packs can also be used with the Sony a7 cameras mentioned earlier as long as they have the appropriate p-tap, PTC-A7SR.
Other cameras within the CineAlta or Broadcast lines are compatible with our brick battery offerings as well.
 
We hope this covered all the ground work for you to get your Sony camera’s powered up. If you have any additional questions, please feel free to contact us.

Every year Maarten Slooves, a Netherlands based Director and Cinematographer, aims to donate a portion of his time and video production capabilities to a charity foundation that is making a positive impact on our planet. The latest charity foundation he reached out to was Duik de Noordzee Schoon (Roughly translated: Scuba Diving for a clean North Sea) which led him to joining their cleaning operation in September 2020.
 

 
Relying on his Core SWX battery packs to power his RED DSMC2, he was able to capture what the Duik de Noordzee Schoon foundation is doing to voluntary clean up the North Sea from lost shipping containers filled with a variety of items from anything like blankets, to cars, down on the seafloor. The foundation has been engaged in these cleaning operations since 2006 which truly is incredible otherwise it may not be getting done.
 

As the preferred power solution for Blackmagic, we pride ourselves on making affordable, durable and unique solutions for all of their cameras.

Just like the Pocket 4K Camera, the Powerbase EDGE battery pack was released at NAB 2018 and is the go-to power solution for long runtimes with the Pocket 4K and Pocket 6K. The PBE-BMPC4 model will keep your Pocket setup compact by mounting right to the bottom of your camera with a ¼-20 screw, and it also has multiple accessory outputs (2 P-taps and 2 USB’s) providing the chance to power an on-camera light, monitor, or whatever else you may need to power right from the battery pack (or even just charge your phone). The battery is also equipped with a backlit runtime LCD to give you remaining power runtime down to the minute. As an extra bonus in case you want to use the camera on a rig with a V-Mount plate or even power a URSA Mini Pro with it as well, the Powerbase EDGE has a V-Mount option – What a versatile battery! If you’re curious about runtimes, the EDGE will power the Pocket 4K for about 4 hours and 10 mins, and it will power the Pocket 6K for about 3 hours and 50 minutes. Keep in mind though that runtimes can vary depending on certain variables such as frame rate and the use of additional accessories.

If you have the latest Pocket camera, the Pocket 6K Pro, the Powerbase Edge model to go with is the PBE-BMPC6KP which comes with a NPF style adapter cable since this model doesn’t accept the LP-E6 style battery like the previous two models.

In case you don’t want to use the dummy battery cable, we do also offer a powertap to the 2-pin DC-in which works on all of the models (Pocket 4K, 6K, and 6K Pro). This cable is the PTC-BMPC4, and while using this, you are also able to keep the internal battery in the camera which provides an opportunity to hotswap the Powerbase Edge battery without losing power.

Now if do you happen to also have an URSA Mini Pro as briefly mentioned above, there are many other battery offerings for it as well. Before we discuss more batteries though, let’s mention the appropriate plates you will need for the various URSA Mini Pro models. The GP-S-URSA (v-mount) and GP-A-URSA (3-stud) mount appropriately to the camera, and the choice in mount style is a matter of preference if you are starting new. The choice is simple should you already have either mount battery packs in your arsenal. Each mount plate is outfitted with 2 P-taps and the specific BMD URSA 12way Molex connector needed to power the camera as well as screw hardware for proper attachment. Now, onto the batteries!

The Hypercore NEO series of battery packs employ the very latest in lithium ion technology, and are constructed with the specific purpose of handling and sustaining high power draws. They entail many great features; 2000 charge/discharge cycle rating, Runtime LCD, built in accelerometer/sleep mode function, to name a few.

All of our battery packs are the most charge compatible in the industry as well, so if you have pre-existing charging stations, there is a good chance you only need to invest in the battery packs for the camera, furthering your ROI on your charger.

The NEO capacity offerings are 98wh (NEO 9 Mini and NEO Slim 98), 147wh (NEO 150 Mini). In addition, our original Hypercore series, equipped with similar features has the following capacity offerings: 150wh (Hypercore 150), a travel friendly 190Wh (Hypercore Prime), and a 293wh (Hypercore XL). They are all available in both v-mount and 3-stud mount.

Even more advanced from the Hypercore NEO series is our Helix series. This line encompasses all of the same capacity offerings (98wh, 150wh, 190wh, 293wh) and features of Hypercore (besides a USB port), but has an updated intuitive runtime LCD, dual voltage, and RFID as additional features. The packs can function as standard voltage battery packs allowing them to seamlessly integrate into your current battery fleet, but when paired with a Helix mount plate, a user can access the high voltage to simultaneously output 14v/28v. High voltage isn’t required for any Blackmagic Design cameras, but it’s a good function if you happen to have a high voltage LED panel, or if you would like to future proof yourself should you invest in high voltage equipment in the future.

If you have a BMCC, these Hypercore and Helix battery options will work with this camera as well. All you will need is a different battery mount plate. The appropriate plates customized for the Black Magic 2.5k/4k are GP-S-BMCC (V-mount) and GP-A-BMCC (3-stud). Each plate has a 20” cable to plug into the DC input on the camera and offers two additional P-taps, to power other production accessories.

Another battery option for the BMCC is the Powerbase Edge’s successful predecessor, the PowerBase 70. Our PB70-BMCC has undoubtedly been the most popular power option for this camera, and we know why. The 77wh lithium-ion battery pack will quadruple the run-time of your BMCC 2K or 4K (we have heard from users that it has lasted more than 6 hours in some instances!) The PB70-BMCC can also double as a grip at the bottom on the camera. In addition (just like the Powerbase Edge), the battery component of the PB70-BMCC can be used as a standard V-mount battery as well.

If you have any further questions on how to power your Blackmagic cameras, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

We can’t believe another year flew by. They do say time flies when you’re having fun and when are busy, which sums up our past year.  Before looking back to what highlighted our year, we’d like to thank our incredible customers, partners and ambassadors because we know we couldn’t have done it without you all!

Now, onto the highlights! In 2019 alone, we’ve introduced many innovative power solutions such as our unique Helix battery system, next generation NEO line of battery packs, Fleet Quantum charger, and specific camera accessories like the FX9 plates and the NANO Canon BP-A style battery.

At NAB 2019, we announced the Helix battery system which answered the need for high voltage power solutions, while also being able to integrate the packs seamlessly into one’s current battery fleet because they can operate as a standard voltage battery pack as well.  Standard voltage equipment like RED DSMC2, Blackmagic Ursa Mini Pro, a monitor, or even CHARGERS, meaning you don’t need to invest in a new charger to have a high voltage battery. To access the high voltage function of the pack, you simply have to couple it with the appropriate mount plate whether you’re operating an ARRI camera, Sony Venice camera, or a large panel light.  The Helix battery line is offered in v-mount and gold mount, in four different capacities:  Helix 9 Mini (98wh), Helix 150 Mini (147wh), Helix Prime (2-part 190wh), and Helix XL (293wh).

Fast forward to IBC 2019 where we introduced NEO. First came the NEO 9 Mini which took the form factor of the Hypercore 9 Mini, but with many more features that have never been seen in any other standard brick battery pack. Then in December, we came out with the NEO 98 Slim which took the form factor of the Hypercore 98 Slim. Both NEO models are 98wh packs utilizing 8 Panasonic cells that can sustain up to a 16A peak load (12A continuous). It’s built with a modular design which reduces wiring and insures the maximum build integrity, making the pack more robust. The batteries are feature-packed with a firmware upgradeable USB port, RFID for users to view all battery vitals from a mobile app, a new multipurpose backlit LCD, and a smart p-tap. Of course like our other brick battery packs, they communicate SMBUS data with cameras and are charger compatible with other manufacturer’s chargers (although we do have the most advanced chargers in the game ;))

Speaking of chargers, at IBC 2019 we also came out with the Fleet Quantum charger that offers a highly efficient “2×2” 4A simultaneous charge. When four packs are connected, the charger will detect which two have the most charge capacity and charge those to full capacity first. On the front of the charger is a large color touchscreen LCD with a graphical user interface that provides the utmost transparency on stored smart battery data and a battery health analysis.

Lastly on the product side of the year, we move onto the specific camera accessories. We introduced the NANO-C98 to address the want from Canon EOS Cine camera operators for a BP-A style pack that features a p-tap and USB. This 98wh battery communicates with Canon cameras such as the Canon C200, C300 Mark II, and the new C500 Mark II.

For Sony PXW-FX9 operators, we came out with FX9 mount plates as an alternative power option to the Sony XDCA-FX9. Available in both v-mount and gold mount, the milled aluminum plate inserts into the battery slot of the camera and also attaches into the top of the camera (with included screw hardware) to provide a secure platform for mounting brick batteries. It’s equipped a 19.5v output, a visual low battery warning LED, a 4-pin XLR DC input for hotswapping between on-board and external power, two p-taps, and a USB firmware update port.

To showcase these products, we had fun traveling as much as possible to chat with as many of our customers as possible. Shows we attended included BSC in London, NAB Las Vegas, Texas Production Roundup, Cine Gear LA, MPS in London, IBC in Amsterdam, Cine Gear Atlanta, NAB NY, and many dealer shows in-between. Thank you to those who came by our booths at those tradeshows, and if you happened to miss us in 2019, we will be at all of the same ones in 2020 so keep an eye out to see us then.

In addition to the tradeshows, we had the pleasure of attending many other types of events like the ASC Awards, SOC Awards, various PERG events, and some industry parties because why not have some extra fun while working!?

Once again, thank you to everyone for your support and inspiration for us to keep Providing the Power to Create™. We look forward to having another incredible year ahead

The giveaway is now over. Thank you to all who entered, and congratulations to the 3 winners selected at random – Tim Buttner, Charlie Round-Turner, and Dustin Kukuk.

Stay tuned for the next one!

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We’re starting the summer off with some fun! I mean a huge giveaway for some hard “Core” cash and more video content, what more could you ask for?

Watch the video below for more details and be sure to enter by June 19 using the widget underneath.

The lucky winners will be announced on June 20. Good luck!