- Three Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K battery types
- What should you look for when choosing a Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4k battery solution？
- How to use your BMPCC power solution efficiently and safely?
Three Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K battery types
There is no standard battery to power the BMPCC while you can research and choose kinds of good alternatives based on the particular needs and setup. Here we introduce three popular options for you.
1. Inbuild batteries as LP-series: Removable and rechargeable while not lasting enough
The standard LP-E6 Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K battery pack that is commonly used is detachable and rechargeable. The issue with this alone is that, especially at higher resolutions, it gives you very little filming time. Photographers may shoot in Full HD for somewhere between 20 and 40 minutes. Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K versions use bigger, longer-lasting NP-F570, whereas Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K models use easily accessible standard LP-E6. These well-known batteries are widely used and are available in a range of capacities.
2. V mount battery for Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K: Compact, easy-to-mount, and powerful
The v mount external battery isn't particularly promoted by Blackmagic as one of the powering alternatives on their website, but it's undoubtedly been the best and most affordable option.
Comparison table of Moman v mount batteries Power 70, 99S,140
|
|
Moman Power 70 |
Moman Power 99S |
Moman Power 140 |
|
Price(USD) |
(Not Available) |
$169.00 Regular price$199.00 |
(Not Available) |
|
Battery Capacity |
70Wh |
99Wh |
140Wh |
|
Aviation Standard |
Check with Lugguage / Hand Carry |
Check with Lugguage / Hand Carry |
Hand Carry Only |
|
Max. Power Output |
100W |
190W |
150W |
|
Max. Current Output |
8A |
13A |
12A |
|
Output Ports |
1 x USB-A, 1 x USB-C, 1 x D-tap, 1 x BP |
1 x USB-A, 1 x USB-C, 1 x D-tap, 1 x BP |
1 x USB-A, 1 x USB-C, 2 x D-tap, 1 x BP |
|
Weight |
0.417Kg |
0.55Kg |
0.71Kg |
While we have never needed to make use of the V-Lock for so long, we have definitely had over three hours of trouble-free use. Many photographers said to be able to shoot continuously for more than five hours using the v lock battery for bmpcc 4k. If buying more for alternatives is your preferred choice, stick with a reliable brand like Moman.
2.1 Moman Power 70 Mini power supply for BMPCC, gimbals, laptops
Moman Power 70 is a power supply with the appropriate capacity, reasonable price, and portable size. It is perfect for charging BMPCC, mirrorless cameras, DSLRs, and other digital cameras. At the same time, it provides power for stabilizers, panel lights, and external monitor suchlike devices thanks to the superior recycling life of 1000 times and four kinds of output ports.
2.2 Moman Power 99S Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K USB C battery pack
The Moman Power 99S of 99Wh capacity is just safe enough to pass airline inspection and be taken on board. It has the same four outputs as the Power 70 - BP, D-tap, USB-A, USB-C - and three input interfaces for quick charging within 3 hours. It is a little larger but also has almost 30Wh more storage space. One of its highlights is a display screen showing the battery status.
2.3 Moman Power 140 High capacity v-lock power source for 4k, 6k, 6k pro
Compared to the Power 70, the Moman Power 140 Blackmagic 6k pro v mount battery is a quantitative and qualitative leap forward in capacity and battery life. This not only means it can support longer continuous shooting sessions, but also means it opens up a range of charging photography setup all day long. Built with eight high-density 21700 li-ion cells, it can power up BMPCC of 4k, 6k, 6k pro, and even 8k with full HD. And it is compatible with video cameras, camcorders, studio lights, and other devices.
3. Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K battery grip: Offering convenient and balanced shooting operation
The grip is an add-on accessory that significantly increases the power of the camera so you can film all day long. A battery grip is an excellent option if you wish to use but don't want to have to continually swap them out while recording. The 4K and 6 K grips are L-shaped, with one end fitting into the current slot and the other containing the two batteries. The amount of time you can film using them is greatly increased, and you use them less frequently as a result. One charge from a grip should provide two hours of shooting time.
What should you look for when choosing a Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K battery solution？
There are always important specifications to influence your buying bias. So what information do we need to pay attention to on the product form?
1. High capacity is the key to have a long operating time
This stands for the operational life, or how long it can be used before needing to be recharged. The number of milliampere-hours indicates how much current the 4k camera battery can produce in an hour of operation. So without considering other properties, Moman Power Series v lock batteries are named after capacity. This determines their size and also their main use. The low-power ones are used for cameras, while the high-power ones can be used for high consumption such as studio lights. When you travel with photography rigs, whether you can take the batteries on the plane is also dependent on this.
2. High density greatly affects the size of an external battery for the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera
Built-in batteries like LP-E6, and NP-F series, are generally fixed in size because they are placed in the camera slot. Power from large to small, they are the same size, and power density may affect only the weight and power. For external power supply, the higher the density, it means that the battery is about compact. For two with the same lasting lifespan, people must prefer the one with higher density and more compact, right?
3. Standard charge is the guarantee of the stable and rapid charging for replenishment
Since rechargeable batteries are the only ones that can be recharged, their typical charge is now unique to them. It typically takes that long to recharge a battery to its maximum strength or capacity. The length of time it takes to complete a standard charge is often expressed as the number of hours it takes to charge it at the rate of the current input.
How to use your BMPCC power solution efficiently and safely?
Learning to use your battery more skillfully and carefully can make your work twice as effective. We'll give you three tips from installation to storage.
1. Have a proper setup to make it convenient for your operation
The installation problem is only for the external power supply with a v-mount battery and battery grip. The built-in one can be put directly into the camera slot.
- Use a v mount battery plate for bmpcc 4k and buy an external monitor for your camera if necessary
Although there is no one accepted technique for installing a V-Lock battery, it is a bit more difficult than other ways and is quite reliable once it is installed. Since the bulk of the work we perform is on a tripod or gimbal, we install our V-Lock beneath the camera. To aid in balancing, people frequently choose to have the battery behind the camera on the mount, although this has the drawback that it may obstruct the screen. The issue is lessened if you utilize an external display, but keep in mind that you'll probably still want the monitor's touch controls.
- Use Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K battery grip cage for better stability and security
A form-fitting entire cage with accessory attachments and protection is called a battery grip cage. Various sizes of screws like 1/4"-20 on the bottom and one on the top hold the cage to the camera. When placed on your BMPCC, it retains complete access to the camera's buttons and ports and also makes the batteries in the vertical grip accessible.
2. Choose the right accessories to add to your power supply kit
In addition to some of the fittings mentioned above, which include the mounting plate, grip cage, hot shoe mount, cold shoe mount, and so on, you also need some must-have tools to make sure continuous use, like the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K battery charger with d-tap like the Gimpro Tap50, and the cables as well.
3. Watch out for the charging and storing problems of the power source
You can utilize portable power packs, mobile phone chargers, or laptops since even the USB-C extension connector can trickle charge the inbuilt one. When it comes to the v-mount battery and battery grips, you need to know what power inputs they support.
To increase the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K battery life, over charging is a problem that should not be ignored. We do not advocate charging it for a long time or even overnight, this is likely to cause wear and tear on it, and there may also be overheating and other problems that are not safe. When you do not use the camera for a long time, please take your battery out of the slot. Keep it in a dry and cool place, and avoid direct sunlight, fire, and water sources.
Conclusion
We hope that some of these ideas have been helpful to you, and you can look into some of them further. Just keep in mind that no matter how you decide to power your BMPCC, you have a backup plan in place. A Blackmagic production camera 4K external battery is valuable to keep on hand and charged in case of emergency.
