Jason, you mentioned the Interstate batteries for the GL2 in a recent post, but I've not been able to find them. Any good sites you could reccomend?

Do you know of a cheaper alternative than Cannons to charge two batteries at once?

Does the Cannon DC car adapter allow you to use a NRG battery pack?

THanks,

Andy Smith

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?s=&threadid=2909&pagenumber=2

Andy here is a start on the charger question-- above.

For the interstate battery try a search for "Protected Power Company" could be protectedpower.com ?

Regards, John V.

Edit; here is the battery link http://www.yourbatteryterminal.com/xl1gl1extended.html

The BP945-equivalent battery shown in Andy's link is rated at 4350mAh (milliampere hours, the general capacity rating for batteries). This will certainly run your GL1, GL2, XL1, or XL1s for a good long time. But, contrary to the site's assertion, this is by no means the "highest power rating". In fact, it's not even up to Canon's own BP-945 specification (4500mAh).

The Power-2000 BP-945 batteries sold at B&H Photo (and elsewhere) are rated at 6000mAh. I have several and can attest to their remarkable lasting power.

Yes, they are just a bit more expensive ($89.95) than the the others ($69.95). But if you're really interested in a go-all-day high-capacity battery this is your benchmark.

Others have reported that Lenmar makes a similarly high-cap 945 equivalent, too, but I've not tried one myself.

Ken, are you saying that the Power-2000 BP-945 6000mAh batteries are better that the original Canon BP-945 batteries?

The price for the Power 2000 is cheaper at $89.95 compare to $119.95.

The milliampere are higher.

So what is the catch? The weight? The durability? How many charges can this battery go through?

The catch is your not paying for Canon's advertising (or do tennis stars do endorsements for free). It also is slightly heavier than the Canon. I use two of the Lenmar batteries Ken refers to and I'm very happy with their performence.

Jeff

Gilbert,
Basically there is no catch. As Jeff noted, Canon's mark-up of a 3rd party's batteries (Canon doesn't manufacture batteries) represents the price difference. Canon has a worldwide marketing presence, the manufacturer of the Canon-branded batteries doesn't. It's that simple. The Power 2000 batteries are, indeed, better than the original 945's.

I don't know the rated cycles but I've no reason whatsoever to believe that they're any shorter-lived than Canons. Mine have certainly not shown any degradation so far.

Who knows where in Europe I can buy this Power-2000 or Lenmar batteries?

Thanks,

Dirk

PS: The canon battery costs $179. What a rip off!

Thanks guys for all the helpful input on the 3rd party batteries.

Nobody seemed to know the answer to the "Car Battery Adapter" question. (Would it work on a NRG 12V belt?) After asking this question to a lot of people, I finally called Cannon. WOULD YOU BELIEVE NOBODY THERE, INCLUDING THE TECHS, COULD ANSWER THIS QUESTION???? Their bottom line was that it had not been tested and possibly could damage the camera, in which case they wouldn't be responsible. I started to ask him if he knew for a fact it had been tested with a Sabb, but figured it would sail right over his head.

I finally got a salesman at B&H that had sense enough to come in out of the rain. He said that 12 volts negetave ground battery belts were made to be compatable with automotive 12V system devices. Of course, you have to have the DC adapter for your device. He said that indeed they had used it that way on a GL2. Said that a to a videographer, a portable belt made a lot more sense than a car for power. DUH!!!

Moral to the story is buy from folks that can answer your questions.

Andy

Hi. Does anyone have any good experiences with any particular off-brand (non-Canon) cheap-price extended-life batteries for the GL1/2 that they can happily recommend?

Thanks a lot,

Blake

The lenmar LIC941 is as good or better than the equivalent Canon battery. I leave mine on my gl2 for days at a time and it never seems to go down. Some have said it lasts for about 4 hours...haven't really tried to test it, but I can believe it. Saw one for 60 bucks on streetprices.com

http://www.StreetPrices.com/Electronics/SP619298.html?query=lenmar%20941

Typically I think you'll find it between $80-$100. I don't know if the sponsors carry it...check them out first.

Barry

You'll want to see this thread:
http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1260&highlight=power+2000

Thanks a lot, Barry and Ken.

I went with the Power 2000 from B&H, for about $80US. So far it seems to be a good and long-lasting unit. I don't know how long because I've already shot more than an hour on it and the battery guage hasn't moved off of "max" yet.

b

On the GL2 you may not have to charge the Power 2000 battery until your warranty expires!

Glad to hear you tried it out and are happy so far, Blake!

I'll add a thumbs up for the Power-2000 also as I received one last week. Good, long lasting battery at a really good price.

Ok, I understand the Power 2000 batteries last longer than the Canon ones. I also remember reading that they were somewhat wider. Does anyone know if this is true, and if so, how much wider?

For that matter, are they also heavier?

Stepehn

Higher charge capacity. Same size as the BP-945; otherwise it wouldn't be "compatible", would it? Approx. the same weight, too: if there's a difference it won't strain your back.

I am interested in obtaining the Canon CH-910 dual battery holder/charger for my GL2. I have never seen any info about how it actually attaches to the camera. (I have a picture of it on the XL1s, but not on the GL2.) How does it work with the GL2? Can one battery, or both, be charged while the camera is plugged in to AC?

I am a little confused by how it is designed to work on the GL2. Any info on this would be great.

Thanks

Jerry

The CH-910 is designed to attach to your belt, or tripod etc. There are no provisions for attaching it to the GL2. It comes with 2 cables, one to connect to AC for charging two batteries in sequence. The other cable connects to the back of the CH-910, above the belt clip. The other end has a molded connecter resembling a BP-900 series battery. It attaches to the GL2 instead of a battery, thus suppling power from the CH-910 through the battery contacts. Canon has a picture here (http://www.canondv.com/gl2/a_power_adapters.html)

Jeff

Does the supplied charger/powersupply charge the battery when it's providing power to the camera?

It does not. It's one or the other.

Jeff

Hi,

All I presently have is the stock 1 hour or so battery that comes with the GL-2 and need to get one with longer life.Noticed that Sabah Oceanic has a BP-941 equivalent for like $45 shipped,however their website says the next shipment arrives in March sometime.Another alternative is to get the Lenmark 924lic which can be had a CDW for around 70$ without shipping.My basic question is twofold:Does the old maxim;"you get what you pay for" hold in this case?Is the quality and reliability of the Lexmark worth another $30 or so per unit factoring in the frt costs?Anyone out there try one or both brands?Naturally,Canon tries to maximize the profit on their accessories so I'm looking to purchase elsewhere.Please advise and comment.

Thanks in advance.

Bruce

Does the old maxim;"you get what you pay for" hold in this case? In this case, not entirely.

I think that you're actually referring to the Lenmar batteries which are BP-941-equivalents. They're very good, rated at 5550mAh of capacity.

I use Power 2000 batteries. These are BP-945 equivalents that feature 6000mAh of capacity.

In general, that milliampere-hours rating (mAh) is the measurement you're looking for. Either of these batteries will keep your camera rolling longer than the standard Canon batteries and will generally cost less.

Bruce,

I have 3 of the Lenmar batteries, and they are great. mAh is a good way to judge batteries, however these ratings come from the manufacturer...so buyer beware. I have two no name batteries that I bought with my xl1s that have 5000 mAh ratings and they are garbage...don't hold their charge, and will quit unexpectedly after less than an hour of shooting...I'd recommend going with a brand that others have had good experience with like the power 2000 and lenmar...remember these batteries are already pretty cheap...I bought my first canon bp-945 3 years ago for $200+ (it's still going strong). A $45 battery that doesn't work is no bargain at all.

Barry

My vote goes to the Power 2000 batteries- 5 hours with LCD out......under $90- you can't beat it.

Barry has an excellent point; a high-cap battery is worthless if it dies after only a few charge cycles. I've been using six Power 2000 batteries for nearly 2 years with no apparent degradation in their capacity.

I can't seem to find any threads on the longest lasting battery for the GL2. I found a $79 6000 mAh battery from the battery barn. Any advice?

Hard to beat the Canon BP945, in my opinion. Seven hours endurance with the LCD screen closed, nearly six hours with the LCD screen open.

Power 2000- 4500mah and about 5hrs with LCD use!

Non-Canon HL945 battery here - £100.00GBp.

Features:

* Estimate 5hours work, side LCD closed

* Very fast re-charge times

* Top up at any time - No need to "discharge" battery

* The more I use it the longer the work time

Hey Everyone-

I'm going to purchase a gl2 soon and I need to know the real battery lives of the add-on batteries you can buy for it. I've been all over the net trying to figure this out (yes I know there is another post about this issue, but I have a different question) and all of the sites that I go to seem to have different times for the battery life on the Canon BP series of batteries.

Canon's site states that the BP-915, BP-930 and BP-945 batteries have battery life (with the LCD off) times of 65 minutes, 135 minutes and 200 minutes respectively. Just about every other site on the net sees this differently. I've seen the bp-945 be as high as 8 hours of battery life and everything in-between. Chris Hurd also shares a different opinion "...Seven hours endurance with the LCD screen closed, nearly six hours with the LCD screen open..." (From his post on the "Best battery for the GL2 thread") I'm really at a loss here at who to believe about these battery life times.

So what I’m really asking here is for the no-bs evaluation of these batteries, from people that have first hand experience with them. I need to know for sure that I’m going to get the amount of battery life that I need for a project that I’m going to be doing soon that involves me shooting all day in Washington DC, without access to my charger, so I’m going to need a lot of battery life.

Any info would help relieve the headache I have from these battery issues right now!

Thanks for your time and knowledge

Kyle

"So what I’m really asking here is for the no-bs evaluation of these batteries" - I'm presuming you feel that the BS you have read hasn't helped - yeah? Well . . . like I, if you read between the BS lines you will notice that there is a lot of experience amongst the BS. - At the risk of being tarred with this BS brush too, I will reiterate that:

1 - It depends upon how much you use the Cammy

2 - How often you switch off/on of the cammy

3 - How much zooming you use

4 - If you use the flip-out LCD screen Or not

What other "downers" are there on battery charge life? Others can chip in their experience.

Having said all the above, my solution has been to use the 945 and have the slim battery that came with cammy fully charged as a "back-up". This can be used if I need to charge the very fast charging times on the 945.

If you Washington filming is that important to you, you will need to invest in as many batteries as you think you will need - this is expensive, and very heavy to carry around.

As you say, "I've been all over the net trying to figure this out . . " - this must surely give a clue.

Kyle, you could download the Canon manual and look at their typical performance figures for batteries. IMHO it will only add to your confusion. I've used cammies for 15 years and mostly I judge what I need for the session - yeah? A pro friend of mine who films and edits wedding videos, has backup batteries PLUS a battery belt. I suppose there aint no subsitute to one's own experience . . . I believe that's what people have offered here - No BS - Just their hard won experience.

Peace and Love - Grazie ;-)

Actually, the GL2 manual states that the "typical" recording times for the BP-915, -930, and -945 are 0:55, 2:15, and 3:25. Max times are 1:35, 3:55, and 5:55.

I have 930s and get somewhere between 2 and 3 hours. I've never gotten less than 2. I do not expect to be on battery power for more than 4 hours total, and I am usually near an outlet.

If you are going to shoot for 8 hours, buy 2 -945s or equivalent and one -930 as a backup. Change the battery after 4 hours to avoid loosing power just as you're shooting something important. For each additional 4 hours of shooting, you'd need another -945.

You'll also need chargers to get them all recharged overnight. Canon says recharge time on the -945 is almost 4 hours, so for 2x945 + 1x930 you'd need nearly 10 hours of charger time if they are all are drained.

Graham,
I wasn't saying that the things that I've read on this site were bs, sorry if it came off that way, I was saying that all of these different sites that have different battery life times are not accurate or extremely over exaggerated. Thanks for the help

Kyle

My solution is to have at least 5 batteries. Go to
http://www.sabahoceanic.com/ - get 2 larger batteries and 2 standard size. Those, along with the battery that comes with the cam, will last you quite a while! Always have more than you need. Now, having said that, I wonder how many I'll need for a week on El Capitan in Yosemite with 3 Canon Optura 100 mc's ?

The Power 2000 batteries from B&H lasts well over 5hrs with LCD use......945 type battery...very recommended!

Has anybody had an experiance with lenmar batteries? (specifically the LIC-941 if possible)

Yes, I use the Lenmars and the Mach 1 charger (AC/DC, very handy). Very high quality.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2928408213&category=15072

I was curious about this battery because it's fairly cheap compared to the actual Canon battery.

Has anyone bought this exact battery?

Check out the thread "Cheap Batteries for XM2" that's been going around to find out what most people are buying at great prices.

Ben Lynn

Yea, saw that thread. That place does have great prices. I might just order one in advance before I even get the GL2.

Bob- I haven't tried those batteries, but I have bought some cheapies by Ambico... I think. They were about $30 each, and have been fairly reliable for the past 2 years. They do die down after an hour with the LCD going on the GL1, and seem to be showing a memory problem, but still work fine.

I've just recieved my HL945 5550mAh supplementary battery. On the same manufacturers battery - Canon Type - the battery is rated at 7.2v, on the packaging of the supp batt it too says HL-945 7.2v 5550mAh -BUT, but, but . . . on the label on the underside of the supp batt it says 7.4v. Will this make any difference? The manufacturer of the batteries who supplies my supplier has informed him that this is a misprint label problem, and I'm not to worry.

The XM2 manual rates the cammy at 7.2 volt too. I've also read posts here on the "battery thread" that Aaron is using 7.4 volt supplementary batteries:

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?s=&threadid=5290&perpage=15&pagenumber=4

Any takers on this one?

HELP!

Grazie

You should be OK. A fully charged Li ion battery actually puts out about 8.3 volts for a while.

Don! You're a star! - Thanks - So it peaks at 8.3volts? Now THAT I can understand. - It would have been nice if the manual made some reference to this - yeah? It would stop a NumbNutz like me from getting into a panic . . . . ;-)

Regards,

Grazie

Don, charged-up 7.4v - loaded it - powered up cammy - and NO cammy didn't blow-up!

TNX

Grazie

Does anyone know where I can get one. I've tried some shops here in the UK but they all seem to need to order it in. This wouldn't be a problem but I'm going to the US on Monday where I'll be filming a road trip documentry for a game we're making. Seeing as there's a lot of people from the US here does anyone know of a good place that may sell these. I'll be travelling from the south up North to Salt Lake then West to LA. We're be stopping off at a lot of states so I'm guessing I'll come across a lot of electrical stores.
Also do I have to get the official Canon charger or would some electrical store sell one that would works just as well?


Thanks in advance


peter B

Hiyah!

Just got my HL954 battery off them. Here's their website with Canon CHargers inc Car CHargers - yeah:

http://fotosense.co.uk/canon_video_power.html

Also try Lehamanns - official Canon parts UK 01782413611

Regards

Grazie

Excellent cheers for that Grazie I'll give em a go

Gotta place for a small one to the States? PLease!!!

Grazie

Just rang them and not only have they got the charger but they've also got the big battery I was after.
And to top it off they can have them here by Friday.

Nice one Grazie!


Peter