Hi Owen

If it's just a weight issue then the brick wins hand down !!

Recommend a 2nd Battery
 

My apologies if this is in 342 other threads, but can anyone recommend a reputable website that sells extra batteries for the XL2? I am shooting my first wedding in about 3 weeks and need at least one more battery (I currently only have the one that came with the camera).

Thanks in advance everyone!

- Paul

Batteries
 

Hi, Paul

B&H Photo And Newegg.com are very good websites I buy everything from B&H. Hope this helps.


Digital Direct Productions
Adam Drescher

Canon XL2, Sony Vegas 7.0

You can get aftermarket BP-945 knock-offs for around $20 on Ebay, including shipping, and they work every bit as well as the much more expensive Canon-branded batteries. I have one of these that I've been using at least once a week (and often more) for over three years and I have had exactly zero problems with it.

Thanks fellas. Assuming the battery that came with the camera will last me about 2 hours, what battery would you recommend for shooting the whole day (wedding)?

Hi Paul,

I shot a wedding last weekend and used a Digital Concepts BP-941CL and it lasted the entire wedding and reception. Actually, I haven't charged it yet and have still been shooting for a good portion of today also! I have seen it around for about $30.00. Hope this helps.

Zotz Digital sells the Lenmar LIC941 for about $70 and this is supposedly the same battery as the BP-945 (made at the same facility, not a knock-off). I have 2 of them and they work very well. If you are in Washington, they are in Oregon, so you should be able to get them fairly quickly....

Bill

I bought 3 BP-945's and I can got about a day and a half before I need to change them. Good batteries just give you one less thing you have to worry about.

BTW Lenmars carry 3 years warranty, I do not know of any other makes that do.

Buy the cheap batteries off ebay. I got 7 of these for a week without electricity, and they worked great. The best one for me was a 7000mAh, like this:

http://cgi.ebay.com/10HR-BP-945-BP94...QQcmdZViewItem

They may not last quite as long, but for 1/10th the price...

Brandon

I have got to agree with Brandon. If you can get a perfectly functional battery for $20, why would you want to pay more?

If you're the type of person who feels more comfortable with pricey things, then by all means go with what sets your mind at ease. It just seems to me that at $20 a pop, even if your battery is a dud, you can get another one and you've still spent less than you would have spent on Canon- or Lenmar-branded batteries.

I might add though, even though I've already said it, that I have never had even a minor problem with these cheap batteries--nor have I ever heard of anyone else having trouble with them.

Thanks for the advise Jarrod and Brandon. I actually found 3 Lenmar batteries on Ebay for a total of $40. I'm feeling good about that price. I should hopefully have them within a week or so.

B&H sell BP-945 batteries made by a couple different mfrs. If you are shooting a wedding I suggest that you have at three to five, so you can go all day and have one on the charger.

I have the Anton Bauer Gold Mount on the back of my camera. With two Hytron 50 batteries, I can go pretty much all day. The A/B mount has a power tap, so I can run a light off the battery. This will cut down on battery run time, but it's convenient, since I don't have to have a battery belt for the light. For more than one accessory, the P-Tap Multi has three outlets. All your accessories must have the P-Tap, but you can easily modify all your accessories. Again, this will consume battery power, so you just want to be sure that you can plug in your charger somewhere close. I suggest the Titan Twin Charger, it can simultaneously charge two batteries.

The A/B battery on the back also helps balance the camera, since with the FU-1000 and manual lens make it front heavy.

There have been numerous discussions about this. Try an advanced search for "Anton Bauer", or "battery", "batteries".

Any new gear you get, test and familiarize yourself with the gear well before the job.

www.antonbuer.com

I got a couple BP-495 6000 mah knock offs from East Coast Photo for $40.00 each. I have never had any problems with them.

XL2 battery question
 

I bought a battery for my Xl2---thought it was a Canon battery, but on the battery itself it says "for Canon BP-945-LI-ION 7.2 Ultra Hi- Power" apparently not a Canon, but a Canon impersonator. Has anyone used this battery? Would it be safe to use a non Canon battery in my Xl2?