Most affordable battery system for HD100?
 

I hate to sound like a cheapskate, but I'm kind of a poor-skate, so I have little choice: What is the most affordable aftermarket battery system for the HD100? I don't need super long battery life. I'd be happy with getting just a couple hours of use at a time.

I'm confused by the multitude of options from AB and IDX. I'll find an AB or IDX battery online, and the cost of the battery alone is pretty high. Then it looks like I'd need a separate charger ($$$$), and a mounting plate ($$). It's hard to believe that a $500 battery wouldn't come with even a rudimentary charger, but that is what appears to be the case.

Does anybody sell a semi-entry-level aftermarket battery system for this camera? The stock battery is somewhere between a joke and an insult. I'd love to have 8 hours of life, but for now I'd be happy to spend less than $1000 and get a battery system that could give me at least a couple hours in the field.

Anton Bauer have been the gold standard for many years and believe me they are worth the money. However the chargers can run from $500 up to about $1400-but again they do more than charge the battery. The reaon you need the plate is because ABs are not camera specific - you can use them on just about any camera IF they make a mounting plate. The idea is that you can keep using the ABs no matter what camera you purchase.
Having said that, since you are working on a tight budget I would look at the IDX 7E batterys-the are under $200 each 2 would probably do you and the charger is not all that much either, about $550.00 an dit will run the camera off of AC power.
The 7S battery will give about 4 hours of run time with no other accessories running off the camera battery.
The mounting plate runs about $330.00 so for under $1300 you've got a professional battery system that will run the camera for about 7.5 to 8 hours at a time.
IIRC the stock batteris only go for about 40 minutes or so.
I know it's a lot of money but believe me it's well worth it.

Don

Do it yourself battery solution
 

Before sending in the rebates to get my Anton Bauer pack, I was in need of a battery system that could be charged once and run for a full day of shooting. As noted, the battery that ships with this camera serves as a decent paperweight, but little more. I considered many options before deciding to build a pack that would handle my specific needs and not break my limited budget.

I headed over to a local Batteries+ store and inquired with a friendly salesperson about the possibility and plausability of such a solution. Together, we built a battery system to fit my needs, consisting of a motercycle battery and a power inverter. Since I knew the dangers of short-circuiting the HD100, I was careful to pay attention to supplying the right amount of power to the camera. Essentially, the system works like this:

A rechargable motorcycle battery is connected to a power inverter with a standard 3-prong grounded plug on the other end. The inverter has its own power button and can be turned on when power needs to be sent to the camera. Into the outlet, I plugged in the JVC charger that came with the camera. The powercord simply plugs into the HD100 and the camera functions the same way it would if it were running off wall power. I found an old bike bag in my basement that conveniently held all these parts and could be hung (rather uncomfortably) over my shoulder. I easily achieved over 9 hours of run-time with my home-made battery pack, and best of all, the whole system cost under $130.00!

Now granted, this system is FAR from ideal. It's heavy- roughly 15lbs. and frankly it sucks to haul the thing around. With a better bag, one might minimize this problem, but the weight's always there. Secondly, having the power cord dangling between the battery and the camera is potentially devastating should it ever unplug during filming. Mine never did, but I was careful. Finally, though I calculated the system could run between 9 and 11 hours continuously, there is no way to meter batterylife on either the camera or the battery itself. The viewfinder merely displays the same voltage it would if it were plugged into a wall outlet. The battery also requires overnight (8hour) charging to reach full capacity.

I merely wish to share a possible solution to a problem. Now that I have my pro battery system, the notion of using this one seems a bit crazy. However, I can use it to power portable lights, a laptop, or anything else in the field. If anyone is interested in specifics, I'd be happy to post them later. I hope you find this helpful.

-Matt

Can you put up a jpeg somewhere of the setup? For the cost, it seems like a really great idea, given the limitations you noted.

At the bottom of this page there's a battery and charger for $325:
http://www.batteries4broadcast.com/combo_order_sm.htm

You still need a mounting plate:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...=469419&is=REG

Remember, you can also power the camera off the AC adapter included with the camera.

I have a spare IDX V-Mount plate (new still in box.) I'll sell it for $225. That will save you about $100.

SWIT Batteries and charger with AB mount under $1000 CAN
 

Hey Josh,

I’ve been an HD 100 user since Feb ’06 and have been very satisfied with my SWIT S-304A Charger and S-8080A battery system. It works perfectly with the AB Gold Mount, and all three of these components came in at under $1000 CAN before taxes.

I purchased my camera in Canada before the IDX promo was in play so much like yourself, I was looking for another option to come in under budget. I actually bought a second battery shortly thereafter and together, they typically give me 4-5 hrs of continuous use each, which more than covers a full day of shooting. Total cost for AB mount, charger & 2 batteries: less than $1,200 CAN. You might want to check out dealers in your area for pricing and availability.

Here is a SWIT product link:
http://www.swit-battery.com/swit2006...ductdetail.asp

Cheers

Michael Lafleur

I made an adapter to use the eight NP style Lithium Ion batteries I already have for my BetaCamSP rig, while waiting for an AB kit.

So I have a complete AB battery system that is unemployed.

(1) Anton Bauer Dionic 90 Battery, (1) Gold Mount Titan Changer/Power Supply, (1) HD100/110 Gold Mount Adapter Plate/Voltage Converter.

The system has been charged and tested, but never actually used.

I am posting it in the classified section now.

Affordable batterys
 

Hi. check out this homepage http://globalmediapro.com/do/product/1866

the DC488 Battery.(8800mAH) It can give you up to 3 hours of life. It has a In-built DC connector to power on-camera light. It work with the HD100 and costs only $99 USD. I have used this battery and I think its very good. Plus you do not have to buy another charger or a mounting plate.
Hope this helps.

Best regards Eric in Iceland.

Thats it
 

Thank You Eric
I've been looking for a reasonable battery solution for my 100a and you've found. Thanks for posting.
Jack

I'm using the AB system because of the integration with the HD100.

However, I found information about a new system in Feb this year. Series 7.

http://www.independentfilm.com/techn...y-system.shtml

-Corey Boutilier
IndependentFilm.com