Battery for 750
 

I was looking at the GYHM750. Seems like a good choice for wildlife.
Then I noticed the battery. Is it true that you have to buy a gold-plated Anton Bauer
battery for $500?!?! Or two or three of them? No wonder the camera is reasonably priced.
they make it up un the batteries. And there is no hole for a
tripod mount screw (that costs $325). What a racket.

Everything will be the same as the other cameras in the HD200 and HM700 series. You can use Anton Bauer gold mount or third party gold mount batteries (for example SWIT.)

I believe there is either a 1/4-20 or 3/8-16 screw hole in the camera by default but the best solution by far for any pro camera is the quick-release plate which gives you lots of holes to mount.

Hi Steve,

I have had the 700 since Sept 2010 and use it for wildlife. I have a quick release plate which was included in the deal (something I wish I had used a long time ago). As far as batteries I use two swit's. Batteries and charger £400.

In total the camera, plate and batteries worked out at £1,300 or $2000 less than the Sony EX3 would have cost on its own without any extra batteries.

Mick

Actually Anton Bauer (name brand) Dionic 90 batterys are $400 each. When I bought them some years ago they were $500 each. A charger can be gotten for as little as $625.00 or you can invest in the Intellicharger which has always been my choice since it conditions the batterys when charging for $1350.00. I believe that most dealers offer the tripod plate in a "kit" with the camera but regardless it is an invaluable piece of gear. I used the same one for both my JVC and Sony DSR series cameras so it and the batterys are really a one time investment since the batterys can be used on any professional type camera and the QR plate can be used on almost all Sonys and JVC cameras.
You are correct that you need more than one battery but as Tim said there are other options such as the Switronics and the AB Trimpac or Propac or the Hytron50s, all of which are less money but don't carry as much juice.

When you get into a camera of this type the small batterys that used to be supplied with the HD100/110 just wouldn't have enough juice to power the camera for any length of time. Maybe 20 minutes if you were lucky since the 750 pulls 22W.
I don't think JVC priced the camera "reasonablly" because of the cost of ancillary gear; IE batterys and tripod mount. They priced it where they felt it should be priced in the market place and felt that most people that invest in that type of camera would already have the power system and probably the QR plate from other cameras of it's type.
It can be a big investment but the batterys and QR plate will probably outlast the camera and be used on many other cameras for years to come.

I guess my beef with this stems from the fact that I only have experience with the Canon XL line and the Sony EX3, both of which use much cheaper batteries. The Canon XLH1, for example (which pulls 24 W) uses batteries that cost about $80.00 generic and that run the camera a good hour or two in the field. You could buy 5 of these for the cost of one Anton Bauer. And Canon provides a charger for free with the camcorder ($600+ for Anton Bauer). It's not the length of time a battery will run that is the contention here. It's is always good to have a number of batteries, either charged or back at the hotel charging at any one time to meet all contingencies. One or two just isn't always enough. Also, having to buy a special plate to mount a professional camcorder to a tripod is inexcusible. I don't care if it is quick release or not, they should at least give you a friggin' 1/4' hole for free.
Just my opinion.

Steve,
Can't speak for the 750, but can't see it would be any different than the 700. There is a tripod srew mount on the camera it is incorperated in the V lock connector on the base of the camera.

Mick

Re: Battery for 750
 

We have been buying Gold and V-Mount Batteries from Batteries4Broadcast.com down in Florida for a few years.

I have 2 90Wh batteries still running strong from 2008.

Charger and 2-90Wh batteries run $755.

Mike

Re: Battery for 750
 

There *is* a 1/4 hole for tripod mounting (it's in the V-LOC mount on the bottom) -- but I'd be very leery of using something as long and heavy as the 750 with just a single small 1/4 hole. The tripod plate is very sturdy and convenient, but you don't *have* to use it.

As for the batteries -- the HM700 series are usually positioned as ENG cameras, and ABs sort of come with the territory. Other cameras can use the ABs, so it's not like you're being locked into any sort of proprietary battery solution -- and it's not like JVC makes money from that, since you can just buy the batteries and chargers from (e.g.) B&H.

Re: Battery for 750
 

I believe the JVC cameras come in either Anton Bauer or IDX v mount configurations. Perhaps that is just a US/Europe thing though. My HD101E uses IDX via the adaptor kit supplied by JVC with it. With the IDX system you can get very good deals on a couple of batteries and a charger kit and they seem to be a little cheaper than the Antons.

All I can say is with professional use you will be glad of these batteries. When new they easily last for over 3 hours. Whilst very expensive up front they last for years and are very robust, I have 2 kits of 4 with chargers to use with both the JVC and a DSR 570, they are over 6 years old and still going strong. They also add a good balancing weight to the shoulder mount. I have to say for me one of the key factors in deciding between cameras such as the Canon and the JVC was the battery system.

Re: Battery for 750
 

I've used both Anton Bauer and IDX batteries, and when it was time to upgrade from my 12 year old Canon XL1, (so I understand about the great off-brand batteries!) I got the IDX plate for my HM700.

Don't get me wrong, Anton Bauer makes a solid product, but based on the problems I've had with them and the price vs. performance, I went with IDX.

Re: Battery for 750
 

I think we can summarise this thread this way:

* The HM700 series comes with screw mount holes for direct-to-head mounting, but the optional quick-release plate is both popular and recommended for stable tripod work; and,

* The HM700 series gives you the choice of at least two pro battery systems -- Anton Bauer or IDX -- both of which are pretty common in the pro and semi-pro ENG and other markets the 700 series is aimed at, and both of which are widely available through non-JVC sources.

Or something like that. Not quite the "racket" the OP claimed, but definitely not for everyone, and buying a 700 series camera involves more than probably first meets the eye...