In the UK try www.sabahoceanic.com I just order a BP941 5500mah for £34 delivered! Paid £62.50 for the same thing from Keene last year.

I've always been reluctant to switching to 'no brand' batteries, but I'm aware that most of of the time these products come from the same plant...

Do these batteries from for instance www.sabahoceanic.com wear out faster, or drain faster? Or any other issues? Just checking before ordering :-)

Thanks in advance,

Bar3nd

Barend,

Can't speak for sabahoceanic, but my Lenmar batteries are holding out just fine after 18 months of regular use. Hope this helps,

Does anyone know what a good battery belt is for the xl1s? Thanks

We need more specifics to answer. What do you want to power with a battery belt? Most such power sources, such as Anton Bauer belts, provide 12v DC whereas the XL1s runs on 7.2v DC power.

I use on rare occasions the NRG Research (http://www.nrgresearch.com/powermax12.htm) belts and their convertor cables (http://www.nrgresearch.com/) The belt is a left over from my Beta SP days. It weighs about 8 pounds and can power an XL1 for days.

Jeff

Jeff (and others)

You said you used the NRG on rare occasions. What do you use now--if anything?

I use the Canon CH-910 (http://www.canondv.com/xl1s/a_power_adapt.html) and I use the Lenmar LIC 941 (http://www.lenmar.com/details.asp?model=LIC941). I carry 4 of the batteries and that can power and XL1 for 8 to 12 hours at a minimum. I occasionally use my belt to add stability (extra weight) to my tripod. The belt gets clipped over the mid-level spreader. I also use it when I won't be near a reliable power supply to recharge my Lenmar batteries.

Jeff

Hey everyone... I'm a bit confused as to the number for the
largest Canon battery. It is usually referred to as the BP-945
but Lenmar says it is a 941?? Can someone please clarify this
since I'm looking into buying one today.

Thanks!

The Lenmar 941 actually has more juice than the Canon 945, so you're good to go. There's three basic sizes of the BP 9xx series batt, small, medium and large. 941 is Lenmar's designation for the large even though Canon no longer makes the 941 (now the 945). Doesn't matter as the 941 and 945 are the same physical size and a Lenmar 941 will outperform and outlast a Canon 945 anyway. Hope this helps,

Thanks for the info and fast response Chris, much appreciated!
I haven't found a Lenmar battery here yet, but some shops
has a different brand (unknown which one at this moment)
that also is designated as the 941. This one only costs $70,
so I'm gonna try it out.

No-one seems to have a Canon BP-945 here in holland and
they also cannot tell me how long it will take to order one. So
I'm looking at other options.

Thanks again!

you can look into the Power-2000 (sometimes refered to as the VidPro Power 2000) replacement for the 945.

I bought a couple of them and they were recommended to me here in a thread where I was asking for recommendations for replacement batteries.

They are 6000mAh batteries vs. the BP-930 which came with my XL1S which is only 3000. From my estimate (although I haven't had them long enough to get a lot of practical, field refernce) the 6000mAh should last around 2 hours. BUT it always depends on what you are doing with it.

Well, I'm looking for battery too. I'm thinking of getting two Lenmar LIC941, but want to know the charge time for this battery on standard Canon charger. Does anyone knows?

I usually charge them overnight for a full charge (8 to 10 hours). I use the Lenmar Mach 1 charger for a quicker charge. Full charge is 3 to 4 hours.

Jeff

If everyone seems to be happy with LENMAR batteries, any Brits or Euros know any good sites for cheap LENMAR batteries??? Preferable ones that accept GBP as payment!

What about battery belts? Anyone had a good experience with one?

I used to use one a long time ago when I was real young with old Hi-8 cam, but it was a pain in the neck to get rid of memory effect. But guess times have changed as never had Li Ion then. or NiMH type with no memory effects. The bet just always gave you peace of mind that your tape would always run out before your batteries.

I am leaning toward buying a set of power 2000 batteries for my camera.

Which 3rd party batteries and charger do you stand by?

Lenmar or Power 2000? Do both charge up on any charger?

Who has the fastest charger, and have you tried the mach 1 from lenmar?

Both batteries are excellent. Both are 100% BP-941/954 compatible.

I've never felt the need to use any 3rd party charger. For these little 7.2v batteries I've always felt that it would be a waste of money. But if I was inclined to do so I'd use Lenmar batteris with a Lenmar charger.

I use the Lenmar and the Mach 1 charger. It is very fast, (charges about 75% on 5500mah batter in 30 to 45 minutes) also charges my digital still batteries and comes with DC (cigarette lighter) connection cord. I've used them for about a year and couldn't be happier. I own several 5500mah batteries, so the quick charger is not that big of a deal for video. But it does great when my digital still camera starts going through the batteries.

I need to know if there is a powerbelt available for the XL1-s in lieu of packing 3 or 4 batteries for an all day shoot. Please let me know if there is such a product or any other power solutions you may have. Thanks all.

ZGC sells an 'expedition battery'.

http://www.zgc.com/html/expedition_batteries.html

I'm interested in this one (never used it). I can vouch for ZGC service though. I ordered a mic from them on Wednesday and the shipping got it to me this morning. I've never had shipping that fast from a U.S. company (to Vancouver).

I've got a battery belt and 3 or 4 BP 941 (5500mah) equivalents. I would much rather carry the batteries and skip the belt. However, NRG (http://www.nrgresearch.com/cat.html) makes great belts and I've used them for almost 15 years. The batteries are well built and very reliable. They are left over from my Betacam days. You will also need a convertor from NRG that steps the voltage down to the 7.2v needed by the XL1.

Jan- I just checked out your site... I must say, I am very impressed by both the quantity and the quality of material. Nice job!

Thanks a lot!

And to add to this thread: I ordered from B&H in NY the following:

- Anton Bauer Gold Mount for XL1
- 2 Hytron 50 batteries (one of them should power the XL1 for 5 hours)
- one Titan 2 charger
- one Ultra Light 2
- one dichroic (daylight) filter
- one softbox for the UL2

All this for the sweet sum of 1800 USD ... Looking forward for the FedEx man to bring the goods. This should give me the convenience of having one battery powering my XL1 and an on camera light at the same time for several hours.

I'll keep you updated with an article on abcdv.com about this setup when I have used it. I couldn't find any uer reports, so that will be the only one there is online ;-)

Thanks,

Jan:

Im using the anton bauer system on my camera right now, 2 proformers with the plate/charger that bh sells. I found its quite nice one of the big pluses is that it offers good counterbalance for the shoulder and as for onboard lights I have a frezzi mini fill w/ dimmer its made a real difference for nightime and low light. Altogether a good purchase you should be quite happy with it...and with the exchange rate on the euro right now :)

M

I have been shooting AB stuff now for over a year and I love it! I power my camera and light for entire wedding days which usually last around 6-10 hours long with only 2 batteries (digital trimpac 14's).

I bought the uni-pac belt to get the battery off the camera which helped me a lot. Great gear, a little on the pricey side but you get what you pay for!

I have had to deal with AB support as well, one word, AMAZING! These guys have stuff back to you so fast! No questions either, if it aint perfect, they replace it!

Chris

I recently bought one of those 3rd party batteries you see on ebay for my xl1. This new battery is 7.4v not the 7.2. I am wondering if this might effect my camera eventually. If anyone can put my mind at ease on this I'd much appreciate it.

Thanks for any info in advance,
Bryan Coleman

Stop!!! I wouldn't use that battery with 7.4v at least until I checked with Canon or another reputable facility. A company called NRG Research specializes in aftermarket power accessories. I'd give them a call first. They know all about the tolerances.

www.nrgresearch.com/

What brand battery is it?

Check the terminal voltage on it and a conon battery when freshly charged? Are they about the same? ( i.e., around 8.3 volts). Is the battery Lithium ion? Does it have a mAhr rating in line with Canon batteries? Is it marketed and marked for use for the canon ? If all above it OK, you should be OK using it.

Specs
· DC 7.2V, (5400mAh) with no Memory Effect.
· Typical Operating time: about 7 hours 30 Minutes.
· Recharge the battery at any time without affecting its ability
to hold a full charge.
· NoMEM Lithium-Ion.
· Dimensions:2-3/4 x 1-1/2 x 2-3/8
· Fits on Canon MV1, MV200, MV200i, GL1, ES-60, ES-65,
ES-420v, ES-4000, ES-5000, ES-6000, ES-7000, ES-8200v,
Optura, Optura P1, XL1, XM1, UC-V10Hi, UC-V20Hi, V30Hi,
V100, V200, V300, X1Hi, X2Hi, X20Hi, X30Hi, X40Hi.
· CANON BP-945 equivalent.


And its a Lithium

From the spec your generic sounds OK to me, although the mAh and run-time may be a bit optimistic. See how it holds up over time.

There are so many alternatives to Cannon batteries on ebay now. And this one was advertised as an xl-1 battery. So I'll see. But I'll call Cannon also and get a tolerence on the xl.

Thanks again,
Bryan

There are manfacturers like Lenmar that make good 3rd party batteries.

Be interesting to hear if Canon will actually endorse or comment on a third party battery.

It'll never happen. If I were Canon I would never comment on 3rd party batteries.

personally, i wouldn't let an aftermarket battery anywhere near my XL1S. i do plan on buying a BP-945 knock-off strictly for use with my VL-10Li light. but rest assured. that battery will never touch my XL1S.

I've ben using a mix of Lenmar and Canon batteries with my XL1 and GL1 for several years, no problems to date.

I've been using the 6000mAh battery from Optex and that seems to be working great and lasts a good while its made by D Concept (digital).

I'm thinking about getting another one as soon as I get a bit more money saved. But as you all know, you make lists of things you would like but you always seem to change.

does the CH-910a power you camera via plugging into the wall if not why doesnt it. I know it can use the power of 2 ateries at one

If I'm understanding your question correctly, yes, you can supply a/c power to the camera through the CH910.

im trying to power my camera with no battery. If i plug the CH-910a into the wall and to the camera it doesnt power my camera With both batteries connected and it not plugged into the wall it works

When batteries are on it, it is a charger only and it will not power the camera. Without batteries on it, then it will power the camera. Hope this helps,

Li-Ion batteries differ only in their capacity, and may be longevity, but not in voltage, as the LI-Ion cell is inherently 3.6 v nominal, about 4.1v fully charged, no load. A Canon pack as many others uses 2 cells, so it is 7.2 nominal, about 8V fully charged, no load. It does not matter who makes it is, Canon or aftermarket.
HTH
Alex

And is it the camera cannot display the battery usage if 2 batteries attached to the CH920 ? any forms to fix ?


Regards,
Billy

I would like to get a large brick-style battery for my xl1s, has anyone used the gold mount from anton bauer, if so which battery model do you think is the way to go?

Please any other suggestion other than the Anton set-up is welcome.

Just want to be able to power by battery for about 6 hours for a location shoot I have in August.

Cheers,

Dick Steele
3rd Coast Cinematics

Dick,
I'm pretty sure that I've seen that Anton Bauer has a battery rig specially designed for the XL1/XL1S' 7.2v power requirement. Scan through B&H Photo's site.

Alternatively, a CH-910 dual battery adapter with two Power 2000 or Lenmar high-capacity batteries would probably keep you running for that amount of time.

I can recommend Power2000 batteries from B&H. I bought a medium sized power2000 battery from B&H for my little Panasonic, for just like $45, and they said it lasts about 3 hours, but I find it lasts about 4....

Second that Power2000 (which is also sold under a semi-different name-- but it escapes me at the moment and it's not on the battery)

I bought their BP-945 replacement one and it's been a champ so I bought two more of them.

The CH-910 is a neat thing to have too. Charge 2 bats at same time and use it as a duel battery power source for the camera. It will also mount onto the MA-100 and 200's as well.

Wow, I sound like I really know what I"m talking about... I been hanging out here too much. (G)

I have looked at your suggestions, and appreciate you guys time. Perhaps, I should be a little more clear, I am always looking a few steps ahead on my tech purchases.

For instance, I am currently using an XL1S, yet I will be in the future moving into a larger cam that uses a brick system. For now, while I can justify the expense I would like to buy into a larger power system and charger for my present uses and then in the future be able to utilize the charger (fairly expensive) to charge and power my next purchased cams batteries. In the event that the batteries are not compatible with the next cam I still have my XL1S and the charger, the best of both worlds.

That said, I am looking for information and experience other folks here have had about utilizing brick batteries, whether Anton, optex systems, Frezzolini, Bescor, or any other system. I like the Anton system b/c it will work with my CNC machined 4 XLR sholder mount.

Cheers and Thank To All,

Dick Steele
3rd Coast Cinematics

We currently operate two XL-1S cameras and have outfitted both of them with Anton Bauer (AB) Gold Mount battery adapters and TrimPac batteries as well as AB Ultra-Light 2s.

Even though the batteries have just come off the charger, the eyepiece battery meter shows just half a charge. As soon as we turn the light on it goes to one quarter of a charge and approximately 30 seconds after recording begins, we get a "change battery" warning.

If we continue to shoot, the camera will shut itself off regardless of the full charge remaining in the battery. We remove the battery, wait a few seconds and reseat the battery and the problem repeats itself.

Has anyone come across this problem? Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

RB