I bought one of those doulbe battery chargers... but I just got my XL1s today, so haven't had any chance to test it yet.

I will post in some days when I have charged the batteries some few times...

Here is the product, but I bought it from 47st Street Photo, New York

http://cgi.ebay.ch/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=22788&item=3825028481&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

I bought a cheapie Ambico charger, and it works ok. It's best feature, aside from being only $25, is that it comes with a power cord that will plug into the cigarette lighter, allowing me to charge in transit and remote locations.

I have 3 of these as well as 2 canon ones and I see no difference what so ever in the usage time. Cost a third of the price of a canon original.

I lost my friend's XL-1 battery in my move. D'oh! Can anyone recommend a good replacement that won't cost too much? Her camera is a few years old, so a new battery is probably in order.

Thanks,

heath

Try E-bay, there's always loads on there. I have purchased a few and never had any problems with any of them. Reasonable prices and brand new.

Heath, you know how to use the search! <g>

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?s=&threadid=27342

Lenmar is cheap and I had good experience with a battery of theirs.

Hi Heath,

Try this battery from Optex (I'm assuming they deiver to USA). I have had people recommend it, and have placed an order for one. It is yet to arrive so I cannot tell you how well it functions, but as soon as I've tested it, I'll let you know!

https://secure.xl1s.com/cgi-bin/shop/commerce.cgi?pid=502

If anyone else has this battery, could they provide an insight into it's run time, durability etc.

Thank You!

Hi Heath

I have purchased a Power2000 battery recently from www.bugeyedigtal.com for XL1
(see http://www.bugeyedigital.com/product_main/ide-acd.html)

This time around their service was excellent and I am very happy with the battery. Price is good and shipping costs very low!

Regards
Danie

I have read a lot of posts concerning batteries. Here's my question. Our XL1s is used for an outdoor fishing show called "The Christian Angler". What is the best extended life battery?/ time, cold weather, etc. It's no problem for us to change out batteries. I've read- Power 2000/BP945, Lenmar/BP945. Also, where is the cheapest place to purchase- cost, warranties, etc? Thanks- new to the forum

I've used the Lenmar replacement for the BP945 and it worked
fine. I haven't used it in very cold weather though (which will
influence the running time of the battery).

I've had reasonable success with the Lenmar 945 batteries.

Cold weather will reduce battery performance, as will very hot weather. Expect usable battery life to be 3-5 years if not abused. Beyond that is luck.

I buy batteries from www.dbldistributing.com, a real wholesaler, but you will need to establish a business account with them. They are in Scottsdale, AZ.

I bought some Power 2000 batteries from B&H to use on my XL1 only to find that my canon charger takes almost 2 full day to charge them they are rated at 6000 ah

Can anyone tell me if this is normal

Possible that the Canon charger has difficulty in detecting the charge state of the batteries, and that may be due to the fact that they are substantially larger than the Canon batteries, and may have somewhat different internal characteristics as seen by the charger.

I had a 7500 (?, 7200? somewhere in the 7000 range) mAh battery
from Lenmar that charged in 4 hours or so (don't remember for
sure, and I don't have the setup anymore, so can't test), it was
definitely in under 12 hours!

I have three Canon cameras; 2 - XL1s and 1 - GL2. The XL1s cameras are 3 years old, and the GL2 is 2 years old.

All three cameras have their CCD prism replaced. This was to resolve dead pixels.

One XL1s had the CCD prism replaced 3 times, the other XL1s had the CCD prism replaced 2 times, and the GL2 had the CCD prism replaced once.

I only shoot about 12 weddings per year with these cameras. So they're not heavily used.

I purchased a bunch of Lenmar batteries three years ago and share those batteries between all cameras. I'm suspicious they may be the reason the dead pixels issue keeps coming back.

Is there any way for me to test these batteries to make sure they are all within spec?

Thanks,
Ron

I have no idea, but if you suspect these (I'm not really sure how
these could be responsible for it, since the XL1 has a fuse etc.)
perhaps get a Canon brand battery?

Not likely to be a battery problem, but high altitude could be an contributing factor due to higher cosmic radiation than at low altitudes. The only time I've seen hot pixels in my GL1 image were after several hours of shooting near of Denver (at The Fort).

Two simple home tests for a battery - check voltage - it should be close to the canon battery voltage at the same charge condition. Then put in a fresh charged battery, stick in a scretch tape and let it roll recording, see how much you can record before it shuts down on low battery. You may have to rewind and re-record on the tape if it is a reasonably high capacity battery. Early shutdown (time wise) implies an old, tired battery.

Don: I'm not sure that's the problem. I live at 8,500' elevation and I shoot at higher elevations routinely. My XL1s is nearly three years old and I've never had a problem like that.

But, come to think of it, I have never shot a single frame without a UV filter on the lens. So maybe...

Ron, Like Charles I shoot in the Rockies a lot. My inlaws live at over 8,000 ft. down by Wolf Creek Pass. I have never had a pixil problem. However, like Charles I always use a filter. To you shoot toward the sun much? Bob

I do live in Denver, have a UV filter (not an expensive one), and do not shoot at the sun. I shoot weddings, so I do shoot while photographers have their flashes going off, and I also shoot into DJ colored lights for a nice effect.

Do some UV filters protect better than others? If so, I'll replace mine. The ones I have are from Quantaray.

I spoke with a Canon rep in Irvine who didn't believe photography camera flashes or DJ's colored lights would cause harm to my video cameras.

I did measure the voltage of the batteries fully charged, and they are identical to the Canon batteries.

At this point, the Canon service rep and I feel I'm just having a streak of really bad luck. Fortunately, these cameras are covered under an exteneded warranty which has paid for itself several times. However, if this problem continues after the extended warranty expires, I will probably have to sell these cameras and look at Sony or Panasonic.

Thanks for all of your input. If anyone else has any suggestions, I'd sure appreciate it.

Ron

Also have had XL1S for several years and no pixel problem.
Are they exposed to direct sunlight in the lense ?or some other source of bright light?With the repeated failures and not many others having the same problem that there is something specific to your situation.
I wouldn't expect the batteries to cause this the internal voltage regulation should stabilize them .However you may want to check each battery against the canon tech spec

I am going to to be shooting a mini-doc about about a 128 mile charity bike ride in a couple months, so I need to make sure that I can stay charged for shooting all day long without any AC power.

I have heard tale of car chargers for the XL1, but can't find one... can someone point me in the right direction?

Also I am interested in peoples experience in terms of how quickly they charge. If it takes 6 hours, it will not really be useful to me... Can you run the camera directly off the car batter through the adapter?

Anyone have a guess on how many batteries I should bring, or which batteries recharge the most quickly? Certainly I am not shooting for twelve hours straight... mostly it would be some B-Roll during the riding, and then probably six 1/2 hour shoots during their breaks.

It starts early, also, so I may need to bring a light.... i will definitely try to find one that runs on it's own battery or on the car, though.

Any other input is appreciated. Thanks in advance.

http://www.overstock.com/cgi-bin/d2.cgi?PAGE=PROFRAME&PROD_ID=716077

I dont have one so I cant vouch for it, but it looks like a good deal, I was going to buy one, but I just bought another 945 battery they were selling for fifty bucks (havent used it yet)

i got a charger off ebay that came with a 9v car adapter. i shot a music video in a garage (forgot a/c adapter) and was able to charge batteries in the car. cost around 20-30 bucks shipped.

I don't have a car charger... instead I have a DC to AC converter that I use.

I find that to be more versatile. It plugs into the car's cigarette lighter (what do you call those things now that no manufacturer actually puts a lighter in it anymore??)

It has 3 power outlets on it, so I can plug in my charger, and anything else I might need.

I've used it on location shoots before where a generator would have been overkill, but I needed to power my on set monitor, a charger, and a deck.

You can pick one up at Home Depot, or any place like that.

Just a suggestion.


And yes, you should be able to run the camera off of this.
Just check the power requirements on your camera to make sure.

CAUTION! CAUTION! CAUTION!

Sorry for the caps, folks, but I would suggest that you hesitate before plugging into your car battery.

This is an INTERNATIONAL community. Therefore, some vehicles used by the inhabitants are 6 volt; some are 12 volt; and, some 24 volt.

If you do not have the know how, I would suggest that you check with an auto mechanic, and/or, an electrician for compatibility.

Good advice Robert, but I think that the manufacturers would make versions specific to the geographic region they are meant for. I suspect that Europeans have power inverters that can take 6VDC to 220AC to use Luis's suggestion(I know others that do this same thing). It's not that difficult to make a different output voltage. Perhaps Rob L. or someone else can chime in from that part of the globe.

Barry, the Canon VL10 light will use its own Canon style battery so it won't be pulling from the main camera battery. There was one listed in the Private Classifieds recently that you might want to check into.

regards,

-gb-

Greg.

Open the package up for your plug in. I have never yet seen a reference to variant volt systems world wide. Most of this stuff is sold generically. It might be made for local use. Than, again, it just may be for "sale" on the world wide market.

My whole point was that the folk's in the community might not understand that you and I might be savy; but, that they take what is writ in this forum as gospel.

When it comes to electrical connectors, when in doubt check it out……First!

"When it comes to electrical connectors, when in doubt check it out……First!"

Good advice Robert.
I'm sorry I didn't think to mention that myself.

The last thing I need is someone posting, 'I followed Luis's advice and now my XL2 is on fire!'

Canon battery car charger for the XL1/XL1-s batteries:

CB-910 or CB-920

I have one and works perfect.

Best regards,
Arnaldo

Hello all, sorry if this has been covered many times - I tried searching the forums but most, if not all, of the answers seemed to be U.S.A-centric.
I'm looking for for batteries that are higher capacity than the one that came supplied with my xl1s. The only problem is I can't afford Canon's prices right now. Any suggestions as to where I can buy in the UK and what to look for would be great.

The cheapest I could find that at least appeared to be decent was here :

http://www.gmkbatteries.co.uk/acatalog/CANONBP945battery.html

£42.99 for a BP945 Two Year Guarantee.
Voltage : 7.2V.
Capacity : 5550 mAh.
Type : Lithium-Ion.
Approx. Max Run Time : 8 hours.
Colour : Black.
Dimensions : H 61mm x W 38mm x L 71mm.
Weight : 302g.

Any good ? I really don't know what to look for!


Oh, and a supplier of cheap Sony Premium tapes would be nice too...

So many demands... :)

Lee

Hi Lee

I have purchased a Power2000 battery in August 2004 from www.bugeyedigtal.com (US not UK unfortunately) for XL1
(see http://www.bugeyedigital.com/product_main/ide-acd.html)

Battery (ACD-625) is completely outperforming any of Canon's batteries and is lasting waaaaayyy longer! The price is very good (US$60 - a fraction of Canon's price) and shipping costs very low!

Regards
Danie

Hi Lee,

Try Jessops, they do there own brand version of the canon batteries. I have a few and they work quite well.

Hope this helps,

Lee,

Check out ebay i have just bought 2 batterys from a seller called Vgamer 3000 from the USA, replacement batterys for Canon BP 945, £1 +£6 postage each! I think it was in Camcorders or Proffesional video.

They work fine and what a price!!!!!!!

Hope this Helps

Hello and thanks all for your suggestions, I ended up buying the battery I posted above ( it's by Energizer ) and it's just charging at the moment so I can't comment on how good ( or bad ) it is. Having said that, I will now check out the eBay item you've just mentioned as it sounds too good to be true! I will take your recommendation and put it to good use.

I'll let you know how I get on with my £42.99 outlay...

Lee

I am trying to charge the battery on a friend's XL1

He gave me the charger and I snapped the battery on there, but no lights
come on. Can somone help me?

And yes, it is plugged in the outlet. lol


Thanks,
David

Dear David,

There is a cable that is used to power the Xl1(s) from the power supply/battery charger. This plugs into the side of the battery charger.

If you wish to charge a battery, this cable must be unplugged and the battery placed into the proper position on top of the charger.

If this is done, then the red light should blink while charging.

Three rapid blinks indicates that the battery is more than 75% charged. Full on indicates that the charge is complete.

Hey thanks so much!!

I got it charging now!

David

i was just curious. i wanted to buy some batteries for my xl1s and noticed that on ebay they have a bunch of batteries for $12.00 that are generic brand. is there a way for a cheap battery to short out my camera or ruin it? would i be better off buying a brnad name battery? anyone have expierence with generic batteries?

thanks,
mike

Can't speak to out-and-out generics, you would have to dig into them and see what they really are inside. Some may be OK, others may be trash or seconds with a short usable life. There are reputable after-market brand name batteries that sell for less than half the Canon brand name that work fine. I've used Lenmar with good results.

I have been happy with Power101 batteries for my Canon Xl1s.

Their website is www.power101.com.

Their current cost for BP-945 style is $12.31 plus $9 shipping for the first battery, $6 for subsequent batteries in the same order.

I purchased 12 almost a year ago and they all work fine.

Power101 states that it is best to keep the batteries charged. Allowing one to stay in a discharged state for months, according to Power101, shortens the life of the battery.

These are rated at 6000mah (milliamp-hours), but I do not have an easy way to test if this is true, it may be optimistic. They seem to perform equal to or better than the original Canon BP-945 which was rated at 4500mah.

I do not believe that you will hurt your camera, or your charger, with these batteries.

I own several (6) generic 8-hour batteries and they have worked perfectly.
I don't know what else to say except they are worth every penny I spent (and saved!).

I can shoot all day with my XL1S and my GL2 on the six batteries and not have to stop to recharge anything.

Cheers!

I currently have a BP-941 battery and 2 BP-930 batteries for my XL1s. I need a charger but dont know what to look for.

I was thinking of:
http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=7603532519&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT

or:

http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=7599956034&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT

Am I on the right track and do these look like good sellers? Don't know if I should go for the dual charger (if it's any good?) or get the extra battery. Right now, I'm not sure if the batteries I have have a lot of juice left or not since I got the camera used. What to do?

All that I know is that aftermarket batteries tend to be really cheesy, and might only last a couple months.

There might be one or two out there that might last a while, but I haven't seen them yet.

That's what I was worried about. What about the chargers are they pretty much standard? Can anyone else recommend a battery and charger? Something online would probably work best since I'm in Ontario.

What about this charger. A lot more $ but from a reputable source. Does a charger really make a difference?

http://www.vistek.ca/details/details.aspx?WebCode=216827&CategoryID=ProVideoBatteries

I also see factory batteries for almost $250. What about a good charger with an after market battery?

Hi Christopher,

For that money, how about going with Canon? You know it'll work! I found this at B & H:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=NavBar&A=search&Q=&ci=2041
Canon Price : $ 84.99

Shipping Cost

CA-550 Compact AC Power Adapter / Charger - for ES-8100V, 6500V, ES-55V and 50V Camcorders

Mfr # 3026A001 • B&H # CACA550
Availability : In Stock

why do I constantly get the low battery indication on my viewfinder even when the battery I am using is new or fully charged? that is really weird.

Which viewfinder? The standard color LCD, or the optional monochrome CRT?

Chris,

I get this indication on my standard color viewfinder. No matter if I am using brand new (fully charged) batteries or even the adapter! Actually the indication I am getting is the one that warns of "backup battery not being properly installed or needing replacement"! isn't that strange?