hi, I just have a quick question. Are the batteries for the ag-dvx100 exactly the same as for the AG-HVX200?
thanks

They are compatible.

Are there batteries out there especially for the HVX200 or are they all the same. I mean if ill get a dvx100 battery will I find that they die quicker on the hvx200? sorry about this kinder garden question:) but I'm just being safe.
thanks

They're the same. If a battery seems to die more quickly on the HVX, it would only be because the HVX was using more power. Don't know if it actually does, not using tape, but that would be the reason.

HVX is bigger and hungrier, so yes the batteries last for a somewhat shorter period of time. A 5600 lasts for about 5.5 hours on a DVX, and about 4 hours on an HVX.

thanks barry,
could you tell me the name of that battery (ie cga-d54) or is that the one you mentioned? The thing is i want to buy the biggest battery available for my hvx200. thanks

The biggest battery you can get is the DVXUser 5600 (www.dvxuser.com, look for the banner at the bottom of the page). Panasonic's largest battery is 5400, which for all practical purposes lasts about the same amount of time, but the DVXUser ones are half the price.

There are some batteries advertised as having 6000mah of capacity, but according to Jarred that's not actually true.

6000mah of capacity
Ya... thats BS. Trust me.

There are some batteries advertised as having 6000mah of capacity, but according to Jarred that's not actually true.

I think the manufacturer of those batteries hasn't quite perfected them yet. We tested a couple of those 6000mah batts and found that: They don't really add much run time (and they wouldn't since the difference between 5600 and 6000mah is minimal) and; they make the HVX run hot near the rear of the body where the battery mount is.

After the heat issue was noticed we switched back to the Panasonic-branded batts and haven't looked back.

The hope is that like Sony, Panny will introduce a "monster" battery to accomodate the power-hungry HVX.

There are other battery options being worked on with longer runtime but so far none that I've personally researched or tried are as stable or reliable as the Pana-branded batts.

Sorry,

But the most powerfullbattery for the HVX-200 is the Anton/Bauer ElipZ. 10,500 MAH

Battery and charger plus connector cable list for $378.

This battery will also power the new Elightz on camera light!!!! (10 watts)

More info at: http://www.antonbauer.com/elipz_line.htm

Sorry,

But the most powerfullbattery for the HVX-200 is the Anton/Bauer ElipZ. 10,500 MAH

That may be the "biggest" being offered but so far I've seen no reliability tests or feedback from people using it. Do you have one on your HVX? Do you plan to get one and try it?

The Elipz made its debut at NAB 2006. It started shipping at the end of June.

Anton/Bauer = Quality Battery

You will here more about this one-of-a-kind product as it gets into the hands of end-users like yourself.

BTW, the A/B Catalog claims five hours on the HVX200 and 9-1/4 hours on the DVX100. They list the power consumption of the HVX200 as 15W, and the DVX100 as 8W. I have no idea about the conditions under which they spec the cameras. (Recording? LCD on? Tape? P2?)

I saw the Elipz at NAB. Seemed like a good deal, compared to A/B's higher-end batteries and chargers. The rep claimed that the Elipz works with handhelds, like the HVX, but isn't set up for shoulder-cams.

And, no, I haven't tried it, so I can't comment about real-world use.

There are some batteries advertised as having 6000mah of capacity, but according to Jarred that's not actually true.

FWIW, I have two of the Spec-Comm 6000mAh batteries. They work just fine, but don't last any longer than the Panny 5400mAh battery I have. If they do last longer, it can't be more than a minute or two, or not enough time to reliably measure a difference with dynamic shooting conditions.

I haven't noticed these making the HVX run hot, but I'll watch for that... Good to know.

The specs for power consumption for the JVX-200 and the DVX-100 come from Panasonic spec sheets

The dvxuser batteries are the 5600 type. When you buy two you get a sweet T-shirt. I bought them and love them. Getting 4 hours out of a battery is awesome. I was lucky to get 2 hours out of my XL1.


Another bit of advice would be to get a seperate charger for each battery. They take a long long time to charge. I was able to find the charger.. it won't power the cam.. and they were only 12 bucks a piece. So I now have 4 batteries and 4 chargers. 3 batts for cam and 1 for P2store. I can shoot all day with that...

I would say that the phantom power and using the zoom motor do cut done on the batt.. run times though.

I purchased THREE of the 6000 type OEM off Ebay and they work great, 4hrs per battery also. Total cost around $100....