BN-V438U price

[Guy Barwood]

Seems like the BN-V438U is finally shipping with at least one person saying they have it, but I am dissapointed by the price I see on B&H.

BN-V438U 3800mAh $139.95
BN-V428U 2800mAh $74.95

So for 1000mAh extra (35% more capacity) you need to pay 86% more.

If you think that is rough, check this out
http://www.videoguys.com.au/scripts/...idproduct=1751
Same 438 battery selling here in Australia for AU$290ex (about US$220).

Given the genuine Sony NP-F970 6600mAh battery sells for US$104.95 is it only me that think the BN prices need some serious attention (and capacity).

Someone like IDX needs to come out with a standard battery package with variable front attachments for each brand. Like the IDX plate but for a generic 7.2v cell pack. So you swap the cells only front end like a mini VMount), the electonics stays on the adaptor on the camera. The charger has any required electronics as well, not the battery. Then one 7.2v battery could be used on any brand of these handy cams.

[Barry Green]

Kind of like a reverse version of the Lenmar Mach 1 Speed Charger -- it's a battery charger that has interchangeable plates so you use the same base charger, and swap out the plate and you can charge Sony, JVC, Panasonic, or Canon batteries on it...

Interesting idea.

The biggest problem with the JVC batteries isn't necessarily that they're expensive for the capacity, or that they're such short runtime, but that they take an extremely long time to charge. You get 40 minutes of runtime, but it takes something like four hours to charge. If you wanted to power a shoot all day long, you'd need to get 8 to 10 of the 3800mah batteries, because you couldn't count on recharging them as you go; you'd only get one recharged over the course of your shoot! And if you're shooting again tomorrow, well -- guess what, there's just no way you could have your batteries recharged in time; you'd have a maximum of three of them ready for the next day. That means the little batteries would end up costing as much (or more!) than the IDX solution; $1,000 for two batteries and a charger and a mounting plate.

If you can get a lot of cheap third-party batteries, maybe using the little batteries would still make some sense. But if you're serious about shooting, the IDX seems like a much better solution. They're better batteries, each powers the cam for about four hours, they have a power tap to power the FireStore, and they provide enough weight to properly balance the cam on your shoulder.

[John Mitchell]

Originally Posted by Barry Green

Kind of like a reverse version of the Lenmar Mach 1 Speed Charger -- it's a battery charger that has interchangeable plates so you use the same base charger, and swap out the plate and you can charge Sony, JVC, Panasonic, or Canon batteries on it...

Interesting idea.

The biggest problem with the JVC batteries isn't necessarily that they're expensive for the capacity, or that they're such short runtime, but that they take an extremely long time to charge. You get 40 minutes of runtime, but it takes something like four hours to charge. If you wanted to power a shoot all day long, you'd need to get 8 to 10 of the 3800mah batteries, because you couldn't count on recharging them as you go; you'd only get one recharged over the course of your shoot! And if you're shooting again tomorrow, well -- guess what, there's just no way you could have your batteries recharged in time; you'd have a maximum of three of them ready for the next day. That means the little batteries would end up costing as much (or more!) than the IDX solution; $1,000 for two batteries and a charger and a mounting plate.

If you can get a lot of cheap third-party batteries, maybe using the little batteries would still make some sense. But if you're serious about shooting, the IDX seems like a much better solution. They're better batteries, each powers the cam for about four hours, they have a power tap to power the FireStore, and they provide enough weight to properly balance the cam on your shoulder.

Yeah I've got a universal LiON charger with different plates - bought it for my Sony PD100AP as you could only recharge on teh camera. Works like a charm.