Battery run time

[Randy Johnson]

Well I ordered them on the 5th Amazon hasnt even shipped them yet and the estimated arrival time could be after my weddings...great:)

[Don Bloom]

In some cases Amazon has to wait for the actual vendor to ship to them then ship to the end user. I've had great luck when I ordered mine but I they came from Blue Nook which is an Amazon vendor.
It's too bad that some of their vendors don't respond as well as we'd like.
I hope you get thru the weddings OK.

[Dmitri Zigany]

Originally Posted by Don Bloom

For the little money a battery cost's isn't the piece of mind worth it?

€150 or whatever the Sony NP-F970 batteries cost ain't a "little money" to me... That's why I wish they sold the NP-F770 batteries seperately so there was a cheaper way to get an extra battery... But as far as I know they don't...

[Don Bloom]

I don't know about countries other than the USA but I think the price you quoted IS a lot of money but you know as well a I and anyone else, if you run out of power on the job think of what the cost of that could be. I'm just sayin'!

[Steven Digges]

+1 Don. A $5,000.00 camera becomes nothing more than a prop without power.

[Dmitri Zigany]

Well, I'm glad if I even get €150 for a job ;)
This is the first I ever hear of batteries just stopping to work. Maybe I'll get one of the cheap copies to have as a spare, but would feel even more unsafe with one of those in the camera...

[Don Bloom]

My thought is that even a cheap battery that runs the camera is better than an expensive one that blows a cell and doesn't work. BTW, LiON type batteries blowing cells is not uncommon or unheard of. I've had Anton Bauer Dionics blow a cell.
Do what you want but I won't go to shot a 10 minute interview without a bunch of batteries for the camera and my mic paks and my on camera light. You never know what you're going to run into. But that's just me. YMMV! :-)

[Steven Digges]

Guys,

I produce live audio visual corporate events as well as video. This DOES NOT happen on my events when I am the producer. But I have 17 years of experience in live conferences. I am a battery changing maniac at my events. Because, over the years I have seen shows with a budget of well over 100 or 200 thousand dollars go down in flames because the audio guy did not manage the .99 cent AA battery's in lav mics correctly.

You can't even imagine the fall out when the CEO or a $50,000 an hour celebrity presenter is left literally speechless because the A1 did not pay attention and let a battery die. I don't care what the battery level meter says on the most expensive wireless receivers says. I tell my guys to change them on every break. It is a little excessive, but in that case we are talking about AA batteries that can crash a show, it makes sense to me to keep them fresh. Yes, 99 cents can crash a $200,000 show! I tell my guys to change the F****** batteries! I have been there seen it, it is ugly, it is not going to happen on one of my productions.

Dmitri, I feel your pain. I know Sony batteries are not cheap. It is one of those accessory things they mark up big time because we have no choice but to bleed and give them the money. I wish they were .99 cent AA batteries but there not. They have us bent over the barrel!

Steve

[Chris Harding]

Hey Steve

I'm a bit of a maniac change both cam and audio batteries too. At a wedding I will go thru 6 PP3 lithiums on the transmitters and receivers. Sure, I know they can technically last for 6 hours a piece BUT what happens if they don't and I lose wedding vows all for the sake of a couple of seconds to change a battery and having to recharge 6 instead of maybe two??

Wedding are also definitely no retakes, not at any cost, so why be stupid? I think my FP970's cost me $97.00 each ...a small price for peace of mind and not having to wonder if audio batteries or camera batteries will make it. Randy here is doing 3 weddings in a row, and hopefully getting paid a couple of grand per wedding .... Even at $1K per event is it worth bickering on a few hundred dollars that might ruin one? I don't think so!! Definitely for paid jobs buy decent batteries and change them at each event ... I fail to see any economic sense in not having at least 3 sets of batteries per camera for weddings ...we are talking pennies here that can affect thousands in fees!

Chris

[Dmitri Zigany]

I am also a live performer, and always have my musicians change batteries in stomp boxes or anything that use batteries. Knowing full well the implications a dead battery could have in such circumstances.

But reading stories about counterfeit batteries and chargers exploding or going seriously bad, I feel VERY wary of putting one of those in my camera. If my camera is destroyed by a cheap battery that would ruin me, far more than a canceled job at this point. That leaves Sony's €150 battery as the only option.

Do I want a spare battery and is it on my list of things to get? You bet!
But because the EA50 with the supplied battery (assuming it works) is such a solid performer and can film for hours on one charge, getting an extra battery has slipped somewhat on my priority list.

[Chris Harding]

Hi Dmitri

The EA-50 battery is indeed very good I I suspect it would last an entire wedding. However I have had situations in the past (thankfully quite a long time ago) where I did the bridal prep and then the ceremony, then placed the cameras in my car in their aluminium/foam trays and had to do about an hour's drive inland to the photoshoot and reception venue. As I was setting up for the photoshoot the camera felt quite warm when I put it onto the stedicam sled and I just assumed it was the hot day BUT it wasn't!! It had been on since the ceremony and the battery indicator was red and showed 5 minutes left!! Now, if I hadn't had a spare battery then I would have been really in a mess!! That's no fault of the camera or the battery and purely human error and it can easily happen during the stress of shooting and having to rush to a new location with no time to relax and/or check gear.

I one really want's to chance it with no spare pack or have only two batteries then at least take the charger with you so when to change batteries at least you can top up the one you just used

Chris

[Don Bloom]

There are a number of options besides Sony to the battery challenge. Wasabi is one that has worked very very well for me both in Sony cameras, in my LED lights and I have one for my HM100 and it provides longer lasting run times than the JVC batteries.
Lenmar is another off name battery I used in my Sony PD cameras. AAMOF I used their knock-off 950 for almost 10 years. I had 3 of them and I had 1 fail me which was promptly replaced by the supplier. I still have them but they have finally died. Pretty good life for knock-offs. Oh yeah, I got a charger as well. Remember this was almost 12 or so years ago.
If you do some due diligence you can find what you need without spending a lot and if you need to spend more then why wouldn't you to have the piece of mind that you have by having a backup.
Remember the old saying, If something CAN go wrong...it will and always at the wrong time.
Do what you want but I would NEVER do a job without having at least 1 backup to my batteries. Hell I keep 4-Sony 970s in my case just to power my LED light. However, it's your choice.
Just sayin!

[Randy Johnson]

well after 3 days the item actually shipped, I can only hope USPS has their stuff together they have 5 days.

[David Wibowo]

I got 2x npf-970 with shipping at $190 from globalmediapro from NZ. Their website doesnt exactly inspire confidence but I had ordered from them at least half a dozen time with no problems

[David Wibowo]

This is my statistic from a quite new npf-770 that came with the camera.

Conditions: 23degrees AC room, on tripod, active stabilizer, 12db, xlr phantom power for shotgun mic

Used 25% after 80 mins
Flashing almost out of battery after 5hours 15 mins.

I have about 12x npf batteries, I can confirm that an older type npf-960 works. 570 does not work.

Hope it helps.