What batteries to use...???

[Tom Wills]

Alright guys, quick question here. I'm purchasing batteries, an LCD, the XY plates, and the springs in under a week. Do you think I can get by wih 1.3 AH batteries? I'll have 3 of 'em. I'll be powering a Lilliput LCD, though I might eventually want to power a camera too (would that cause problems?)

I look forward to all of your advice.

[Phil Kindred]

1.3 should be ok, but 1.8 would be better.  Go for Li-ion rather than lead acid.  La's weight too much for me, anyway.  Is the monitor 12v?  What is the camera?  I've found that most camcorder batteries--in pairs--are suffecient for a shoot.

[Tom Wills]

Alright, I'll look around for Lithium batts. They're harder to find and a lot more expensive, but you're right, it might be better in the long run (though these SLAs are only 1 pound each).

My monitor is 12v, as is the camera, but I'll probably just use the onboard camera battery most of the time so that I can switch between Steadi and Tripod. Also, some cameras I will be using (DVX or XL2) will not be 12v, but I will have the wiring up the post, just in case.

[Tom Wills]

Actually Phil, I don't even know if I can put it in my budget to get LiIons. The cheapest 12v packs I can find are around $30 each. That's triple the price of my current batteries, not to mention that the chargers run way more than the $25 I'm spending for one for the SLAs.

[Phil Kindred]

Check E-Bay and the thread by Jamie Glover on Li-ion batteries.  It is worth considering for the future.

[Alan Dague-Greene]

I agree with Phil. The Li-ion batteries that I got all came with chargers, so that doesn't necessarily have to be an extra expense.

My experience: I first got a lead acid battery that was 5 Ah, weighed 6 lbs, and cost me $25. Then I got a Li-ion battery that is 6.3 Ah, weighs 12 oz, and cost $55 or so. Yes, more expensive, but sooooooo worth it.

Personally, I'd let the camera just run off of its own battery, but that's just me. I'm not working with complicated cameras. Plus, the Sony models have some kind of chip in their batteries that the camera looks for. If you hook something up that doesn't have this chip, some people claim it won't work right.

[Tom Wills]

I doubt I'd have the "chip" problem with the cameras that I'd want to power off the rig, as they all have 12v 4-Pin XLR ins.

I guess I should look for one or two of those LiIons on ebay. I'm just worried about budget. I know that the SLAs won't be even close to as good, but they might do until I can afford LiIons, and also they would definetly be able to sustain the 20W that a full broadcast camera can draw, even if only for a very short period of time.