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Powering on camera Frezzi lights
Hi list,
Wondering if anyone using on camera lights can advise me.
I shoot a lot of live events and have been happy with my dimable 35 watt on camera lights with diffusion hoods. I’ve been powering these with Bescor 12 volt lead batteries.
I’m looking to upgrade from lead batteries to NiCH technology (faster to charge, more energy efficient plus less vulnerable to overcharging damage).
Can anyone suggest some NiCH alternates.
I was thinking of getting NP-1 batteries with a tap which I could hook up to my frezzi lights.
I also looked into the Anton Bauer prosumer on camera lighting solution but find the light (10 watt) and batter 6 volt a little light on power for my purposes).
My other though was to switch on camera lighting technology completely and jump to LitePanels LED lights.
I bought one but, while I’m attracted to the favorably energy consumption and runtime, I am not crazy about the weight of the panel plus battery pack which mounts on the camera hotshoe making it quite top heavy.
If anyone has traveled this road and might like to share some thoughts to guide me I would be very grateful.
Warmest,
Kevin
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9 Replies
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You didn’t say what kind of camera you are using (or what its power needs are)… so some of this is a wild guess…
But we find the easiest way to power camera accessories is with the camera battery itself. In our case, for example, we primarily shoot with the Canon XLH1, which like many smaller camcorders takes 7.2v of juice. However, we use an Anton-Bauer goldmount adapter which contains the necessary circuitry to cut the 14.4v out of the big A/B brick down to the lower voltage that the camera requires… but still retains the 14.4v out of the “power tap” on the mount, which can be used to power a light, or whatever. Actually, we almost never use the power tap to juice a light (just because I rarely use any on-camera lighting), but do frequently use it to power an on-camera LCD monitor and sometimes a teleprompter.
The advantages of the big A/B bricks are that they are very powerful, long lasting, easy to charge… and since the goldmounts are very much an “industry standard” it’s easy to swap and mix and match batteries among all sorts of video equipment. One battery could easily power both your camera and a frezzi light very reliably for quite a while.
T2
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Todd Terry
Creative Director
Fantastic Plastic Entertainment, Inc.
fantasticplastic.com
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Hey Todd,
Many thanks for taking the time to post back with this great info.
I am using Panasonic DVX-100s powered by Panasonic longlife batteries.
Powering the camera for me hasn’t really been an issue. One battery will last almost a full day’s shooting so we always have plenty in our bag.
The issue I’m trying to thing through is powering on camera lighting.
I did take a look at the Anton Bauer system but frankly the bricks are way too heavy for us to carry around all day.
As I mentioned I have been using the smallest Bescor belt mounted batteries but we need about 4 ofthese per camera, so on a three camera shoot, that’s a lot of weight. Plus at ths juncture when a lot of batteries need to be replaced, I’d rather not reinvest in an older technology.
So – my latest thought is perhaps using a NP-1 style battery with a tap that adapts to my on camera frezzi lights. Probably not that much of a saving in terms of weight but I think the run times will be longer.
I currently have a NP-1 battery charger and system from an older camera (JVC-500) so I can quite cheaply put that into service to power the on camera lights.
I’m always on the lookout for a better (lighter/longerlasting) way of powering both ligghts and camera, so would welcome any suggestions for alternates I could take a look at.
Again many thanks for your feedback.
Warmest,
Kevin
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What type of support if any do you use? If none, check out https://www.spiderbrace.com. The heavier bricks mount on the back so act as a counterweight and therefore make the cam feel lighter. What exactly are you using the on cam light for? Is it to get the little reflections in the eyes for interviews or does it help the pana capture in general?
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Hi,
I use an IDX 50watt NiMh NP-1 to power a frezzi-dimmable on camera lamp. I use V-mount batteries and use an adapter that holds the np1 on the back of the battery. I like the light to have its own source.
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Hi guys, Some will probably consider this a silly question but I was wondering if anyone knew if a frezzi on camera light can tap into a Anton Bauer Battery power tap. Is it the same connection?
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Not a dumb question at all…
I think most (although maybe not all) Frezzis use a standard 4-pin XLR connector for power.
In that case, to power with with an A-B brick via the powertap on the goldmount, you’d need this patch cable…
Or… make your own cable or wire your Frezzi light directly using this….
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/69226-REG/Anton_Bauer_PTOE_PowerTap_Open_End_Cable.html
Hope this helps…
T2
__________________________________
Todd Terry
Creative Director
Fantastic Plastic Entertainment, Inc.
fantasticplastic.com
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Oh, I gotcha, Thanks so much for your help
Chris
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If you go the NP-1 route there are belt packs that can carry the battery and keep the weight off the camera.
John
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Hi John, many thanks for your feedback.
I did go the NP-1 route and love them. Much longer lasting, lighter than my old Bescors. Only thing is when they are ready to give up you don’t get a lot of notice, so I always try to have an xtra. But I do love them, their quicker charge time and also the ability to power up other peripherals from them on the road with an assortment of connectors.
Again many thanks for your feedback.
WArmest,
Kevin
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