I’m often asked about the available solutions for attaching accessories or external recorders to camera rigs. One solution for 15mm lightweight or 19mm rods is the new Anton/Bauer MATRIX cheese plate. This versatile cheese plate allows for both vertical and horizontal mounting, and it fits most standard accessories. Watch my video above as I detail how to attach an AJA KiPro Mini to the MATRIX plate.

The latest Digital Cinema cameras are sophisticated computers that draw considerable power. Filmmakers then pile on lots of camera accessories that can also pull a hefty load. As standard power solutions were limited, AbelCine created a line of power solutions to answer any need.

Designed and manufactured by AbelCine and introduced at NAB 2011, the UniBob Universal Power Breakout Box is designed to answer both the power draw and distribution needs for Digital Cinema production crews. The UniBob is a compact unit (about the size of a Dionic 90 battery) and can mount directly to a standard 3-peg Anton Bauer-style battery mount or attach directly using an Accessory Mounting Kit.

The UniBob takes in power via a large Lemo-8 connector, which can deliver in excess of 300w each of both 28v and 14.4v power simultaneously. There are three 28v outputs and three 14.4v outputs. In addition to the Anton Bauer 3-peg battery mount (14.4v), the UniBob has two Phantom-standard Fischer-4 ports for 14.4v power, two ARRI-standard Fischer-3 ports for 28v accessory power, and one large Fischer-3 port for 28v power to directly feed a camera or other large-draw device.

There are numerous devices available to send power to the UniBob. AbelCine commissioned Frezzi to build the Universal Juicebox AC Power Supply. The Universal Juicebox can output in excess of 300w of both 13.5v and 28v power simultaneously. In addition to the dual-voltage Lemo-8 port, outputs include 3x XLR-4 (13.5v) and two XLR-3 (28v). All outputs and both voltages are available at all times. The unit has auto-ranging voltage, meaning that it can be used in electrical systems throughout the world. Anton Bauer makes the DT-500 AC Power Supply, which has a Lemo-8 to supply 300w of 14.4v and 200w of 28v simultaneously.

…continue reading AbelCine Digital Cinema Power Solutions

Compact Cine (aka Large Single Sensor) cameras like the AF100, PMW-F3, and the upcoming NXCAM FS100 all share one thing in common – they are small. This is great for tight situations, but many times we find the need to add an external recorder or on-board monitor to the camera. Not only does the camera grow in size when these accessories are added, but also the whole system requires more power. Many of our clients have been adding external battery solutions that power the camera, accessories, and also serve as counterbalance for their rig. Here are a few power solutions and mounting brackets that we’ve found for these cameras. Keep reading to learn more.

…continue reading Powering Your Compact Cine Camera

While AbelCine is well known for our Sales, Rental and Technical Service departments, you may not know that we also have an in-house product development team. Two of the AbelCine-developed products on display at NAB this year are the UniBob and the Juicebox, which we developed with Frezzi. Watch my video above as I walk you through a system that’s capable of powering essentially any camera platform.

While most of the broadcast production world has used 12v power for decades, the majority of the 35mm film world has been 24v for some time. Now, Digital Cinema tools have begun to blur production lines and increasing numbers of cameras, monitors and other devices require 24v power, some of them needing a great deal. Unfortunately, most of the available 24v power supplies we found were large and expensive – so we decided to make our own.

Abel started with a small, industrial, medical-grade 24v/150w power supply. It auto-ranges input power, so it can be used worldwide. The six-foot long, heavy-duty flexible cable is strain-relieved at the power supply and ends in a standard XLR-3 connector on the other. This is the same connection found on industry-standard block batteries such as the Anton Bauer Cine VCLX.

To use this power supply with an ARRI ALEXA, use a standard ARRI KC-20 or KC-29. Abel makes cables to the various Phantom cameras, and we can also make cables to 24v monitors or any other 24v device you may wish to power.

The small, inexpensive 24v/150w Power Supply is another in a growing series of innovative power solutions planned by Abel Cine.

At Abel, we’re always trying to find new uses for existing products. One recent example of this has been the Juicebox 400, which was originally designed by Abel for our Phantom HD/65 Breakout Box. Now, we’re seeing this unit power a whole range of broadcast and digital cinema cameras, including the ARRI ALEXA, RED One, Panasonic VariCam 2700/3700 and Sony SRW-9000.

When we designed the Juicebox 400, we knew that it would have to be capable of supplying plenty of watts for the camera, as well as all the accessories that clients might wish to pile on. Another key requirement was a “stiff supply,” which means that the power to the camera could not rise or fall as the accessories were switched on and off. To build this heavy-duty power supply, we turned to our friends at Frezzi, and they built the Juicebox 400 for us.

The Juicebox 400 can output a whopping 400 watts of 15vdc power. To put this in perspective, a standard 12v camera power supply is usually around 70 watts. With this much power, the Juicebox can power a large camera along with a host of accessories, including large Litepanels. We’ve powered 3D Phantom rigs off of a single Juicebox 400 and had complete engineering stations run off one unit. Sometimes cameras go out with so many accessories piled on it’s difficult to see the camera body underneath, but the whole thing can still run off a single Juicebox 400. Blasting out 400w at 15v, the Juicebox 400 could answer the needs for many rental houses, multi-camera truck operators and other facilities.

The small, lightweight Juicebox 400 is the first of a series of innovative power solutions planned by Abel Cine Tech.

The Switronix Powerbase-70 is a new battery system for the Canon 5D Mark II and the Canon 7D. It combines a 70 Watt-hour V-Mount battery with a Canon power adapter that plugs right into your camera. With 70 watts of power the battery will run the camera for 6 times longer than a normal Canon battery. Additionally, the system features two P-taps, a battery gauge, and shoe for direct camera mounting. This is a great way to get longer record times on your HDSLR, and at the same time power multiple accessories. Check out the video above to learn more. The Powerbase-70 is now offered at a special introductory price of under $300 – an incredible deal on any V-mount battery. Also check out the various accessories I mention in the video: the P-tap charger, BlackMagic adapter, the AJA Adapter, the Zacuto Z-Cage, and the BlackMagic HDMI-to-SDI converter.