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

Switronix has a new two-bay V-lock battery charger, the XDC-2LS. What’s special is that it powers off of 12vdc instead of plugging into AC power. The charger has an XLR-4 plug on the back, and a cable to plug it directly into a car cigarette lighter is included. The charger is powerful, simultaneously charging a pair of RED 140v Li-Ion batteries in just four hours. Now fast, portable power is available anywhere.

With the growing popularity of HDSLRs, we’ve gotten a lot of questions about doing remote start/stop with these cameras. Today Switronix announced their new Flex DSLR remote, which allows for easy, one-button start/stop with cameras such as the Canon 5D and 7D. Thanks to Ross at Switronix I got to play with it last week; watch my video above to learn more about this new piece of gear. It will be available to purchase on February 8th.

Switronix has released an adapter to power a Canon 5D Mark II or 7D off a power tap. It is a simple adapter called the XP-DSLR-C that allows users to adapt the Canon DC coupler directly to a battery or other source with a power tap plug. So an Anton Bauer Gold Mount will work as well as the D-Tap found on an IDX battery. This will greatly extend the battery life of the cameras, and the adapter has an additional power tap on it to power other 12V accessories. Look for an adapter for the Panasonic Lumix GH1 in the future as well.

There are lots of little LED lights on the market these days, and Switronix’s new TorchLEDs are a great combination of size, strength and value. They’re about the size of a fist, weigh mere ounces, are solidly built, and include a dimmer and diffusers. Check out the video to see the different models and even more features.

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In this two-minute video, I show the Panasonic HPG20 attached to a tape based VariCam. This amazing combination brings P2 based AVC-Intra recording to the VariCam as well as a host of features that we’ve always wanted. Also the HPG20 can be powered directly off the Anton Bauer D-Tap with a Switronix adapter. Check out the video and see how the HPG20 can extend the life of your VariCam.

Abel has a couple of exclusive products that we developed with Switronix for the RED one camera. The GP-TS-RED is a dual battery adapter that mounts to the RED’s battery mount, and the GP-TS-RED2 is a a dual battery mount that completely replaces the battery mount. There are a couple of other fun items as well. The S-GP-S plate is a v-mount battery pass through, which allows space for the use of other accessories such as the IDX CAM WAVE video transmitter.

Check out the video to see how they all fit together.