Does not have to be a Sony battery. Lenmar makes good quality batteries, 100% compatible with the Sony "Infolithium" standard. (They are more expensive than "Ebay" batteries, but much less costly than Sony)

Me again!

I had a question about the batteries available for the VX2100. On the Sony website, it claims that the NP-F770 gets up to 10 hours of use (I'm assuming that's with only the viewfinder, under simple settings). However, the listing is for a Handycam. Should I make the the assumption that the Handycam uses less juice in general and that using the F770 in my VX2100 with give me significantly less time than 10 hours? If so, how many hours with the battery give me? The sony website doesn't list it.

Is anybody using this battery. I don't need a 10 hour battery, but if on the VX2100 that same battery is only a 3-5 hour battery, than that's what I need.

Thanks!

Daniel

I think that is fine. The Sony power consumption is one of many nice things about these cameras. They are stingy with use of power.

On my VX2000 I use the 550, and can get a couple of hours with it. I also have a Lenmar 750, which I can shoot for 3 to four hours, with the LCD actually open a lot.

I also use a Lenmar 950 for my FX1, and get all day use out of the battery. (I define all day as shooting alot, leaving camera on sometimes, but not running, shooting all the time. Point is, I can start out the day, with the 750 or the 950 on either of the cameras, and have one back up for each 550 or 330, and not be worried about not having enough power for the day...

I believe the battery you're talking about is the NP-970 (not a 770, which I don't think even exists). On my VX2100, I can shoot 8+ hours of tape, LCD on, using zoom and LOTS of start/stop recording, on a single Sony-brand NP-970. Absolutely amazing battery life. So basically I would expect to get the advertised run times for all the Sony batteries (isn't that unusual)?

-Terence

I believe the battery you're talking about is the NP-970 (not a 770, which I don't think even exists).

No, there is a Sony 770:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=3466&A=details&Q=&sku=348070&is=REG&addedTroughType=categoryNavigation

I don't have any experience with it however. I haven't used my VX-2000 for a long time, but when I did I could get about 8 hours with the LCD on, zooming, starting, stopping, rewinding, etc. using an NP-F960 battery, which was a bit larger than that NP-F770. The 960 has since been replaced by the NP-F970. I now have two 970's and one of my old 960's which I use on my Z1. The Z1 definitely draws more power... I get maybe 5 hours with the 970. But on your VX-2100 I'm pretty confident you would see more than 8 hours with a 970.

Personally I would get a couple of these instead of the 770's, you never know when you might need the extra run time. But the VX is really a low power champ as well as a low light champ!

I would just get the 970. It is a great battery, it allows you to shoot almost all day with it and not have to worry.

I agree. I have two 960s and they are a quite remarkably compact and light storage container for so much power.

I must have been giving this matter a lot of thought beacause my waking thoughts this morning were: check the product manual.

In case anyone else was wondering and doesn't have a manual, here's a brief outline:

NP-F570 - 90 (typical w/ LCD screen) to 230 (continuous w/ viewfinder)
NP-F770 - 190 to 470
NP-F970 - 295 to 705
(those are approximate minutes of recording time)

I ended up buying the F770 from BHPhotovideo.

Thanks for all the help.

Hi all... need a lil help here...

My church's PD170 gives a "SET CLOCK" message each time it's powered up and all its settings has been reseted.

I've searched the web and all over this forum for a way to replace the CR2023 battery but can't seem to find any information about it... Can't even find the little hatch that holds the battery! I'm so blind!

In its manual, it does say that the whole set comes with the CR2023 battery, and I don't think it's for the remote coz it uses AAs.

Reading on, it says that there's an internal battery that keeps its internal clock and settings when the unit isn't powered. To charge it, charge the camera for more than 24 hours, either with an AC charger or a fully charged Li-ion battery...

neither of these 2 options has worked for me.

Any help would be greatly appreciated... going back to Sony would be my last resort.

Thanks!

gabriel my vx2100 also got the same 'Clock Set' problem as what you mentioned. I tried the 24 hrs AC charge but still the problem exist. Pls let me know if u have found the solution. btw my VX is about 4 yrs old. Bought it at Midvalley , Kuala Lumpur.

Azril,
Kajang,
012-286 0990

My oldest VX2k went this way. Easiest get-around is to fit a big battery (970?) and leave it there for ever - charging it on camera.

In the upper right area of this exploded view you find two batteries marked BT801 and BT802. Further down is a notation about BT801 and 802. It looks like they are installed within the handle of the pd-170.


http://www2.sonysupport.com/PF/POV041130/987628612/explodedviews/upperhandle.PDF

Duane

I've got two L-series Li-Ion batteries from an old Sony TRV-540 (L330). Is there a reason to not use them on the VX2100? They aren't listed in the manual, but they are Li-Ion and L series.

I know they won't have a long life for filming, but maybe they could serve as a backup for finishing up a shoot if need be.

Thanks,
Grant

If they don't say Info-Lithium on them, they won't work. But if you install them, the camera will tell you very quickly if they will or won't.

If they don't say Info-Lithium on them, they won't work. But if you install them, the camera will tell you very quickly if they will or won't.

Thanks. They are InfoLithium, L series, so I've got two extra "free" batteries (the old 540 camera has been sitting on a shelf collecting dust). I was more concerned with a voltage issue, but since they are Sony batteries, I should be good to go.

Thanks,
Grant

Thanks. They are InfoLithium, L series, so I've got two extra "free" batteries (the old 540 camera has been sitting on a shelf collecting dust). I was more concerned with a voltage issue, but since they are Sony batteries, I should be good to go.

Thanks,
Grant
It seems I'm in the same boat as you, Grant. I've got an InfoLithium battery from my old TRV-230. It's an M series, apparently. I hope it works with the new VX2100 I'll likely be buying.

It seems I'm in the same boat as you, Grant. I've got an InfoLithium battery from my old TRV-230. It's an M series, apparently. I hope it works with the new VX2100 I'll likely be buying.

M-series won't work. I've got three of those for my current cameras (two TRV-840's) and I just tried putting it in the VX2100 and it is physically different at the base where it sits in the camera back of the VX2100.

Grant

I have a 6-year old digital still camera with the same problem. The internal battery or capacitor it uses to keep the memory going has become senile. However, I find that if I keep batteries in it most of the time, I can take them out for about 1 day, before it starts having "senior-moments" again. I've had a VX2100 for 3 years and it hasn't lost this function yet.

I wish I could plug a battery into my brain, to keep my own memory topped-out. Today, some forget-me-nots bloomed in my yard and for several minutes I couldn't remember what they are called.

Hi folks,

I need to get an extra (or 2) sony 970 batteries for my pd170. I have been looking at ebay and seen some "generic" brands for around $40 (sometimes cheaper).

Has anybody used any of these?

Are these batteries ok to use?

Do they show the exact minutes left ?

Some come with a charger, can I use this charger with my sony "originals"?

thanks

Manny.

Hi, i have a PD150 with a couple of generic 970 plus an original. The cheap battery (purchased on Ebay) works fine, no problem at all, same record time of original brand.

Thanks for your reply maurizio..but I heard or read somewhere that on the pd 170 some of these batteries don't work...has anybody out there experienced this?

manny

Thanks for your reply maurizio..but I heard or read somewhere that on the pd 170 some of these batteries don't work...has anybody out there experienced this?


I'm sorry but i don't know problems about generic battery on 170, i confirm my positive experience on my 150 with generic brand just picked on the bunch of ebay sellers.

No name generic batteries at Ebay work on my 2100 & pd170. However, the brand Impact bought at BH do not work with either cam.

The Ebay batteries last 2 to 3 times less than the Sony's.

I bought an my PAL PD-150 about 4 years ago and it has served me faithfully.

Recently I've been running into some problems. Three problems to be percise:

1. My Sony InfoLITHIUM L - NP-F960 battery (also about 4 years old) has been running out after only about an hour of normal use. Even if used immediately after being fully charged and in warm weather. It would usually last for at least 9 hours, with zooming, rewinding, the works - but now it just empties real quick. The display in the camera shows the battery has hundreds of minutes left on it, then suddenly I get the flashing "Low Battery" warning, and within a couple of minutes, it just completely dies on me.

2. This next problem happens once in a while, with no apparent pattern to it. I'll be in the middle of a shoot and have my preferred settings on the camera - custom white balance, auto shutter OFF, NR OFF, some custom presets, etc. I'll take a break and turn my camera OFF. Getting back to the camera after the break and turning it back ON, I'll find that all settings and presets have been reset to the default settings. This can happen when switching batteries, following an automated switch off after being idle, or in any other situation where the camera is turned off and back on again. Real bummer.

3. When starting to record something, I'll sometimes get a message saying something like "Cleaning Tape Head", or something else in that manner. Nothing else doesn't appear to happen. I press stop and then record again and everything seems to be back to normal. Just curious to know if this might mean something I should be aware of.

That's it. Those are my burning questions... will be grateful for any informative replies.

Thanks!

The Li-Ion batteries do not last much more than 4 years, it is time to get a new battery.
HTH

Thanks Alex. I figured I'd be needing to get a new battery.

Any thoughts about my other two problems? Could the settings be resetting due to battery problems as well? Is there some connection? or are these two different problems that just happened to appear approximately at the same time?

Thanks Alex. I figured I'd be needing to get a new battery.

Any thoughts about my other two problems? Could the settings be resetting due to battery problems as well? Is there some connection? or are these two different problems that just happened to appear approximately at the same time?
The settings are usually stored separately, backed up by a small coin battery. Not sure where this coin battery is in your camera.

"Cleaning tape" message is a result of an intermittent head clog, try to clean the heads by the cleaning tape.

Adi,

If it's any consolation, I have a Sony 960 battery that's now less than 3 years old and it started doing the same thing about 6 months ago. It starts out showing a full charge. After operating the camera for at least an hour or two, the battery time remaining shown on the LCD seems to be correct.

Then, poof, time remaining drops to zero.

I guess there's what, a 90-day or 1-year warranty on those things? So, no sympathy, or a partial credit, from Sony.

Interestingly, I have a couple of generic batteries that are about a year older than the 960, and they continue to work perfectly.

I've got an trusty old PD150 which I havent used in a while but is now not holding any of the settings i put in once it's turned off and on again (even for a second) - as soon as it comes back on I have to reset the clock even! very frustrating...

I'd heard that it was the internal battery that needed charging up again coz I hadn't used the camera in a while... fair enough... so I left it plugged into the mains (i think charging?) for 24 hours and it still does exactly the same thing!

HELP!

I think your assumption about the internal battery is spot on. I borrowed a friend's 150 once to use as a b-cam to my 170 and it had the same problem. Only, his only lost the settings when a power source was removed, and it held info when it was off as long as it was plugged in or had a battery in it.

I would call Sony. That sounds like something that they can fix or at least give you advice about. www.sony.com/professional

Keep us posted. I'd love to know what to do if this eventually happens to my cam. Good luck.

~~Dave

See this thread:

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=87648&highlight=internal+battery

-Terence

keeping a battery or it connected to the mains works but i kind of want to find a fix rather than a work around...

im not sure but is that other thread suggesting that the internal batteries are in the cameras handle and that they can be replaced? anyone tried this? doesnt look too tricky but i dont want to make the problem worse!

In the upper right area of this exploded view you find two batteries marked BT801 and BT802. Further down is a notation about BT801 and 802. It looks like they are installed within the handle of the pd-170.


http://www2.sonysupport.com/PF/POV041130/987628612/explodedviews/upperhandle.PDF

Duane

My PD150 has the same problem. Are you suggesting taking the camera apart and replacing the batteries? Has anyone tried this?

i spoke with a Sony authorised repair place and they told me this:

"The battery in question is located on the CK 093 board.
Battery spare part number is BT250, 1-528-724-21, sell price 13.93GBP.
Labour charge for replacing would be 1 hours Labour, 75.00GBP.
Our Engineer feels that anyone who is competent in soldering would be okay doing this job."

I don't think this is the same place as the diagram PDF in the other thread... Can anyone tell me where the battery is after reading the above? I have a friend who's pretty good with a soldering iron so might be able to fix this myself....

i spoke with a Sony authorised repair place and they told me this:

"The battery in question is located on the CK 093 board.
Battery spare part number is BT250, 1-528-724-21, sell price 13.93GBP.
Labour charge for replacing would be 1 hours Labour, 75.00GBP.
Our Engineer feels that anyone who is competent in soldering would be okay doing this job."

I don't think this is the same place as the diagram PDF above... Can anyone tell me how to get to the CK 093 board? I have a friend who's pretty good with a soldering iron so might be able to fix this myself....

I would be very surprised to hear that it was a soldering job Bevan. I'm pretty sure the Sony man was using the term to signify a certain DIY aptitude.

I'd suggest you tackle it yourself. Go gently, take pictures as you go along and stick the removed tiny screws through a piece of paper so you don't lose them. On the paper have a rough drawing of the camera and that'll show you where the screw came from.

tom.

ah! that's great to hear! well, in that case im sure i can manage it myself!

if only i knew where the CK 093 board was!? any ideas?

I've seen the workshop manual with its exploded views that take you step by step through the teardown process, though can't for the life of me find the link. Hrere's a starting block though:

http://www.dvinfo.net/sony/index.php

i got a battery on ebay a while back, and it was a pretty big battery, but now it doesn't hold a charge anymore, and i didn't even have it for that long!

so i was wondering who makes a really good, relatively good battery that will hold it's charge.
i've been looking at NP-F970 batteries.
but i'm not sure.

thanks!

I only use Sony batteries in my vx2100. They can be found on ebay.

Regards,
Michael Kladky

Sony's batteries develop a problem over a period of time that isn't a "memory effect" but the net effect is similar - your camera shows the battery's got hundreds of minutes in it, then wham - it needs CPR. Likewise, when you charge it, it goes from flat to (a significant number: 90+? 200+? depending on battery) in just a few minutes.
If this describes the problem you're having, go to http://www.bealecorner.com/trv900/battery/lithium.html and have a read. The advice on this page has been duplicated on many other sites, so I guess it has some credence.
HTH

Hi Nick. At DVinfo we direct all "where to buy" questions to our sponsors, since they make the site possible. You can get genuine Sony NP-F970 batteries for $104.95 at B&H: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/352125-REG/Sony_NPF970_NP_F970_Info_Lithium_Battery_Pack.html

Or Impact clones for $79.95: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/381979-REG/Impact_NPF970_NP_F970_Lithium_Ion_Battery.html

I don't use my VX-2000 anymore, but I could get almost 8 hours run time with the older NP-F960 Sony batteries, so the 970's should really be champs. I bought two genuine Sony 960's in 2001 and one of them died in 2004. The other one just stopped taking a charge a few days ago, so I guess you might expect 3 to 6 years life based on this very unscientific experience.

This thread might also be of interest: http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=103435

ok, thanks a lot!

I never have to use my large NP960, as the small NP570 I got, lasts for more than 2 hours of shooting and that's more than I've ever needed. It doesn't poke out the back of the battery compartment, the way the larger ones do.

I know this threads a bit old, but I thought I'd help out.

There's a permanent vanadium-lithium battery that manages the functions of the clock and whatnot in the PD150.

It should be recharged by leaving the AC adapter connected for 24 hours with the camera power switch turned OFF.

If it doesn't, see pg. 157 of the PD150 User Manual for more options.