Stewart McDonald
March 7th, 2004, 08:13 AM
You mean you're not meant to leave a cassette in when its not in use?
View Full Version : GL2 & XM2 Battery / Batteries Stewart McDonald March 7th, 2004, 08:13 AM You mean you're not meant to leave a cassette in when its not in use? Paul Bravmann March 7th, 2004, 10:08 AM i'd been meaning to ask about this myself. the gl-2 manual states that the battery and tape should be removed from the camera when not in use. but my understanding is that most seasoned videographers are pretty much always "locked and loaded." is there a potential for damage if one ignores the manual, leaves the battery on and tape in? and if so, what kind of damage? phb Robin Davies-Rollinson March 7th, 2004, 10:41 AM I usually leave batteries on the camera - and if they're not on, then the mains adapter is! There's usually a tape in it as well. It's not left touching the heads, so why worry... Robin Jean-Philippe Archibald March 7th, 2004, 10:48 AM Take a look a this thread: http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?s=&threadid=13672&highlight=leaving+tape Nicholi Brossia March 7th, 2004, 01:24 PM My experience, keep in mind I haven't scientifically tested this, is that the batteries hold their charge better when stored off the camera. This could just be my imagination, but I think its a good idea anyway, especially for longer periods of time. Graham Bernard March 7th, 2004, 03:30 PM I remove battery and tape. Call me old fashioned, but a tape in a device and a battery still connected . . . just don't add up as being a safe situation. Grazie Ignacio Rodriguez March 7th, 2004, 03:48 PM Leaving the battery, WA adapter and things like that attached can be problematic because vibration and sudden movements that would normally not harm the camera can cause some damage. The battery attachment assembly on a camera I used to have was losing contact becasue of this, I had to repair it. Then again, I keep the WA and batt attached to my PDX10 most of the time. But when I know I will be on the road and walking a lot or travelling I tend to remove the battery and adapter. Tim Frank March 23rd, 2004, 08:50 PM This was the best section of the forum I figured to post this in since its where the people that use these batteries will look :) Anyways I saw that Wal-Mart has a 2-Hr Off Brand Canon battery availiable for $15, its made by Polaroid but I've found no difference in quality or performance versus the standard battery, and I have 3 of them!! Anyways just thought I'd let you know in case anybody wanted to run out and see if their Wal-Mart had any left!! The original price on them was $30. Steve Luhr March 25th, 2004, 07:52 AM Thanks, I might get a couple. Steve Honglin Sun March 25th, 2004, 10:02 AM Hi can you give more specific info on the battery? How is that work with Canon charger? Anyway good find. Ming Dong March 25th, 2004, 04:39 PM But they were regular price. They did have some other batteries on sale, but only $5 off. You lucked out! Tim Frank March 25th, 2004, 06:16 PM They were Polaroid BP-915 2 hr clones. They had a rack of polaroid batteries cleranced...guess I did luck out!! I have it working fine with my universal charger and I've tried it on my school's Canon chargers, works fine. Brian Kirkey March 26th, 2004, 01:46 PM Hello everyone, I was lucky and found 6 of them for $12.00 each at a PA Wal-Mart when I was on a business trip the first week in March. They all charged just fine with my Canon GL1 Charger. When I returned from my trip; I put them on my Battery Analyzer and they all exceeded the Specs of the Canon BP-915 Battery. They come with a full replacement warranty (info in package you can read before you buy through SAFT America) and Wal-Mart will refund your money as long as you have receipt and original packaging. They are great "just in case" Batteries for those of us who have larger batteries. I am looking for more. Stacey Trim April 23rd, 2004, 08:35 AM I have a quick question I hope someone can help me. I just bought my gl2 and I bought an extra off brand battery (bp945). When I received it in the mail today the voltage was 7.4 and not 7.2v. Does anyone know if this will damage the gl2? I tried calling canon and all they could tell me is that if it is not a canon product, they can not tell me anything. Ken Tanaka April 23rd, 2004, 09:35 AM 7.4v will be fine, Stacey. 7.2v is the nominal voltage required by the GL2 but, in fact, the actual voltage batteries deliver will vary as they discharge. The 7.4v rating is normal for these batteries. Have fun! Stacey Trim April 23rd, 2004, 11:00 AM thank you Ken Dennis Parker April 25th, 2004, 07:17 PM Stacey, I had the same concern/question..... http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?s=&threadid=21399 A lot of friendly fellow GL2'ers around here! :) Jeff Price April 26th, 2004, 02:23 PM I was recently looking through Canon's GL2 site and there was a note warning about the use of non-Canon batteries in Canon chargers. The site stated that some batteries had leaked/exploded because they lacked a charge-regulating device. There was no other information as to which companies batteries had failed except to recommend that you only use Canon batteries. Any ideas as to which after-market batteries are causing problems? Frank Granovski April 26th, 2004, 04:10 PM Perhaps contact Canon and ask. I never heard about this sort of thing. Don Palomaki April 26th, 2004, 04:16 PM I've not read of any issues with camcorder batteries to date in many years of lurking bulletin boards, and web forums. The main issue mentione dis shorting the battery terminals, which can cause high curents and start fires. My guesss would be early production Li ion battries, those produced before the technology reached its curent level of stability, and perhaps some cheap no-name generics. Marco Leavitt April 26th, 2004, 04:22 PM I have two gigantor Lenmar batteries that I've used in Canon's charger for years and never had a problem. I think this might be the usual lawyer double talk. K. Forman April 26th, 2004, 04:29 PM Cannon certainly would not recommend any battery, other than the factory battery made for your camera. No matter how much more expensive the Cannon battery is. That is like taking the butter from their bread. Jeff Price April 26th, 2004, 04:54 PM I certainly agree with all of this (and have been using two after-market batteries without problem). I just hadn't seen the note before - http://www.usa.canon.com/html/accessorynotice.html It's possible that it has been present on the site for a while and I just missed it. Steve Olds April 27th, 2004, 06:56 AM Canon has to make the statement to "CYA". And yes at one time a battery has probally caused this problem while being recharged some where in the rechargeable battery industry. The OEM or after market mfg. or who ever you buy a battery from will or should make some statement like that on their products. I worked for a OEM (not in the DV field) and all Mfgs. make statements like this about the products they sell Vs. after market parts (i.e. battery). The same that a lawnmower mfg. will tell you that the OEM replacement blade cuts above and beyond the after market lawnmower blades that are for avil. for your lawnmower. Bottom line just read all warnings because as Don stated battries can cause fires. If you think not put a 9 volt battery in your pants pocket with some change. That little battery when shorted out gets HOT! I know. Steve Roger Golub April 27th, 2004, 09:35 AM There has been a lot of press on "exploding" LiIon batteries in the press. Mostly concerning off brand cell phone batteries (Nokia got some bad press about this). It is indeed due to faulty construction in the batteries. Alternately, a bad charger could do it. Federal Express now considers LiIon batteries "hazardous material" and won't air ship them. This is annoying if you live on an island. Recently, I tried to buy an EPIRB (Emergency Personal Locator Beacon) for my boat, but FedEx wouldn't ship it. Rather amusing that a "safety device" is too dangerous to ship. Of course, this has made me look at my little Palm pilot sitting happily in my breast pocket with a whole new light..... Don't worry, be happy. Don't put your tounge on the terminals. Richard Tamayo May 2nd, 2004, 08:15 PM I need the biggest battery I can get for the GL2. I am going to do a wedding. What would you suggest for a battery,model,where to buy at a good price? Ken Tanaka May 2nd, 2004, 09:02 PM BP-945 -compatibles, such as those available from Lenmar and Power 2000 are the largest capacities you can get within the Canon-compatible realm. You can get them from our sponsors; the pricing will not vary widely anywhere for these quality batteries. I recommend getting two or more. Yohann Kouam May 6th, 2004, 05:53 PM i'm about to buy a gl-2 and i was flabergasted to discover that canon's longest batteries lasted only 3hours a half i mean i used to own a sony pd100 and i had like a 9hour battery. is sony far above from its competitors in that field? is this canon's longest battery?: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?A=ShowProduct&kw=CTBP945&Q=&O=&sku=312106 Federico Dib May 6th, 2004, 06:17 PM I have a non canon brand battery for my XM2 that lasts about 7 hours. I´m sure the biggest of the original Canon should last about the same. Ken Tanaka May 6th, 2004, 07:43 PM Lenmar and Power 2000 are two of the leading 3rd party battery manufacturers. These BP-945 class 7.2v batteries for the GL2 (and XL1S) will generally deliver 3-6 hrs of continuous operation DEPENDING on the nature of your usage of the camera. Battery longevity on the GL2 is not an issue for the vast majority of people, professionals and consumers. If you need larger capacity you'll need to spend some money for a 12v battery system, such as Anton Bauer's system. Yohann Kouam May 7th, 2004, 11:08 AM what long life battery would you recommand(at least 6 hours) for a reasonable price? thanx Boyd Ostroff May 7th, 2004, 11:16 AM Yohann, you were probably using the Sony NP-F960 on your PD-100. That is an exceptional battery which gives me close to 8 hours on my VX-2000. One of my disappointments with the PDX-10 (which you have asked about elsewhere) is that it uses a different series of batteries and the largest one (NP-QM91) only lasts about 4 hours. Anyone who has used one of those 960 batteries will be spoiled when switching to another type of camcorder! ;-) Graham Bernard May 7th, 2004, 11:37 AM Ken, how do you put "a 12v battery system, such as Anton Bauer's system." onto our 7.2 volt Canon Camera XM2 units .. interested . . Grazie Ken Tanaka May 7th, 2004, 02:01 PM There are several paths. One is to use an NRG battery belt and get the NRG 12-7.2v transformer/adapter. Other manufacturers such as Anton Bauer and Bescor sell various adapters and 12v battery configs such as "pouched" battery packs. You could also just go with the Anton Bauer's Stasis brace and mount AB batteries to that brace. Many roads lead to Rome. Graham Bernard May 7th, 2004, 02:13 PM Ken please email off thread about this . . I'm very interesed in the Stasis ! ! ! ! More to the point how would I connect a system to the XM2 . . ? I've tried the Stasis and truly I think I'm in love . .! Again! How's your review of the other "support"? Grazie Ken Tanaka May 7th, 2004, 02:35 PM Here's the AB page on the Stasis brace. (http://www.antonbauer.com/stasis.htm) This has a Gold Mount plate already installed. I -believe- they make a Stasis for the GL2 but I could be wrong. But I do know that Anton Bauer makes a complete power kit for the XL1 (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=171011&is=REG), which uses the same 7.2v as the GL2. To use this kit you would probably select a 3rd-party brace, such as the DVRigPro (http://dvtec.tv/) or a Dolgin (http://www.dolgin.net/) that enables you to mount the adapter plate for yourself. See my recent article on the Firestore FS-3 (http://www.dvinfo.net/canon/articles/article88.php) for a better view of how the AB adapter works, at least on an XL1S. It would work the same on a GL2, with the exception that you need a different way to mount the adapter plate. Graham Bernard May 7th, 2004, 03:53 PM " I -believe- they make a Stasis for the GL2 " Went to see a UK suplier yeaterday . . don't seem they do . . hey ho . . Yohann Kouam May 7th, 2004, 04:32 PM at biz-max they sell the Canon BP-945 Battery Pack for 130 bucks. is it reasonable? Yohann Kouam May 7th, 2004, 05:13 PM is this a good deal? how long does this battery last(i don't get why they never indicate that info): http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=198705&is=REG Saul Miller May 7th, 2004, 08:25 PM I just bought a GL2 two weeks ago. I also have used the Sony NP-960 battery on a Hi-8 camcorder and was a little miffed when I saw the specs o nthe Canon batteries. The capacity of the Canon BP-941 is 4500 mAhr and the Lenmar LIC941 is 5500 mAhr. Based upon the specs the Lenmar battery has a 22% more capacity than the Canon battery. There may be some conservatism in the capacity. It depends who did the testing and how good the QC is at the factory. I bought a non-branded battery with a 4000 mAhr capacity and have used it twice to film softball games. My estimate of the battery life is about 4 hours. I shoot 1 hour of footage in 2 hours at a game. I have not run into a problem yet. I will probably buy a Lenmar battery in the near future. It is less expensive than the Canon BP-941 and has greater capacity. Yohann Kouam May 10th, 2004, 12:25 PM when buying a lenmar battery, do you have to buy an extra charger or the canon xm-2's is compatible? peace Ken Tanaka May 10th, 2004, 12:58 PM The Canon charger's fine. Rob Lohman May 11th, 2004, 10:26 AM I'm running the Lenmar LIC941/5500 mAh on my XL1S without any problems. Works fine with the Canon charger as well. Thomas Fraser May 11th, 2004, 08:57 PM 2 hour tape = 2 hour battery. I just change to a new charged battery when I change to a new tape. no problem. Rob Lohman May 12th, 2004, 04:41 AM 2 hour tape? I won't trust anything else then 60 minute tape running in SP mode. Thomas Fraser May 12th, 2004, 05:09 AM I was meaning to say 1 hour mini DV tape, I must have been thinking baout VHS, a blast from the past indeed, sorry... Miguel Lombana May 12th, 2004, 05:45 AM Here is an option, I chose this one as it was quite cost effective. For about the cost of 2 series 945 canon batteries or 119 dollars (no tax), I purchased a battery belt from a net company that just happens to be a local brick and mortar shop here in Orlando. http://www.batterybank.com/beltpack/page11.2.html is a 14ah belt pack that ships with a Canon GLx / XL1x adapter. With this pack you can run your camera for about 17 hours. If you get creative and can run a solder station, you can permenantly attach the battery fixture to the electrical system of the pack which free's up the cigarette lighter plug for a light. With this configuration I can run my GL2 and my Frezzi for about 4 to 4.5 hours (more depending on the use of my light). Miguel Kevin Galliford June 8th, 2004, 07:50 PM If anyone is looking for the highest capacity battery for your GL2, i have just purchased a BP-945 off ebay for 25.00 it works great. Is a better deal then paying $125 for a canon. Its just more expensive because they have their name on it. The battery is great, but a couple and save $$$ espically if your on the go alot and need alot of handy power! Evan Kubota June 8th, 2004, 08:33 PM I have an eBay battery too - the large size. It works very well. I wouldn't pay triple digits for a Canon-branded pack, either. 4 to 5 hours of shooting is more than enough for me. Ian Hong June 26th, 2004, 09:34 AM I need to buy some batteries, I'm not sure if I should by original Canon batteries. I'm leaning towards them because of the warning Canon has about not being responsible for the damage other brands may cause. Does everyone here use original Canon brand batteries, or do a lot of you use other brands? What other brands have you had good experiences with? Any help would be appreciated, Ian Hong |