I currently have a XL-H1 with two NP-970 batteries. The camera runs like 3 hours of them which is not bad. However, I am currently shopping for a good video light. The options I have are buying a LitePanel or another light with either Canon battery compatibility (I still have to buy like two extra batteries) or I can go the AB/IDX/... powertap way which I prefer.

I do have a few questions though:

1) Are their big differences between IDX & Anton Bauer? I read good things about both brands but there may be specific advantages for each format?
2) Are their good imitation batteries? I found a site with SWIT batteries which use the Anton Bauer goldmount and are 50% cheaper... but do they last as long (both short-term running time and long-term performance).
3) How long will my camera run of a Dionic 90 and Endura 7S battery? I found somewhere that the Endura 7S is 4,8 A so if I am correct (not good in maths) the NP-970 batteries are 0,72 A so that means that the 7S is 6.6 times more powerful then the biggest Canon battery... is that true? The Dionic 90 batteries are even more powerful so they will run even longer.

I also see it as an advantage that the camera balances better as it is front-heavy at this moment. Thanks for your input!

Nobody who can provide me some information? I did look at some other topics but the information is scattered everywhere around these forums. Would be nice to have a "power my camera topic" or a general battery FAQ. I would be more then willing to contribute to that by looking up information on widely available batteries and systems and keep the thread updated.

A few things that are important to me... IDX and Anton Bauer, what is the big difference, is it only the mount or are there other important differences? The Endura 7S has 71Wh and the Dionic 90 90Wh... which makes the Endura 7S 22% less powerful.... but they only cost $179 while the Anton Bauer Dionic 90 batteries cost $450. So price/quality wise, IDX is the way to go for me. They both have a PowerTap connector (universal I suppose). The Anton Bauer kit comes with a 20 watt UL-2 light and IDX offers a IDX-X3 35 watt light. So for $50 less, I have a an IDX kit with that light, a charger, two batteries and the Canon XL series mounting plate. If I go the Anton Bauer route, I have stronger batteries but when I buy one additional battery it adds $458 (total power supply will be 3x90=270Wh). For $360, I can buy 2 additional Endura 7S batteries (result 4x71 = 284Wh) for $100 less but one extra battery to carry.

But one might wonder if I ever need an additional battery. I have read that a Dionic 90 powers the Canon XL-H1 for 11 hours and an Endura 7S about 9 hours. In any case that is a full day of shooting. Unless I go hiking or shoot a wildlife documentary that will be sufficient. How will the videolight (UL-2 or IDX-X3) impact the total running time? I am not good in maths, but there must be way to calculate this with the specifications of the products.

Then there are SWIT and Batteries4Broadcast. I tried to look up information on them but it is scarce. I would like to know if the batteries are as good as the original batteries of Anton Bauer and IDX. They are much cheaper.

I hope someone can help me with this important decision.

Floris: Maybe nobody is answering your questions because they are specific to particular batteries, and pretty esoteric..

I can only say that in my case I've been powering my H1, occasionally with a little SWIT monitor, using AB Hytron 50s.

I have no idea how long they last, but I've only had to change batteries once during a day of shooting, and that was a time when I had the monitor on constantly..

Without the monitor, working handheld as I normally do, one battery lasts during an entire "normal" shoot day.

I just ordered 2 Dionic 90s, but don't have them yet, and have never used a "V" Lock battery.

I'll take a stab at it. I recently sold all my IDX batts to switch to AB mounts stuf... only to end up re-buying V-mount. There is a website www.rathboneenergy, which is fairly complete in terms of battery info. I've talked to these guys at end about everything battery related, they know their stuf... so much so that any battery related decision is further complicated by the VAST amount of choices you have to make. But back to your questions...

The AB vs. V-mt debate is largely unimportant. In the U.S., the majority of large rental houses use to use AB mount. Now, the larger houses are offering both, as there are a number of accessories that (coming from asia or europs) use V-mounts. Basically, if its your system it doesn't matter. A wwhile ago, people complained of flex in the AB mount... but in the end, you cant go wrong either way.

Now, the tough part. Believe it or not, there are a LOT of chemistries of batteries out there besides Li-Ion, and a lot of manufacturers. But, there are a finite number of manufacturers of the cells themselves, and not all of them are high quality. Hytron 50's look identical to Dionic 90's but they are NimH vs. Li-Ion. And don't forget good ol nicad! Nicads, believe it or not, are actually the most durable of battery technologies. They withstand INSANE amounts of current draw, and can last 10x as long as Li-Ions. There has been a lot of bad press about NiCad "memory," which is largely a product of cheap chargers. Good chargers (PAG) can maintain NiCad's long enough to last till the next big battery technology. But then again, they are heavy and don't hold as much juice as the others.

But, specifically, the question related to LiIons... Here is the big secret - the very nicest LiIon cells only last 200 cycles, best case scenario. Now, that's actually a fair amount of use, but it's something to remember. After 50-60 cycles, most will not output the same current the did initially, and after 100, they will be basically on their last legs. And yes, this is based on AB dionics. For the H1, this may not be a problem... but add a monitor and light, and you'll start noticing pretty quickly. The cells inside reputable batteries (IDX, AB, PAG) are all made by the same few companies.

So, now the biggest difference between AB and V-mt. AB uses propreitary circuitry within its batteries and chargers to do analysis on cell state of charge, age, etc... which means that other manufacturers of AB mount gear cannot charge Dionics, and Dionics cannot be charged on any other chargers. This is not the case with V-mount. It's a case by case basis, but the majority of V-mount batteries and chargers are compatible with one another. They too have circuitry within, but the V-mount specification is more universal. And once again, you can use PAG v-mount chargers. This is actually a big deal because their chargers can do things that even the AB chargers cannot - they can save over-discharged cells. LiIon is a fragile technology, which is why Anton uses such propreitary protection circuitry. They know exactly what cells they use, and what the limitations are. Dionics (or any liions) will shut down when over-discharged, shorted, overheated, or overdrawn. Chargers like those from PAG can recover batteries that have entered protection modes beyond what the stock chargers can reset.

So when it comes to which brand to buy? There are pluses and minuses to any decision. In the AB mount, you have the dionics, varizooms, swits, b4b's, globalmediapros. In V, you have all those +IDX +sony +PAG. Just remember, whatever batts you buy will die eventually. This is not a one-time purchase...though hopefully they'll last until we're using fuel cells :) IDX has some pretty great features on their e10 batteries, they stack! Others have nice power monitoring displays...But if you're looking at the e7s or e10s you may as well save some loot and get knockoffs. The biggest improvement you can make is in the charger, because equally rated LiIons will almost all perform exactly the same (except for the new IDX/Steadicam Powercubes...but they are very different).

Oh, and for calculating life - batteries are rated in either AmpHours or WattHours. Add up your total watt load (camera prob.. 12? Light prob 25...etc) and divide the watthour rating by the total watts you have and itll give you a good idea of the time you can run. If you have AmpHours (AH), multiply by 14.4 to convert that number to WattHours.

Thanks Jaron for the great response. Canon's own batteries are also Li-Ion so they will die eventually two and also cost almost $200. So pricewise, a Endura 7S is as expensive/cheap as a Canon BP-970G. And if a battery last like 8 hours, 800 hours is a lot when you only work in weekends.

I will let you know what I ended up buying.

Jaron: Very interesting, you obviously know your s__t.

AB recommends leaving batteries constantly on the charger (I use a Titan Twin) to keep them "fresh".. What's your opinion? How does that relate to charging cycles?

Steve, do you know how many watts the XL-H1 uses? I found that the Sony Z-1 uses 8 Watt so I guess the XL-H1 will be in the 8 - 12 range.

Floris,

I use Anton Bauer Digital ProPac 14. I have the Anton Bauer bracket that mounts on the back of the H1. A single battery runs the camera for 5-6 hours. PLUS...the gold mount has a "tap" for lights or other accessories.

Kevin, how many watts per hour is the ProPac 14?

Sorry...I mis-typed. We're using the TRIM Pac.

14.4 volt.

These are the "thin" batteries...not the "brick style"

here's the link:

http://www.antonbauer.com/digi_propac_trimpac.htm#trimpac

Thanks Kevin. I looked it up and the TRIMPac is 45 Watts hour. So that means a Dionic 90 has the double amount of power. So that means 10 - 12 hours from a Dionic 90. It also means that a Canon XL-H1 uses around 7 - 9 Watts hour.

So:

Canon XL-H1 power consumption: 8 watts/hour
Runningtime Dionic 90: 11,25 hours (675 minutes)
Runningtime Endura 7s: 8,88 hours (533 minutes)

So the difference between the two batteries is 142 minutes.

Budget-wise, I am leaning towards the IDX system. But I have the feeling that the Anton Bauer system will result in better camera balance. Adds more weight to the back and the batteries last longer so less charges. Pricewise, the difference is $50. But the IDX X3 I used in my calculation has 35 watts (but 11 watts power consumption - how is that possible, LED?) of power compared to the 25 watts of the Anton Bauer UL-2 battery. It also comes with gels and barn doors.... so at the end the IDX offer is the best.

With the 100% lights on, both kits will run:

11+8=19 watts per hour is 225 minutes on IDX kit.
25+8=33 watts per hour is 164 minutes on AB kit.

So it is LED vs. normal light bulb. I do not know which light is the most pleasant for interviews and event shooting. At least I got the specifications sorted out now!

Floris...

all you say is true...but be careful..

the anton bauer Dionix are a 1 year battery. This is info from AB.

Hence the price on the Dionics. They are designed for a year's useage...then the quickly loose power.

The trimpack and powerpack batteries are warrantied for 3 years. If anything goes wrong...they replace it. Period. I've had it happen.

food for thought.

Kevin,
I hate to disagree but I've been using my Dionic 90s for about 3 years with fairly heavy useage and all 4 of them run like tops and keep a full charge. I also keep them on the 2704 intellicharger as per AB and because it's a 'smart' charger it never lets them 'overcharge' but always makes sure they are properly charged. They also charge quite fast. A full days shooting, put them on the charger about 10PM and they're all ready to go for a 6AM crew call.

While the Li-On GENERALLY doesn't last as long as NiMH or Nicad I don't believe thats the reason AB only puts a 1 year warranty on them. If that were the case the batteries wouldn't be as popular as they are. Also the Hytrons only have a 1 year warranty as well and they are even more popular than the Dionics, except the new Hytron 140 which has the 3 year MAXX warranty, Why buy something if you KNOW it's going to go out in a year. Especially at a cost of (now) about $430 each.
Don

What about the IDX batteries? For so far as I know, they do not have an intelligent charger. How will this impact the lifetime of the Endura batteries? If I can only use a battery for one year, it is going to be very expensive.

I would like to find this out.

I have never seen an intellicharger for IDX but remember years ago they didn't have them either and most companys don't have one now. Simply put you batteries on the charger, charger them up and remove them after they reach a full charge-BTW it won't kill the battery to sit on the charger for a bit longer than when it's fully charged. I have left other batteries on for a full 24 hours after and I'm still using them after 5 years. Right, 5 years on some batteries! I think I got my moneys worth.
You shouldn't need to be worried about buying new batteries after 1 year-again if that were the case why buy them in the first place? No one would.

As for powering your gear remember the IDX7(s) is 71W and the AB Dionic90 is 90W-the power of the camera PLUS the power of the light if powered off the camera battery such as an AB light DIVIDED BY 1/3d! Yep, divide the power of the light by 1/3d. IOW, if the light is pushing a 25W bulb the draw on the battery is not 25W but 8-this is right off the AB website. so say the camera draws 7W to power and the light pulls 8 you are drawing 15W total-15W into a 90W battery means you can run with the light on for 6 hours-however do not run the battery until it screams for help. I prefer not to go below 10% remaining then change out. If you run any battery dry especially Li-On THAT's when there is a CHANCE of having a problem later.

I've been using ABs for quite a while and they are my favorite but I've also used gear that uses the IDX and they are a good quality battery that is also light in weight and gaining more and more popularity.
Don

Floris...

all you say is true...but be careful..

the anton bauer Dionix are a 1 year battery. This is info from AB.

Hence the price on the Dionics. They are designed for a year's useage...then the quickly loose power.

The trimpack and powerpack batteries are warrantied for 3 years. If anything goes wrong...they replace it. Period. I've had it happen.

food for thought.

1 year warranty represents how the company *feels* about the long term reliability of the pack, not how long it will actually last. It is as much a business decision as technical. With Li-Ion there is always more electronics in the pack, safety related, so there is more things to go wrong statistically. The Li-Ion cells themselfs are OK, they age about 10% a year, which is comparable with the older chemistries. Their cycle life is about 400-600 which is less than that of Ni-Cads, but *NOT* 200 as was mentioned earlier in the thread. This 200 number does not have any basis, and probably reflects bias against the chemistry which is not supported by real life use or specifications. (I am referring to the brand name cells like Sanyo, Panasonic, Sony - not ones coming from China)

But, specifically, the question related to LiIons... Here is the big secret - the very nicest LiIon cells only last 200 cycles, best case scenario. Now, that's actually a fair amount of use, but it's something to remember. After 50-60 cycles, most will not output the same current the did initially, and after 100, they will be basically on their last legs.
There is absolutely no basis for this misinformation. This number is not supported by specifications from any reputable cell manufacturers like Sanyo, Panasonic, etc. I am sure many AB users will share their real life experience, as they can easily access cycle number information through the AB charger menue.

I have confidence in the Anton Bauer gear but I am not sure if the UL-2 is as good as i.e. the IDX-X3 light. But I do get a better charger and bigger batteries for that so it might be the best option. At the end, I might end up buying individual components without the UL-2 light and then buy like a Lite Panel or one of the other lights that use a powertap connection.

As for powering your gear remember the IDX7(s) is 71W and the AB Dionic90 is 90W-the power of the camera PLUS the power of the light if powered off the camera battery such as an AB light DIVIDED BY 1/3d! Yep, divide the power of the light by 1/3d. IOW, if the light is pushing a 25W bulb the draw on the battery is not 25W but 8-this is right off the AB website. so say the camera draws 7W to power and the light pulls 8 you are drawing 15W total-15W into a 90W battery means you can run with the light on for 6 hours-however do not run the battery until it screams for help. I prefer not to go below 10% remaining then change out. If you run any battery dry especially Li-On THAT's when there is a CHANCE of having a problem later.

Not true. If a light is 15W, it consumes 15W. If a light is 25W, it consumes 25W. What Anton Bauer indicates, is that on average you use the light for 33% of your shooting... so that is where the 8 comes from. But in my calculation, I calculated 100% light use... so my calculation is correct. LED technology gives more light but uses less power. So the IDX light is drawing less power then the Anton Bauer light... which is nice.

I have never read it as being used 30% of the time.

This is copied directly from the Anton Bauer web site;

"Runtime Variance for Lighting

When using a 25 watt Ultralight, consider that average light use is around 30% or adds about 8 watts to your total power consumption (camera + light). Therefore, you can estimate battery Run Times with the formula below by combining 8 watts with your camera's power consumption.

When using a 50 watt Ultralight, consider that average light use is around 30% or adds about 17 watts to your total power consumption (camera + light). Therefore, you can estimate battery Run Times with the formula below by combining 17 watts with your camera's power consumption."

Runtime (hours) = Battery Capacity (watt hours)
--------------------------------------------------
{Lighting (Watts) + Camera Power Consumption (Watts) }

Don

Yes, they mean 30% average use. No way a 35 Watt light (so not LED) can use less power. Watt light = Watt use. That's with all lights.

Floris,
I'm not going to argue the point but I have talked to the people at AB previously and they told me exactly what the formula read and what the website says.
If whayt you say is true then where does the 8 watts and 17watts come from in their examples?

I think one of us is mis-interpreting the formula and frankly I don't think it's me.

Don

Don, if a light is a 25W, it uses 25W, no way around it. If you turn it on only for 20 minutes every hour, than it becomes a 8W light. Also, if you have a dimmer adjusted to 30%, the light would use 8W. It is pretty much cut and dry, no wiggle room :-)

http://www.antonbauer.com/images/formula.gif

The 8 watt comes from the 25 watt x 33%. Anton Bauer estimates that you will use the light for 33% of your shooting. So then it uses 8 watt over the lifespan of a battery. But in my calculation, the light usage is 100%.

It would be nice if I was wrong but I do not think that is the case.

If you look up the UL-2 at BH Photo Video, power consumption is rated 25 - 85 watt. Why? Because you can change the 25 watt bulb for a 85 watt bulb. So I am really confident that that is the true power consumption.

OK 2 to 1 but I have to say, to me at least, the info on the AB site AND what one of the engineers told me is to say the least confusing. Over the years as I have read the info on their site it said to me, and everyone I have ever talked to who read it, the same thing and when I talked to AB about another issue about 3 years ago I asked this very same question and I was told what I related. I trust AB but I guess it's the old thing. Burn me once shame on you, burn me twice shame on me.

My apologizes to Floris and anyone I might have inadvertantly misled with the misinformation from a trusted mfg.

But I still love thier products ;-)

Don

Floris,
When shooting a long event (wedding,etc), when I need my light, I use the following:
1-Canon batteries (also knock offs from power101.com) to power the camera.
2-Frezzi mini fill with softbox , camera mounted.
3- An Anton Bauer Dionic 90 to power the light only.
This way, I usually have enough juice in the Dionic 90 to power the light for an entire wedding, while powering the cam with the stock batteries.
If I'm shooting without the light, I usually use the AB dionic 90 to power the H1.
Bruce S. Yarock
www.yarock.com

No problem Don. Those things happen. I do not feel misled.

Ok, I have been doing a lot of research. Most of my questions are answered. I now how to calculate running times. The difference between IDX and Anton Bauer are minimal. Anton Bauer has a more intelligent system... but it's proprietary and costs more. I have decided not to buy imitation brands simply because of warranty issues and risk. If I am going to invest $1500 in a battery system I do not want to take the risk that I end up with nothing. I do think those companies are reliable, but I just prefer to buy from i.e. BH Photo Video. If Batteries4Broadcast goes out of business I have nowhere to go.

The question that remains is if I go for IDX or Anton Bauer. The decision largely comes down on the batteries. And on handling. The Canon XL-H1 is front-heavy so if I can counter with a big battery at the back it would be very welcome. So, the Dionic 90... does it improve the balance or does it fix balance? IDX has a powerlink feature where you can stack two batteries so if the Dionic 90 doesn't restore the balance completely that might be a good option. In terms of price, the Endura Xs series are the cheapest. The IDX Endura 7/10 series are only marginally cheaper then the Anton Bauer's.

Both have a powertap so I think it ultimately comes down to handling. So if there are Dionic 90 users in here, please tell me how the balance is when you use a Dionic 90? I would like to thank everyone for the feedback so far.

The difference between IDX and Anton Bauer are minimal.
In my opinion AB has higher standards for engineering and manufacturing quality. Here is a link to a recent battery recall by IDX http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?t=97918&highlight=batteries+recall

We got AB Dyonic 90....and it works perfect to me.

We power our H1 plus the Mini35 with it and it works perfect...we never complained.

Take Care,

Carlos Quinones
It's Written Productions, LLC.
www.itswrittenproductions.com

I am convinced. Anton Bauer it will be. Do you screw the Anton Bauer adapter plate directly on the XL-H1 or do I need to use the special plate attachment that came with the camcorder and screw the adapter to that plate?

Hi Floris,

You may use the AB QRXL12 adapter plate and screw it on the Canon rear bracket which came with the camcorder. It fits perfectly. Balance of the camcorder improves a lot and gives also better stability. But it is still front heavy. Handling will be much better in overall in my opinion. I use Dionic 90 batteries.

Now I see there is a new AB QR-XLH adapter which seems to not need the original Canon bracket. I haven't tried this one.

The AB bracket adapter has pretty much electronics inside (switching power converter) to convert the voltage from 14.4 to 7.2 V.
There is a little disadvantage with this. If you leave the battery on the adapter the power will drain the battery slowly without not even using the XL H1. Think it takes two weeks or so until all energy is gone ...

The Canon original battery stores a tremendous amount of energy compared to its size and weight. You will probably find that the Dionic 90 not gives as much increase in running time as the weight and bulk indicates. The switching supply also consumes some of the Wh so don't trust to get the exact running time in minutes down to the last figure.

I selected the Anton Bauer over the IDX system based on one important thing to me: A small and low weight charger! The others just have very bulky and heavy chargers in my opinion. I selected Lithium technology for lower weight than the other technologies.

(I have just returned from a 23 days travel in Kenya to remote areas and I appreciate if the things can be small, low weight, of professional quality and multi-purpose.)

The AB Titan 70 fits between the Dionic 90 and the AB adapter and improves the balance even more. Then it also functions as a 70 W power supply and can feed the camera from 100-240 V AC while on tripod for extended work.

I might have had bad luck but had two chargers smoking in the very beginning. AB replaced them very quickly. They have a very good support. I got them replaced from the Netherlands even if I had bought from US!

After the initial problems I am glad I invested in a 14.4 V system. Now I have power to feed the camcorder, a wireless stereo receiver, a timecode transmitter and a Zylight LED light with one battery! And I don't need several different small chargers for all various batteries.

One warning: The built in "intelligent" LED readout will NOT show your actual remaining running time with great accuracy if you are only powering the camcorder which only draws about 8.5 W. The consumption is to little.
The switching converter also keeps the voltage up to the camera so it works fine until the battery is nearly exhausted. You think you are fine and have plenty of remaining power but suddenly, 15 minutes later, the camcorder will quit. So start with a topped up battery or have a spare!

Good luck! / Johan

... if a light is a 25W, it uses 25W, no way around it. If you turn it on only for 20 minutes every hour, than it becomes a 8W light.

Sorry to say but here seems to be a lot of misunderstanding or bad use of formulas.

To clear it up:
A 25 W light is 25 W no matter how long you run it, period.
If you use a 25 W light for one hour, it has used 25 W x 1 h = 25 Wh from the battery.
If you have a 90 Wh battery you can estimate to run the light 90 Wh / 25 W = 3.6 hours.

(However, this is not true. If you pull a lot of amperage out of a "small" battery, the capacity will be lower than specified. So expect lower running time than calculated above. Cell manufacturers provide diagrams to better predict the running times for various loads.)

If the above light is used for 20 minutes it will NOT become a 8 W light. It is still a 25 W light. However, it has now used 25 W x 1/3 h = 8.3 Wh!

Energy is measured in Wh. Power is measured in W.

There are a different story about the light output. Not all lights give equal lights for the same power consumption! So some say they have a 50 W light but it consumes only 35 W and so on. This is a simplification of the real world.

What they mean is that their 35 W light gives as much light in the visible spectra as a comparable 50 W light built with other components/technology.

Hope this cleared it up a little bit. / Johan

Thanks Johan. I already put an old adapter plate in my shopping basket and did not notice they had a new one. Thanks for pointing this out!

And also thanks for your clarification on the light/power usage. You explain better what I was trying to say.

Johan, do you have the Canon 6X WIDE lens?

Hi, yes I got the lens a month ago and are right now capturing the first sequences shot with it. I like the lens a lot. However, I felt a little disappointed when I saw the lens had no stabiliser built-in. The upper slide switch had got a new function; focus lock for macro or 1 m as closest range instead of stabiliser as it used to be with the 20x lens.
The naked 6x feels to have similar size and weight as the 20x.
With the lens came an SD card with upgrade to system 1.0.4 to get the new lens aperture control to work. Alll these are discussed under another threads.

About the QR-XL adapter plates: The old plate looks larger and have probably more space for other stuff. I'm glad for this because I mounted a Black Box timecode transmitter on the plate to the right of the battery. You may also put the adapter in one of two possible mounting positions left / right. The plates are separated by about 7 mm which gives room to hide away cables.

External 14.4 V battery is not always as simple as you could expect. Charge voltage is sometimes above 16 V which could blow other equipment if they were designed with only 12 V batteries in mind.

Also I got a Zylight LED light which refused to work properly from the AB battery due to some unknown reason. It started to flash after a while when using the Dionic 90 battery but worked flawlessly from an AC/DC supply. The whole was extremely frustrating and strange.

Good luck! / Johan

Johan, I looked some more at the new adapter and I do not see how I can screw it directly in my Canon XL-H1. The screws are placed backwards and the screws on the XL-H1 are facing upwards and there's one at the side.

So is this just another mount or am I missing something?

Hi, I agree with you! I don't get it either how it should work. I found no help from the Anton Bauer website either. Try to write them and find out! At their webpage it looks like the old QR-XL12 is replaced by the QR-XLH but the headline are not changed. I might have been too quick to assume the Canon bracket wasn't needed anymore, sorry. / Johan

I made the same assumption. But when I double-checked, I could not see how the new adapter would fit to the upwards facing screw holes. Luckily, I found the screws of the Canon mountplate today so it is back on my camera.

Which light are you using, the ZyLight? I am thinking about getting a LitePanel but they are quite expensive. I have 3000 EURO to invest in gear for my camera and have troubles to decide where to invest.

My kit currently consists out of:
- Canon XL-H1 PAL
- Rode NTG-2 and Rode NT-3 with Deadcat
- Kata CCC-110 camera bag
- Sachtler DV-6SB with Miller Solo DV 1501 CF legs
- Lowel DV Creator 1 kit (500W Omni, 250W Pro and 800W Tota light)
- Two BP-970G and one BP-950G battery packs
- Fast computer with 8 harddisks, and two 24" Dell LCD monitors
- Sony Vegas and DVD Architect with CineForm NEO HDV

On my investment list:
- Canon 6X Wide lens
- Videolight (considering LitePanel)
- Anton Bauer (because I think when you start adding all kinds of gear, that is the most comfortable and workable method without the need for several different chargers and batteries)
- Marshall V-R70P-HDA HD/SDField monitor

On my short-buying list:
- Shuttle Pro 2 (shuttle controller)
- Logic Vegas keyboard (to really learn the shortkeys)

I have finished my first project and are now working on a website for my business. The problem is that I am not 100% sure what type of work I will do mostly. For event shooting, I will definitely need the video light. For documentary, the 6X Wide might come in very handy. But changing lenses often is something that I am not sure of whether I will like that.

Maybe you can give me some recommendations.

Hi, Not easy to decide.
Many takes are improved with an onboard video light. Some Masai people in Kenya invited me to their hut two weeks ago and without such light I shouldn't got any video at all. Now it looks decent so it saved my day.

If you go for any light except a few ones you will need 12-14.4 V battery pack. Or end up with different specialised packs with different chargers.

Because I travel with my gear I definitely prefer one big battery which can supply a lot of stuff. Then it works the longest possible time and you don't need all kinds of batteries with spares too and chargers and plug adapters.

However, an expensive battery system will not improve your pictures at all.

The 6x will improve a lot of shots, nearly all indoor shots for instance. Or inside boats, aeroplanes, cars etc.

So, buy the 6x or light and battery system first. Then save another EUR 1000 and you can buy the other. They work together; if you need this little light you are probably indoors. There you benefit from the 6x too.

The Zylight is even more expensive than the LitePanel. But it will give you fully controlled color temperature and a smaller package.

Look for the new Zylight light and not the Z50 I got. I got three deliveries and I am still not satisfied with the light due to quality problems.

/ Johan

Thanks again Johan. You are right. It will be either the lens first, or the light and the battery system first. I was really convinced about the LitePanel but now I am also considering the Zylight. The product looks great.

While I am writing this I looked at the site some more and now I am really convinced of this product. I am going to buy the Z90 with barn doors. It will be everything I will ever need for great shots in low-light situations.

I have a question about the 6X: where did you buy it? I am thinking BH Photo Video but I am not sure if that goes well with the firmware upgrade. I have a PAL model and the US firmware might mess it up?

Thanks again Johan.

Another thing I thought about was to get a XH-A1 as a B-roll camera / travel unit. I would gain 5mm on the wide-end which is a lot. And I can always add the Canon wide-angle adapter lens. But I am sure the 6X WIDE is sharper.

But because the investment is a lot, I am carefully evaluating my options at this moment. I have a nice kit now, almost there.

Oh, and I got this message from Anton Bauer:

"The QR-XLH and the QR-XL1/2 are very similar. The size is the same and you can mount the wireless to either unit. The XLH has a modification that allows for you to screw the top of the GoldMount to the Bracket on the XL-2 or XL-H1 camera."

The new units looks to be more stable at the top if I interpret this right.

I have a question about the 6X: where did you buy it? I am thinking BH Photo Video but I am not sure if that goes well with the firmware upgrade. I have a PAL model and the US firmware might mess it up?

Hi, I actually bought mine there. No problem with the firmware upgrade at all. But this question belongs to the 6x thread to not mess up this great site ... Sorry! / Johan

Ok, no problem!

The XLH has a modification that allows for you to screw the top of the GoldMount to the Bracket on the XL-2 or XL-H1 camera.

Thanks, exactly what I did with my older adapter. I drilled a hole in each bracket close to their top and put a M4 countersunk screw there with a bead on. Then it became perfectly stable. / Johan

I finally ordered the battery system today. Took a while. I went for the Anton Bauer QR-XLH mount (new type) with a Panasonic Dionic 90 kit (2x Dionic 90 + Titan Twin 60 charger -- was $49 cheaper than the XL-H1 kit and gives me exactly the same parts). I also ordered the QR-HOTSWAPGM (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?shs=QR-HOTSWAPGM&ci=0&sb=ps&pn=1&sq=desc&InitialSearch=yes&O=RootPage.jsp&A=search&Q=*&bhs=t) hot swap mount. Not because I think I really need the hot swap capability. But it will add extra weight to the back of my Canon XL-H1 which will improve stability/balance of the whole package.

I just received everything. What a difference. Those Anton Bauer batteries are really intelligent. Put them on the charger and they start talking with each other. Wonderful. And boy am I happy. One Anton Bauer Dionic 90 on the back improves the overall balance a lot. But with the hot swap mount and two batteries on the back, the balance is near perfect. It slightly pulls to the right but not so much that it makes it uncomfortable. So if you want to achieve harmony with the XL-H1 on your shoulders, get two Dionic 90 batteries, a QR-XLH mount and a Anton Bauer Hot Swap mount and you get what you want. And besides that, it powers the whole system for a week!

I will post some pictures later on.