Batteries for XL2

[Bill Hamell]

Originally Posted by Mary Luoto

"for Canon BP-945-LI-ION 7.2 Ultra Hi- Power" apparently ... Has anyone used this battery? Would it be safe to use a non Canon battery in my Xl2?

From the description it is impossible to tell what battery you bought, however I use after market batteries exclusively, you should not have a problem with it.

Bill

[Mary Luoto]

Thanks for your input. I no longer have the packaging for the battery that may have had a brand name on it and there is no name on the battery other than being marked "for Canon". My concern is non Canon products that may void Canon"s warranty if used and a problem occurs with the camera. I bought the battery from B&H and asked for a Canon battery when I placed my order, but did not realize until sometime later that it was actually not a Canon battery. I was wondering if anyone has used an after market battery and had any problems with the Xl2 camera functions.

[Martin Catt]

I've got three genuine Canon batteries and three after-market batteries. I swap them around contantly, and haven't noticed any differences in run time, recharge times, etc. All have been flawless. I suspect they were made at the same manufacturing plant, as the finish is identical except for the Canon logo.

Hope that helps. It sure saved me a few $$$.

Martin

[Jasmine Marie Adams]

just keep in mind it may not have as much juice in it as it says it does.

[Mike Teutsch]

I have about 7 batteries, some Canon and some after market. I have 4 BP-945's, two Canon and two others. Never had a problem and in fact the non-Canon batteries last longer.

Mike

[Joseph Andolina]

I was given a 3rd party Canon compatable battery for a project I was hired for. And with the one I was given, I had a problem with accurate readings of how much time was left on the battery. It would fluctuate from fully charged to hald charged back to fully charged. I don;t have that problem with my Canon batteries.

[Sprague Theobald]

Hi,

I, as several others that I've read here, have a very small issue with this otherwise amazing camera; weight distribution. My searches here have shown me that the dual battery 910 setup will help a lot with this but so far I haven't found an actual description of how to attach the unit. I have the accessory plate which is screwed to the back on the camera and I hang my lav receiver on that. Does the 910 clip on that as well? Velcro? Cables needed? etc,? (I'm not a real clever guy and would hate to order it to find out I ordered the wrong thing). If someone knows of some pics which may show how it's to be set up I'd really appreciate it.

Many thanks in advance,

ST

[Bill Ravens]

The 910 comes with slotted holes on the back plate, probably to hang off an AB type mount. I've never seen what this mates with, however. I have been hanging the 910 from my belt, as it also incorporates a belt clip.

[Sprague Theobald]

Hi Bill,
Thanks for getting back to me on this. That's great, it sounds as though I can use the clip, as I do with the lav, to clip onto the back of the mount. How does the power get from the battery holder (in your case on your waist) to the camera? Is there a cable with shoe on the end that fits into the place where the battery normally sits on the camera?
Thanks,
ST

[Jonathan Kirsch]

From b-roll.net...

There's talk (and some confusion) about what kind of Li-Ion batteries, and how many, can be brought with you when traveling due to new law that went into effect Jan. 1. It's generally agreed that you can NOT have any Li-Ion batteries in checked baggage, and only 2 in carry-on (with the terminals taped and put in separate zip-loc bags). Anyone here travelled in the last two weeks? Hear anything?

I've got 4 BP-945s and a A/B Dionic that I travel with. Going to Argentina in two weeks. I'll check with the airline before I go, but just seeing if anyone had trouble with TSA yet.

Jonathan

[Tony Davies-Patrick]

I certainly hope not!

I travel all over the world each year and have never had trouble so far taking batteries. You certainly shouldn't have trouble with baggage in the hold, especially if they are seperated from equipment inside the bag.

I'll be flying out to Africa again next month and will be carrying a tonne of batteries including 945's and large Ni-Cad units etc.

[Michael Nistler]

Hi Jonathan,

Here's the scoop:

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Also see: http://safetravel.dot.gov/whats_new_batteries.html

TSA Lithium Battery Regulation

Spare batteries are the batteries you carry separately from the devices they power. When batteries are installed in a device, they are not considered spare batteries.
You may not pack a spare lithium battery in your checked baggage
You may bring spare lithium batteries with you in carry-on baggage
Even though we recommend carrying your devices with you in carry-on baggage as well, if you must bring one in checked baggage, you may check it with the batteries installed.
In addition, there are limitations placed on the quantity (amount of lithium content) of batteries that you can transport. These quantity limits apply to both spare and installed batteries, and include the following:

“You can also bring up to two spare batteries with an aggregate equivalent lithium content of up to 25 grams, in addition to any batteries that fall below the 8-gram threshold. Examples of two types of lithium ion batteries with equivalent lithium content over 8 grams but below 25 … [include] 130 watt-hour ‘universal’ lithium ion battery [and] 160 watt-hour lithium ion battery for professional audio/visual equipment.”

---

Now then, your BP-945's are 7.2 volts and 4500 ma (4.5 amps) = 32.4 watts. So yes, you could easily pack two of your BP-945s in baggies. Unfortunately, the TSA regs don't seem to accommodate carrying on more than two lithium loose batteries - geesh! Since batteries in devices don't count under the 25 gram limit, be sure to keep whatever you can plugged in to your cameras, etc.

I've heard discussion of some shrewd videographers who plan on packing batteries in battery chargers, thinking they can circumvent the new regulations! If I was in a pinch, I'd only try this maneuver with checked luggage and not a carry-on where I have face-to-face negotiations. Of course, each person's mileage/luck with TSA may vary...

Incidentally, the reason for the zip-locked bag has nothing to do with prior baggie rules for fluids, etc. The battery zip-lock baggie rule seeks to avoid inadvertent battery terminal shorts which could lead to a fire. Obviously, if your batteries were discharged, carrying a bunch of them would be okay since there would not be a fire hazard. But since it's impractical for the TSA to validate everyone's battery charge status, they're forced to make terse regulations. And that's why they aren't concerned by batteries plugged into a device (ostensibly, no shorting problem) - got it now?

BTW, it's probably not a bad idea to have a write-up on hand to show the TSA you're an astute videographer and can demonstrate your carry-on batteries meet reguations (hopefully the volt/milli-ampere specs are on the batteries).

Good luck, Michael

[Jonathan Kirsch]

Good info, Michael.

I recently spoke with some freelancer friends who do quite a bit of travelling and say they simply taped their terminals, took 3 BP-945s each (2 in baggies, 1 attached) and a A/B brick carried on and they had no probs.

I'm headed to Argentina in two weeks so I'll be able to tell more personal experience after I get back from there, but, as Michael suggested, I'll probably bring some documentation on the batteries.

Jonathan

[Jonathan Kirsch]

Just got back from Argentina this morning...

No troubles in Denver/Chicago (US) or in Buenos Aires/Mendoza (Argentina). TSA/security never even stopped the x-ray machine to question all the toys I had in my camera bag, let alone wonder if the batteries were safe. I gave two to the other producer (who was on a different flight out of BA) but haven't talked to him yet.

Jonathan

[Michael Nistler]

Thanks for the follow-up, Jonathan. The TSA specs aren't all that clear and I get the feeling their enforcement isn't a game of hardball.

Hope you had a fun trip, Michael