Nanoflash/EX1 recording time

[Gints Klimanis]

I just tested parallel recording with a Sony EX1 and Nanoflash powered only from a Swit S-8U62 battery (63 Wh) battery. EX1 LCD and Viewfinder was on. The device recorded for a tad over three hours, though I had to stop recording every hour to clear the flash cards. Pretty good. I was a little worried that the Swit battery only lasted one hour because its red LED status lights were at 75% after 15 minutes, 50% after 30 min. , 25% after 40 min. and no LEDs illuminated after 50 minutes. Is anyone else seeing this? Did I mess up the charging or is there a way to re-caliubrate the Swit status meter?

In the end, everything just shut off.

[Mike Schell]

Hi Gints-
We saw indentical results in our tests. The battery level LED indicators are way too conservative. We also got about 3 hours total record time.

Best-

[Dan Keaton]

Dear Gints,

The Swit battery is a very good battery with a very poor battery fuel guage.

The battery lasts as long as the Sony BP-u60 battery.

The fuel guage is just a voltage detection circuit. Thus it will give different readings while under load.

One should just use this as a "Charged/Not Charged" indicator.

While using the battery, do not rely on the fuel guage for any meaningful information and certainly do not think that the battery is almost exhausted when the lights go out.

On the positive side, it is very nice to have a Lithium-Ion battery, such as this Swit battery that has a D-Tap to power the nanoFlash. And this battery can be powered by the Sony EX1/EX3 charger.

The Camera will always power off before the nanoFlash, thus any recording will be properly closed if the battery is depleted.

[Paul Cronin]

Good point Dan on the Swit battery. I use this battery to power my Nano/EX and only look at the voltage in the LCD on the camera and on the Nano. I have no problem powering both in cold weather for up to 3 1/2 hrs. I am sure I could go longer but at that point I put in the second battery. Not worth loosing a clip. The battery lights on the Swit stops showing at 45min or less.

[Barry J. Weckesser]

Paul - does the voltage level on your Nano correlate well with that on the Sony viewfinder? At what voltage level are you at, at the 3 1/2 hour mark (on both the Nano and the camera)? I am a Swit newbie since I previously powered the camera and the Nano from a BPU-60 (with a Dolgin EX-V adaptor) and was getting about 3 hours.- but now I have switched over to Olof Ekbergh's Nano mount system and will be using Swit/Switronix. I would sort of like to get a feel for the "safe" cutoff point for voltage level. I also have a Switronix (the big monster) on the way - I assume it behaves like the Swit as far as indicator lights.

[Paul Cronin]

Barry good question.

I don't know the exact voltage when I change batteries but it is 13.4 range and starts at 15.6 range. Don't hold me to these numbers but they are close. Sorry I will check the next time for more exact numbers. As for voltage numbers in the LCD and Nano they are different voltage. The Nano always seems to read lower voltage then the LCD. I am sure Mike or Dan could explain why but I have never worried.

The BPU-60 is a great battery and will run the camera longer since it is not running the Nano. But I have also run the camera only on the Swit only with out Nano and it offers very similar time to the BPU-60.

Note there are no battery bars on the LCD with the Swit only voltage.

Sorry running out the door. Hope I answered your question.

[David Issko]

I have 2 of the Swit batteries and it powers my Ex3 and nano for around 3 hours as do my 2 BP-U60 batteries via the Bebob Coco EX adapter.

Around 5 powering the camera only.

[Paul Cronin]

Reading David's post I realize Idid not put a battery run time in my post. 3 hours with Nano I have gone 3 1/2 often and 5 hours without sounds right to me.