Different brands don't matter, as long as you're getting what you're expecting (I think it was Jarred Land who did a test and found that a lot of aftermarket batteries were actually shortchanging the customer, not providing the actual capacity being advertised).

DVXUSER.COM sells the best deal in aftermarket batteries, I think it's 3100 mah for $35 brand new. Those batteries should last around three hours.

For the VW-VBD55, I got mine off ebay from a seller named "shimwass". I think I paid $80 or so, and recently I saw he/she auctioned off some more for $90. Those are brand-new. $169 isn't bad, but I'd see if shimwass had any more before springing for the B&H deal.

I got one from DVXuser.com and it's great. I used it for 3 hours and the thing is still kickin! Best of all it's 35 bucks.

Only issue I found is that if I leave the battery on the camera while I store it for a few days I sometime have to unclip the battery then back on for it to work... But it's no big deal.

I'm fixin on getting another one.

Here's the URL:
http://www.dvxuser.com/articles/battery/

<<<-- Originally posted by Humby Valdes : I got one from DVXuser.com and it's great. I used it for 3 hours and the thing is still kickin! Best of all it's 35 bucks.

Only issue I found is that if I leave the battery on the camera while I store it for a few days I sometime have to unclip the battery then back on for it to work... But it's no big deal.

I'm fixin on getting another one.

Here's the URL:
http://www.dvxuser.com/articles/battery/ -->>>

That looks really attractive, and it is really cheap... but are they reliable? I mean, i know nothing about dvxuser.com, and obviously, it is not a store, and it's not like ebay where you can see user's comment...

and what about the power2000 ones? i think they have quite some models..

I've got two of the Power2000 batteries, from B&H. At $69 they're almost twice as much as the DVXUSER.COM batteries, for about 15% more capacity.

If I had to do over again I would probably get the dvxuser batteries. With that said, I'm reasonably pleased with the power2000's. They work fine.

Johnny
Aside from the storage issue, the battery works just as well as any rechargble battery I have owned.

As for dvxuser.com Its a great resource... Just like dvinfo.net

Thanks for everyone's response.

One more question, is VW-VBD55 the japanese version of CGR-D54, coz I was just wondering why there are two model numbers for one battery... and even if so, it doesn't matter, right?

Hey.. I run DVXuser.com, and the batteries so far have been very well recieved and held up very well.

I also had 100% control of the design of the cells, and being a heavy user of the DVX100 I had a good idea what Mah ratio would be the best, and had an eye on keeping the weight of the battery inline to keep perfect camera balance... this can be seen with the huge battery from panasonic it lasts very long, but it is very long and impedes somewhat in user control and weight distribution, but its one of those things where you need to decide where to make a tradeoff. The 5400mah Panasonic battery lasts about 5 hours, at a cost of between $170-200. Our battery lasts just over 3 hours and costs $35.

It is much easier to cycle between 2 x 3 hour batteries than one 5 hour battery, as you can create a constant chain of use/charging with 2 batteries, rather than shooting for 5 hours than needing to stop to charge again. (unless of course if you buy 2 x 5 hour batteries)

We also have the 6 month warranty.


I tested them as well as I could when I had them manufactured, by bringing 6 of them to power a Full feature with 2 dvx100 cameras. The batteries constantly where charged, each one went through at least 2 charge cycles each day for an entire month, as well as the Physical demands of being tossed around and dropped and everything else that happens during a multiple location shoot.


Although we dont have a feedback thing, we have an open forum where people can post thier experiences with the batteries if they have any problems... I consider this vastly supperior to any feedback one sentance blurb.

You need to be careful about some of the no name batteries, the manufacture told me that you can "cheat" mah ratings by testing the cells at higher temperatures etc, so the best way to test life is to do a real world test (like what I did)

Sorry for my little self-cheerleading session, I just thought a little more info might help. And thanks Humby for the kind words!

so jarred, is it the same shippin rate for 1-5 batteries?
thnx.

Yes, 5 batteries max... it's only a couple more dollars if you want to order more though.

Battery Life on the DVX100
 

I've used three different batteries on the DVX100 and the life on the package does not reflect the life that is displayed on the camera. I have a carry-on batttery that is suppose to last 9 hrs but it last only about an hour on the DVX100. Is this normal?

----------------------------------------------------------

Also, after white balancing and locking white balance, images will get dark or lighter depending how far I get to a subject. I never encountered this problem before with other cameras when white balance is set. What is going on here?

Thanks in advance.

New batteries must be "broken in"
 

First, most new batteries do not charge at their maximum capacity until the fifth or sixth charge/discharge cycle.

Second, take advertised ratings with a grain of salt. Yes, ads are deceiving, and these ratings hardly ever reflect real-world use, such as LCD is used instead of viewfinder, servo zoom instead of manual zoom, and so on.

Third, avoid *most* generic brands of battery. You DO get what you pay for where batteries are concerned.

You can do many things to make your batteries last as long as possible:

* Fully charge them the day before (better yet, day off) shooting.
* Disable motorized functions on your camcorder (if possible), including servo zoom, auto focus.
* Keep the data displayed in your viewfinder/LCD to a minimum. For example, if you're showing timecode with a brand new tape inserted, you don't need to be told you have 57 minutes remaining when your timecode reads 0;03;00.00.
* Disable image stabilzation when you shoot from a tripod.
* Disable tally lights and beeps. (I find the beep helpful). In candid or documentary shooting, a tally light can cause your subjects to tense up in front of the camera. People behave more naturally if they're not aware that tape is rolling.
* Use the LCD only when necessary, or when your viewfinder eye gets fatigued. For example, when shooting from awkward angles that make using the viewfinder impractical or impossible. (When the situation allows, I use the LCD only to frame the shot and set exposure, but monitor the shooting only through the viewfinder. Still, sometimes you must give your eye a rest :)
* Avoid shooting under extreme temperature and humidity conditions. Batteries have their comfort zone. Consult your camera and/or battery manual for specifics.

Last but not least, ALWAYS bring a spare battery to the shooting location. There's no getting around the fact that digital camcorders require a lot of power for their size. I'm not saying you shouldn't use a camcorder's auto or motorized features, just be prepared for the result. It's often said that the best defense is a strong offense, and I think that saying applies fairly to camera batteries.

Re: Battery Life on the DVX100
 

<<<-- Originally posted by Tony Chu :

----------------------------------------------------------

Also, after white balancing and locking white balance, images will get dark or lighter depending how far I get to a subject. I never encountered this problem before with other cameras when white balance is set. What is going on here?
-->>>

Tony,

Some people refer to this fluctuation between dark and light exposure as the "breathing" of the iris. What's likely happening is you have your Iris control set to Auto. Press the Iris button again to set an F-number manually and then leave the dial alone. Pressing the Iris button -- at least on the DVC80 -- toggles the manual and auto iris modes, whose name appears in the viewfinder for a few seconds each time you press the Iris button.

I hope this solves your problem.

T.J. Borek

Panasonic makes their batteries compatible across their entire lineup of camcorders (excepting the GS series). So if you use the "9-hour" battery on a tiny palmcorder, it may very well last 9 hours. But with the huge and battery-hungry DVX100, of course it can't last that long.

As a general rule of thumb, the DVX gets about half the advertised battery life -- if it says "3 hours" on it, the DVX can make it last about an hour and a half.

Another way to look at it is by the milli-amphour ratings. The 1600 mah battery (that comes with the camera) is good for about 1.6 hours (1600 yields 1.6) and the 5400 mah CGR-D54 can drive the camera for about 5.4 hours. Those are rough approximations, but they're close enough to get an idea.

I'm not too hot on my understanding of power but I think if you divide the mill amp hours by 2280 for the DVX you'll get the number of hours a batter will last.

I got this figure from

Watts = Volts x Amps

From the PDF brochure I just looked at (I don't own one), the DVX100e draws 18Watts and requires 7.9Volts (dc) - I'm not sure if just grabbing the DC voltage is correct. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

so

18Watts / 7.9Volts = 2.28Amps = 2280 milli amps.

Then take battery mAh (milli amp hours) and divide by mA and voila. So a 5400mAh battery will last

5400/2280 = 2.37 hours = ~ 2 hours 22mins.

S_it I hope I didn't get that all wrong!

Aaron

Yeah, there's something off in your math because the 5400 mah battery lasts somewhere near six hours on my camera.

The math is ok, just the numbers were off in that brochure, or they weren't relating to the real world consumption.

I did some more searching and found several sites reporting these values..

Power Comsumption: 6.8 W (when viewfinder is used), 7.8 W (when LCD monitor is used), 9.2 W (max.)

So that would give you (With viewfinder) about 6.3 hours which would make my math correct and in line with what you have experienced.

Aaron

Thanks!
 

Thanks for all the replies.

Little switch on bottom of battery?
 

There's a little slide switch on the bottom of my DVC80 battery (CDG 16?)

One position shows black plastic. Other position shows red dot.

Anyone know what the switch does? I can't find it in manual, on battery, on web, panasonic site...

I left it in the red dot position, 'cause that's how it came from factory.

thanks in advance,
tony

It does nothing, it is meant to serve as a visual indication if it is in a state of charge or discharge. Set it either way, but be consistent in the use of the button or it will only serve to confuse you.

Thanks.

I've got two more batteries coming in the mail, with three batteries to keep track of switch might be useful.

Plan ahead! Panasonic CGP-D28 battery is CHEAP at B&H
 

I'm the kind of guy who likes to have TOO MUCH battery on tap if at all possible. So far I've not needed to get into the Anton Bauer type of rig, but if I get further into on-cam lighting I may take that next step.

For the past year however I've been really happy with Panasonic's 2800mAh battery; the CGP-D28. If I'm conservative with the LCD then I can get a FULL day of shooting out of 2 of these babies with plenty to spare. This is with a DVX by the way.

Well over the past few months I've been running more and more sound from my cam and I often find myself with 2 mics on 2 channels running phantom. When that's the case I notice a faster burn to the cells I've been relying on.

Well, still not needing a seperate mount I decided to get a spare for an important shoot I have this weekend. (Even though I PROBABLY won't need it... Murphy's a sum-bitch when it counts.)

Bottom line: CGP-D28 from B&H costs $79.95 plus $4.50 shipping. CGP-D28 from almost anywhere else costs $109.95 plus $7.50 tax.

Just a thought for those of you who want a spare to your spare before you absolutely need it. B&H is effectively putting $33 in your pocket for every one of these batteries you buy... well, by MY math anyway.

Ebay seller shimwass occasionally sells brand new CGR-D54's for around $90. That's the longest-capacity battery you can get for this camera, at a killer price. I use mine daily, it delivers about six hours of running time.

Thanks Barry... I tried that shimwass guy last year and he was out, but I'll check in with him again.

Anton Bauer is German for "bend over"... just kidding. AB stuff is good, but I don't think you can even get one of their T-shirts for $90.

VW-VBD55???
 

what is VW-VBD55 battery? is it same as CGR-D54?
and one more question, how CGR-D54 is different from CGA-D54?
Thanks!

The VW-VBD55 is the Japanese part number for the same product that is sold in America as the CGR-D54. I don't know of any difference between CGR and CGA, hopefully someone who does know will write in.

I have a VW-VBD55 which I use daily on my American NTSC DVX100 and it works perfectly.

Thanks!
 

Thanks Barry, I'll probably get a couple of those.

how long to charge?
 

BTW, how long does it take to charge with the charger that comes with dvx100a?

I don't know... takes a while, that's for sure, maybe three hours or so. I use the Mach 1 Speed Charger, seems to finish in a couple of hours. Never timed it though.

hmm... that's something to think about. But is it ok for the battery to charge it on a speed charger? It probably is, but just curious if there are any side effects (like shorter life or other) of that.

The D28's aren't bad. But I bought two D54's a few weeks back and have been blown away by their stamina. The Panasonic D54's are definitely the way to go. I have been getting a full 10 hour day on a single D54 with my 100A. Haven't even needed to break out the second D54 yet. Though it should be noted that I DO NOT run phantom power for audio off the camera.

I'm quite pleased to finally be back in a comfortable battery position. After getting use to Sony's Li-ions I was repeatedly dissappointed with Panasonic's battery performance. But with the D54's, I feel like I have the comfort of plenty of power back.

Freaky TC issue after battery change!
 

Has anybody every had any timecode glitches after changing out the battery? I'll have somewhere between 80-100 hours of footage by the time that I'm done, so obviously setting the timecode/having a unique tape name is critical to my file management when I'm back in the edit bay. But that said, something very odd has happened a couple times. Once was a fluke. Twice aroused my suspicions. Having it happen a third time today has me more than a little concerned.

Being at week 7 of an 8 week shoot, and just now seeing this, I'm wondering if something is dying...

Say the tape has time left but the battery is running low, and what I'm filming isn't over yet. I whip out a new battery (while leaving the tape alone), and the timecode either: a) resets itself to where it was the last time I turned the camera on; or b) keeps on rolling with the same TC, but now shows a radically different "time left" warning (in other words, the TC is, say, 15:32:00:00, but instead of having 28 minutes left, it now says I have only 14 and continues to count down to 2 min. and start flashing).

Has anybody ever seen this? Any tips? To be safe, when we've cought it we've just changed tapes to be extra safe regarding what I end up with in the edit bay, but a few times we didn't catch it immediately, being in the heat of the moment, so I'm not sure what the heck I'm going to be up against there.

Very frustrating,
Marcia

Does the DVX100 use a button cell battery (about the size of a quarter)? These batteries are used to keep user settings (TC, Day, Date, Time of Day etc) in memory when the camera battery is exchanged. When this battery is weak or dead you may encounter issues similar to what you describe. The manufacture usually has a flashing icon or symbol display in the viewfinder under such conditions. Any unusual symbols in your VF?

The DVX has an internal rechargable battery for keeping track of this sort of thing. You are prompted in the viewfinder that it's getting low. When this happens, plug the camera into the AC adapter like you normally would to power the camer, but leave the camera in the off power position. In about 4 hours, the battery will be fully charged.

Hmmm, no flashing icon. I checked the manual, made sure the display was set to display all (I usually have it set to "partial"), but nothing. Will try and recharge it anyway, as you suggest, in the morning.

Thanks for responding,
Marcia

Batteries for the DVX-100A???
 

Where is a good online store that carries batteries for the DVX100
A?

DVXUser.com sells an awesome custom-made battery at a very reasonable price. Keep in mind it's not a retail store - and sometimes processing time is slow. Email them to find out the next block shipment.

http://www.dvxuser.com/articles/battery/

There are also our sponsors - check the link in my signature below.

I have two batteries from DVXUser.com and they've worked as advertised. It's a very good value at 45 USD for a 3500mah battery.

If you need them by a certain date, just specify it in an email sent to battery @ dvxuser . com

Mine came by the date I requested.

Ryan

Hey we also just got new 5000s in for $69.. im locked in post on a feature so am home in the edit suite now for the next 2 weeks, so orders are actually going out daily.. its a nice break to go for a little walk to the post office :)

Those batteries would work on the dvc30 as well, correct?

Edit: It looks like they take the same cell, has anyone tested your 5k mah battery on a dvc30?

they work on the dvx80... never tried the 30 though. If a normal DVX battery does however ours should as well.