swit batteries at DVinfo.net

Leonard Levy · March 10th, 2011, 01:04 AM

Anybody try the Swit batteries with the F3 (or EX for that matter.) Cheaper and you can get a 96WH with a D tap. should last around 2 1/2 hours and you could power a nano or a monitor with it.

Steve Strickle · March 10th, 2011, 05:24 AM

Yes, I use SWIT batteries to power F3 and KiPro. Also use the switch charger to power the camera from A/C. (it has a XLR out).
Works great.

Chuck Fishbein · March 10th, 2011, 01:06 PM

I have used the batteries on both the EX1/3 and F3, and they work fine. Only thing is, the F3 power input is a 4-pin XLR as opposed to the little push-in plug on the EX3 so an adaptor is needed.

Fortuantely, Dan Keaton at Convergent Design ordered the parts and made an adaptor for me. It can also be used to convert your original Sony EX charger to a power supply in a pinch without cutting wires.

Timur Civan · March 10th, 2011, 09:06 PM

I use em they are great.

Keith Dobie · March 10th, 2011, 10:30 PM

Hi Leonard: I bought two Swit S-8U62 with my EX1R in October. So far so good, no issues, they charge fine on the Sony charger that came with the camera. They are 14.4V and 63Wh and have the extra D-tap connector. So far just powering the camera with them, but bought them so that they could also power a low pwr LED light via the D-tap.

Leonard Levy · March 10th, 2011, 10:55 PM

As I understand , it doesn't show you the "minutes" left readout in the viewfinder. Is that a problem? Is there any readout in the viewfinder that lets you know your batt is getting low? Does the batt symbol show weaker charge or start flashing when low.

Re the 4pin XLR. Does that make it more cumbersome or make you worry about losing the cable?

Maybe Alex Dolgin who sells the Swit could make up the adapters to go with it. I was thinking of getting the BCU2 charger/AC adapter to go with it but would need an XLR adapter there also. I hope its not too much draw for the Sony AC adapter over prolonged use.

Damn I wanted this to be simple!

Timur - what do you use as AC power for your F3?

Bruce Schultz · March 11th, 2011, 11:37 AM

Leonard, you have a row of 4 tiny led's on the Swit batteries that give you a marginally accurate representation of the juice left in the battery. I've found that it goes down to 2 then 1 light pretty quickly but then lasts longer than on the 3rd and 4th lights.

Because the Swit batteries don't directly connect into the EX cameras like the Sony batts do, you have to use the small pigtail cable to hook into the camera's external connector. When you use a Swit battery on an F3 you must unplug this cable or else the camera gives you an error message. You also need, as mentioned earlier, a D-Tap to 4-pin XLR for the F3. To charge the Swit's on a Sony charger you need to then plug the cable back into the battery or it won't charge them

Chuck Fishbein · March 11th, 2011, 01:11 PM

This is the adaptor cable I just received from convergent design that will allow me to power the Nanoflash off the Swit battery's D-tap and power the camera with the 4-pin.

Leonard Levy · March 11th, 2011, 02:02 PM

Let me see if I get this right:

On the EX I just connect the swit pigtail into the EX.
On the F3 there is only an XLR 4pin so do I need to connect the Swit pigtail to an XLR adapter or use a Dtap to XLR 4 pin. What if I also want to use the DTap for a sungun and or a a Nano?

Bruce Schultz · March 11th, 2011, 08:28 PM

From the picture you are going to plug the Swit pigtail into that cable and then plug it into the XLR 4-pin DC in of the F3. Then you will connect a D-Tap to Hirose cable from the Swit D-Tap connector and plug it into the Nano Flash to power it.

For an EX camera, you would not use that cable at all, but rather plug the pigtail into the camera DC in directly and use a D-Tap to Hirose for the Nano Flash.

I'm using a similar system for F3, but with 2 D-Taps and an Anton Bauer breakout for up to 4 D-Taps
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/204182-REG/Anton_Bauer_POWERTAP_MULTI_PowerTap_Multi.html

But I like the cable shown here, so I guess I'll be giving Dan a call next week . . .

Chong Pak · March 16th, 2011, 01:26 PM

just ordered mine from Dolgin.

Andrew Stone · March 16th, 2011, 04:20 PM

For people just getting into the Anton Bauer ecosystem of batteries, cables and plugs be VERY careful about the way you insert your D-Tap (or PowerTap) connector into it's socket. The multi-tap connector can splay apart allowing you to insert the connector backwards. If the device is a piece of electronics you can very well FRY it before you even have time to yank the plug out.

I have industrial velcro on all sides of my multitap which helps to keep the casing from splaying apart. This siutation can easily arise on a shoot when things are quite dark around the camera and you are in a rush adding or removing accessories. An LED flashlight or headlamp is good in this situation or marking one side of your D-Tap connectors with whiteout or some reflective paint can help in these situations.

March 10th, 2011, 01:04 AM	#1
Leonard Levy Trustee Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: USA Posts: 1,684	swit batteries Anybody try the Swit batteries with the F3 (or EX for that matter.) Cheaper and you can get a 96WH with a D tap. should last around 2 1/2 hours and you could power a nano or a monitor with it.

March 10th, 2011, 05:24 AM	#2
Steve Strickle New Boot Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Lancaster, PA Posts: 23	Re: swit batteries Yes, I use SWIT batteries to power F3 and KiPro. Also use the switch charger to power the camera from A/C. (it has a XLR out). Works great.

March 10th, 2011, 01:06 PM	#3
Chuck Fishbein Major Player Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Weehawken New Jersey Posts: 210	Re: swit batteries I have used the batteries on both the EX1/3 and F3, and they work fine. Only thing is, the F3 power input is a 4-pin XLR as opposed to the little push-in plug on the EX3 so an adaptor is needed. Fortuantely, Dan Keaton at Convergent Design ordered the parts and made an adaptor for me. It can also be used to convert your original Sony EX charger to a power supply in a pinch without cutting wires.

March 10th, 2011, 09:06 PM	#4
Timur Civan Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: New York City Posts: 120	Re: swit batteries I use em they are great. __________________ Director of Photography - www.timurcivan.com Sony F3, Cooke lenses, sunny disposition.

March 10th, 2011, 10:30 PM	#5
Keith Dobie Regular Crew Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada Posts: 172	Re: swit batteries Hi Leonard: I bought two Swit S-8U62 with my EX1R in October. So far so good, no issues, they charge fine on the Sony charger that came with the camera. They are 14.4V and 63Wh and have the extra D-tap connector. So far just powering the camera with them, but bought them so that they could also power a low pwr LED light via the D-tap.

March 10th, 2011, 10:55 PM	#6
Leonard Levy Trustee Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: USA Posts: 1,684	Re: swit batteries As I understand , it doesn't show you the "minutes" left readout in the viewfinder. Is that a problem? Is there any readout in the viewfinder that lets you know your batt is getting low? Does the batt symbol show weaker charge or start flashing when low. Re the 4pin XLR. Does that make it more cumbersome or make you worry about losing the cable? Maybe Alex Dolgin who sells the Swit could make up the adapters to go with it. I was thinking of getting the BCU2 charger/AC adapter to go with it but would need an XLR adapter there also. I hope its not too much draw for the Sony AC adapter over prolonged use. Damn I wanted this to be simple! Timur - what do you use as AC power for your F3?

March 11th, 2011, 11:37 AM	#7
Bruce Schultz Major Player Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Malibu, CA Posts: 480	Re: swit batteries Leonard, you have a row of 4 tiny led's on the Swit batteries that give you a marginally accurate representation of the juice left in the battery. I've found that it goes down to 2 then 1 light pretty quickly but then lasts longer than on the 3rd and 4th lights. Because the Swit batteries don't directly connect into the EX cameras like the Sony batts do, you have to use the small pigtail cable to hook into the camera's external connector. When you use a Swit battery on an F3 you must unplug this cable or else the camera gives you an error message. You also need, as mentioned earlier, a D-Tap to 4-pin XLR for the F3. To charge the Swit's on a Sony charger you need to then plug the cable back into the battery or it won't charge them

March 11th, 2011, 01:11 PM	#8
Chuck Fishbein Major Player Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Weehawken New Jersey Posts: 210	Re: swit batteries This is the adaptor cable I just received from convergent design that will allow me to power the Nanoflash off the Swit battery's D-tap and power the camera with the 4-pin. Attached Thumbnails

March 11th, 2011, 02:02 PM	#9
Leonard Levy Trustee Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: USA Posts: 1,684	Re: swit batteries Let me see if I get this right: On the EX I just connect the swit pigtail into the EX. On the F3 there is only an XLR 4pin so do I need to connect the Swit pigtail to an XLR adapter or use a Dtap to XLR 4 pin. What if I also want to use the DTap for a sungun and or a a Nano?

March 11th, 2011, 08:28 PM	#10
Bruce Schultz Major Player Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Malibu, CA Posts: 480	Re: swit batteries From the picture you are going to plug the Swit pigtail into that cable and then plug it into the XLR 4-pin DC in of the F3. Then you will connect a D-Tap to Hirose cable from the Swit D-Tap connector and plug it into the Nano Flash to power it. For an EX camera, you would not use that cable at all, but rather plug the pigtail into the camera DC in directly and use a D-Tap to Hirose for the Nano Flash. I'm using a similar system for F3, but with 2 D-Taps and an Anton Bauer breakout for up to 4 D-Taps http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/204182-REG/Anton_Bauer_POWERTAP_MULTI_PowerTap_Multi.html But I like the cable shown here, so I guess I'll be giving Dan a call next week . . .

March 16th, 2011, 01:26 PM	#11
Chong Pak Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Philadelphia, PA Posts: 50	Re: swit batteries just ordered mine from Dolgin.

March 16th, 2011, 04:20 PM	#12
Andrew Stone Major Player Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Vancouver, Canada Posts: 975	Re: swit batteries For people just getting into the Anton Bauer ecosystem of batteries, cables and plugs be VERY careful about the way you insert your D-Tap (or PowerTap) connector into it's socket. The multi-tap connector can splay apart allowing you to insert the connector backwards. If the device is a piece of electronics you can very well FRY it before you even have time to yank the plug out. I have industrial velcro on all sides of my multitap which helps to keep the casing from splaying apart. This siutation can easily arise on a shoot when things are quite dark around the camera and you are in a rush adding or removing accessories. An LED flashlight or headlamp is good in this situation or marking one side of your D-Tap connectors with whiteout or some reflective paint can help in these situations.