If you are shooting long-form videos (or even just shooting long days), you know that replacing a battery is not great for flow. It’s also one of those things that you just need to constantly worry about. does the battery have enough juice for the next shot? Did I charge all my batteries last night? It’s a hustle.
SmallRig just came up with a few mounts that can help with this problem. The first is a power bank mount, and the second is an NPF battery mount.
A clever concept
Both mounts are similar in concept. The main difference is the type of battery that they hold. The NPF battery mount is designed to hold an NPF battery, and I am going to let you guess what the power bank mount holds.
The plates go below your camera and allow for easy mounting of an extra power source. Here at DIYP HQ, we use power banks to power our cameras quite often, but typically, we strap them to a tripod. The new plates replace the standard tripod plate and add a swiveling mount.
I like the swivel concept, as it allows for a few alternating mounting configurations. If you have an external monitor (or a side-swiveling FX3-style screen), you can mount the battery behind the camera, which will make it a mini-rig. But if you need the camera LCD, you can choose another configuration where the battery goes either below or 90 degrees to the camera.
The power bank mount is a universal fit. This means that you can fit pretty much all standard power banks there. Or, you can even mount your phone.
A power boost to your camera
A typical battery is obviously quite limited in capacity. Sony’s NP-FZ100 battery (FX3, A7IV) is only 16.4 Wh. Canon’s R5 LP-E6NH is about 15.3WH. Both of those batteries are about $80. You can get power banks and NPFs anywhere from 25WH to 100WH for significantly cheaper. This gives you a factor of about x6-x7 power per charge.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I have no beef with either Sony or Canon. They make highly specialized batteries that need to provide enough juice and fit in a very tight space. That said, if you opt for an external battery, you’ll definitely enjoy the piece of mind.
Price and availability
Both units are now on presale:
Smallrig’s Power Banks Mount Plate Kit sells for $50.90 ($59.99 after pre-sale).
The NP-F Battery Adapter Mount Plate Kit also sells for $50.90 ($59.99 after pre-sale).
Both kits are expected to start shipping by the end of August.
