GEAR | BATTER I ES
connector configurations. Hawk- Woods, in particular, specialises in both batteries and their attachments. The company’s adapters can even upgrade smaller cameras using 7.2V NP-F or 14.4V BP-U camcorder batteries, compatible with full- sized V-Mount options. That demands custom, often per-camera engineering, with a range covering popular models like the FS5, FX6, Z Cam 6K and 8K – a V-Mount plate for the Komodo is a recent addition. Hawk-Woods’ battery range is enormous, including pocket-sized 30Wh 7.2V batteries compatible with the common Sony mount, through 14.4V BP-U-compatible options for the likes of the FX6, all the way up to 26V, and one-kilowatt floor batteries intended to run a big cinema rig all afternoon. There are Gripper batteries, which slide on to 15mm mattebox rods, and the velcro-attached Sticky series built for
or V-Mount packs, or as feature- laden mini-PAGlink batteries in Gold Mount only, it’s intended for rigging little cameras on big jobs. The miniature option includes quarter-inch threads and USB outputs, and the reduction of bulk will make sense in situations where a large battery might make a DSLR rig feel tail-heavy. PAGlink is a stacking system, with a female mount on one side and male on the other. Batteries can be stacked on the camera for more capacity and hot-swapping, or on the charger to avoid camera assistants having to set a 3am alarm to ensure full juice by morning. It makes you think everything should work like this. The need to rig modern cameras significantly beyond their original designs has encouraged manufacturers to offer power breakout plates with various
esoteric features, its designs are subject to a lot of real-world testing around performance and longevity. STACKABLES With an eye for bright ideas, consider PAG’s ingenious PAGlink system. Available as full-sized Gold
ABOVE Bebob has a
whole range for larger cameras – this B-Mount is high-load and really tough
32 DEF I N I T ION | AUGUST 202 1
Powered by FlippingBook