GEAR | BATTER I ES
TAKING A MODULAR APPROACH BriteShot is perhaps best known for its multi-kilowatt LED lights, demanding more power than many of the world’s wall sockets can supply. Solving that problem, and others, the company’s BritePower system handles loads up to 4kW and keeps the battery, inverter and charger separate for easier handling. There are bold, colour-coded cases for the three components – each yellow-cased battery pack has a 2.5kWh capacity – and there’s the option to charge one while another is in use, hot swap, or connect several at once for more endurance. If BritePower can prevent any need for generators, a production might even avoid a certain amount of cabling and, in some jurisdictions, dodge the need for at least one permit.
air-transportability. Core SWX’s novel approach is to split its largest batteries in two – the Hypercore Prime 190Wh option demounts into two pieces, each one with a small enough capacity for safe use on-board an aircraft. Meanwhile, the Helix packs provide 28V and 14V outputs concurrently. This makes life easier for those with upscale cinema cameras, or accessories for more conventional power systems. Core SWX has been tireless outside the realm of batteries, too, producing Evo – an uninterruptible power device with a small on- board reservoir battery, that’s got enough juice to swap out the main battery without power-cycling the camera. It boasts an interchangeable connector panel, with four different configurations of power distribution.
Finally, consider IDX. The company’s Cue series batteries are more or less everywhere; the beefy Cue-D300 has a 286Wh capacity, earning it covetous stares from people working with Arri’s finest (but getting it disinvited from airline travel). Most recently, IDX announced a V-Mount adapter module for the FX9, adding to its enviably replete selection of accessories. The company’s most recent battery range is the Cue-H series, with capacities up to 180Wh. The reality is unavoidable: batteries are a mature technology. The endless quest to find a single killer feature is in full swing. Scale matters – and those 300Wh beasts are ideal for not only cameras, but lights, too. What the future will bring is less certain. Most technology
ABOVE Bebob cares about its carbon footprint – cutting down on packaging and recelling batteries makes a difference
journalists, including your narrator, frequently receive promotional blandishments about spectacular new battery technologies, but nothing has beaten lithium-ion since the early 1990s. For now, there’s enough clever innovations to keep anyone – sorry – electrified with excitement.
“The beefy IDX Cue-D300 has a 286Wh capacity, earning it covetous stares from people working with Arri’s finest”
Where will your kit go next? Inspire others, earn some extra cash and make a difference. Sell your used kit and let someone else love it as much as you have. Make good use of your used gear. Sell yours today at mpb.com/sell THERE’S NEVER BEEN A BETTER TIME TO MAKE GOOD USE
34 DEF I N I T ION | AUGUST 202 1
Powered by FlippingBook