BUYERS’ GUIDE
1. SWIT swit.cc
displays power info on Sony and Red cameras and has an LCD display. Its smaller sibling, the airline-friendly 98Wh PB-S98S, is very similar in spec – apart from its maximum load of 150W/ 12A – but that’s still very respectable. A really useful Swit accessory is the V-Mount Hot-Swap Plate. The KA-S30S extended plate has its own, with battery cells inside, so you can swap out a fresh V-Mount battery. The plate will take over the power supply until a new battery is mounted, meaning that you don’t need to switch off the camera mid-shoot. It has a tough aluminium housing with four battery cells inside, a 14.4V nominal voltage, 43Wh capacity and a 200W constant high-load rating. At full capacity, the plate will ensure at least two minutes at 200W load. The hot-swap plate has a screen to display a countdown when changing battery. It has a two-pin Lemo output, two D-Taps, one USB-A and an eight-pin Lemo input. It comes with an adapter for cameras with no V-Mount plate.
From a massive range of batteries to monitors, LED lights and wireless systems, Swit is making a name for itself, thanks to good-value products that do the job well. One of the flagships is the PB-S220S, which is a multi- socket square pack – ideal for cinema cameras. The powerful 200Wh battery has four D-Tap outlets and a USB output, and can deliver a constant load of 200W and 16A. It accepts 6A superfast charging, and intelligently displays power options on Sony and Red cinema cameras, as well as having an LCD display showing remaining runtime. Also of a very high spec, but in a smaller size, is the PB- S146S. This is a mid-capacity version of the square PB-S220S, at a lower price. Yet it can still support a 200W/16A constant load, which really puts it in a different class to many of its compact rivals. That high amperage is important for powering lights like the Aputure LS 300d II, for example, which needs a continuous 15A. The 146Wh battery has two D-Tap sockets and a USB output, too. It also
Some batteries are intelligent, communicating with the camera to display what’s remaining in the viewfinder or screen. But all are governed by Wh in terms of flight restrictions – and have to go as hand luggage. You can take up to 20 batteries of 100Wh or less, or just two 150Wh units. Anything bigger is not legal. Then you have to get them ready. Some can be charged by a simple plug-in adapter via a D-Tap inlet, while larger battery charger units are better options. They’re intelligent and can charge several V-Locks at once, often sequentially, so there is always one battery that gets charged first – rather than having to wait for all the batteries to reach full capacity. Just when you thought you had the hang of it, the new B-Mount has been announced, specifically for power-hungry cameras and lights. Largely used on Arri equipment, they have a 24V rating – although inmany cases you can use two 14V V-Mount batteries. The usual Lithium- ion V-Lock batteries are often called 12V, but have a 14.4V nominal rating, with four cells in series in the battery pack. These 24V batteries read 26.5 or 28.8V nominal, depending on howmany cells they have. It’s complicated, but hopefully you’re nowmore aware of what’s what! Let’s take a look at some of the best options for professional filmmakers.
SCREEN STAR An intelligent display shows how much power is remaining on the advanced PB-S series of Swit V-Lock batteries. The 146Wh-rated cell supports a high 16A draw
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