GEAR BUYERS’ GUIDE
5. IDX
idxtek.com
Japanese battery giant IDX offers a range of power cells, including Sony NP-F and BP-U, plus Canon, Panasonic and JVC batteries –many with lots of clever tech like dual D-Tap ports and USB power. But IDX is perhaps best known for its wide range of V-Lock batteries, as it worked closely with Sony to invent the system. Most famous of all is its industry- standard IPL series of large, rugged, high-power V-Mount batteries that have been used in TV and broadcast media for decades. The IPL PowerLink series of the 150 and 98Wh units means up to four batteries can be clipped together to provide masses of power for all-day shooting on high-end cameras. Of course, this adds massive bulk to the camera. The IPL cells have dual D-Tap outputs, with up to an 80W draw, a USB-A output, an LED torch, intelligent communication with cameras and are legal for air travel. The maximum draw is 11.4A on the larger unit, 10.9A on the smaller, but 14A when batteries are linked. More compact than these high-end batteries is the Endura Duo range, available in 98, 150 and 198Wh sizes and designed for long runtimes. The Duo units have two D-Tap outlets – one of which is intelligent for charging, as well as power output – and a USB socket. On the
Duo-C range, this is a standard USB-A, but is a 60W USB-C port on the brand new USB-PD – we test these batteries in this issue. The smallest battery has a 10.5A maximum discharge, but the 150 and 198 offer 14A. But perhaps the most exciting of all is the power-packed Imicro series of super- compact batteries that might be smaller, but pack a real punch. The 98 and 150Wh versions both put out 14A maximum draw and have a D-Tap, an intelligent D-Tap, small LED torch and power indicator. For smaller cameras, these could be the best way to go. For more budget-conscious buyers, the Cue-D range of the 95 and nearly 300Wh batteries are cheaper, as they only have one D-Tap. The larger unit is made for high load and outputs up to 14A, while the smaller is more compact and puts out 6.3A. There’s also the new Cue-H range in 90, 135 and 180 sizes. These don’t have advanced D-Tap connections, so can’t be charged by the compact VL-DT1 charger. Instead, IDX offers a huge range of chargers to suit all budgets, with the flagship VL-2000S designed for the stacking IPL series. The most popular is the VL-4X dual sequential charger, which can juice up four V-Lock batteries at once. It’s relatively light and compact, too.
“The IPL cells have dual D-Tap outputs, with up to an 80Wdraw, a USB-A output, an LED torch, intelligent communication and are flight legal”
TWIN PEAKS IDX has a wide range of V-Mount batteries, but these Imicro cells are particularly impressive, due to their small size, yet powerful output. You can even use two together on a broadcast camera to provide hot-swapping on long shoots
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