I've got an update to this video here: ruclips.net/video/O3moTEM3JZY/видео.html . It includes power information for the a7RIV / a7III / a7RIII / a9 along with *more* information for the new a6600, a6500, a6400, a6300 and a6100. You can find the blog post for this video here: photonarmy.com/battery-power-options-for-the-sony-a6300-and-a7r-ii-a7s-ii-rx10-etc/ J
@@nilangauyan3327 it lacks the USB power feature. It can only charge ( when switched off ) it cannot supply continuous power when turned on like other models.
@@nilangauyan3327 Effectively yes. You *could* use a USB battery, but it would only charge the camera while the camera is off. So if you're in the habit of turning off your camera between bursts... that can help, but it cannot supply power/charge while the camera is on.
What an elegant and effective solution. I actually like how that looks. I've been all over looking at cages and dummy battery connectors and the 970 as an alternative and it just looks and feels ridiculous. What I really like about this option is that, if you plan on using a mic or monitor or whatever, this works with a cold shoe mount so you could really place it anywhere on the cage. Really well done.
Regarding the constant energy draw, I think it has to do with the camera never truly turning off. Take the battery out and put it back in, it takes a longer time to power up. I think turning it off is putting it in sleep mode.
The battery draining stuff. I think I got a clue of that. When you pull out the battery and replace with a new one. The camera will require a lot more time to finish the boot up. If you just shut it off without removing the battery, the boot time will be super fast. This happens to my A7 II. I think it's draining a little bit of power to keep the camera ready and steady when you want to use it. When I prepare my battery for the trip. I always put it in the camera and make sure that the camera has been switched on once. So when the time comes, I won't miss the opportunity to take some memorable photos.
I have a Samsung TL500 camera. The camera drains the battery when it is in the camera and the camera is shut off, so I never leave the camera with a battery in it. The camera, with all it's metal parts, represents a negative pole, even when it is shut off. The shut off switch is only there to turn the mechanism off, but the current continues to flow from the battery. This is, the way I see it, a deep problem which the manufacturers have not met face on, but rather left on the side for the consumer to fumble with.
super straight forward video, super well done and thank you....no going shopping or coffee time and then its 5 mins in and we get to the topic..,, rant over Jeff, just a very good example of a perfect tutorial .
Hi Jeff, Think about the camera on/off circuit itself. The micro-controller must retain power just to recognize the on/off function. There are other circuits that also need power, in order to bring the camera up to speed quickly when you do in fact power up. So, a tip to your viewers...remove those batteries when you put the camera away for any length of time. PCFXR4U
Just scored an a6300 on Amazon and got a 20% discount on the camera and all the parts to build your excellent battery pack. Thank you for the links to all the parts great job.
The draining of the battery when in switched off condition is because, the camera needs some power to maintain your GEO data, date and time. The camera is designed to hold little charge in its capacitors that is barely to hold your GEO data and date/time, to a duration of changing your dead batteries. Remember, you will always re enter the GEO data and date/time every time you removed and loaded your battery for a long time. I could get this thought being an Elect Engineer. You gave a fantastic explanation about the ways and means of connecting different batt sources. I may add a DIY for you to think it over? NP F970 battery charger is a throw away cost. Break & remove the charging board and bring out the DC wires soldered to the terminals and connect to dummy battery socket. To make a dummy battery, use a dead FW50 battery, breal and remove all the dead stuff and retain only the terminals. Connect a + and - wire well soldered and bring it outside. Close the broken battery box with a quick fix. Now you can connect NP F950 7.5 v directly to this dummy battery. Sorry, I could cone across your vid only now. So the reply you wanted is delayed for 4 years. Dr B N Rajan Chennai India
Wow excellent idea you saved me so much money, time and probably some annoyance with charging multiple batteries. I will invest in a few of the usb chargers at $10 each and have 12 + hours of power. Again thanks for posting this, looking forward to more videos on the a6300. Just bought mine.
first off all, you just made my day. second is that everything what sony had built is a battery drainer, walkmans, game console, minidisk, and so on . I don't know why, but sony was always having this problem
Hi Jeff, thank you so much for this. I'm out all day taking videos of my kids and this seems a much better solution than pocket full of spare batteries, particularly given the over heating issues I've read about. I bought a smallrig cage and all being well will attach your solution to that. Thank you - Tim
Yes, no problem for me. It might depend on how long you record for at once. I rarely do more than 5-10 minutes with small breaks in between, but I'll do that all day. My gear is here amzn.to/2m7zfIQ and since I posted above I now use an upside down bullhead arm to hold the battery. Hope that helps - Tim
that cylinder mount is pretty clever, I'm doing a modified version for my a6300 action video rig, I'll be sure to show you the results. Thanks for the inspiration!
This is fantastic ergonomically. For some productions I can deal with a larger solution, but this is great for quite literally everything else. And it still looks pretty slick! The power-draw-while-off thing is a phenomenon I've noticed with every alpha camera I've had. A7s, a7sii, and a6300. Maybe it's spying on our private conversations? Who knows! Hopefully enough concern will prompt a firmware update from Sony. Interesting and weird that it happens, though.
Thanks for the note. The power draw is odd, I still haven't found a solid reason for it to use that much (internal clock should draw something, but 40mA is crazy.)
Great video Jeff. As some have said on here it's the circuit inside drawing power. Nothing to worry about, it's just the way the whole camera circuit is set up. As you say, just disconnect if it's sitting overnight or packed away for a few days. I also found you can only charge original Sony batteries whilst in camera, 3rd part ones have to be charged out of camera in a battery charging cradle. Kind regards.
I think that the camera may have a dc-dc convert to upconvert the 5V to 7,2V and that would explain the de 40mA drain it probably is build infront of the switch so that you can also use the higher power for charging the battery.
Yes. While there have been intermittent issues with phantom drain from the internal battery - it's MUCH lower than 40 mA. However, the camera is almost surely designed assuming external power is typically readily available and 40 mA isn't a problem - so the camera likely keeps the charger/BMS fully powered in case the battery needs any juice. Also, we know that the camera runs Android on the applications processor, and Sony may have implemented external charging in the same manner as Android where the CPU is operational and supervising the charging process. (Android calls this low power mode, or LPM - many users call it "charging when off"). Until very recently, Android devices would NOT enter suspend when externally powered, so the CPU would always be active (but idle) and 40 mA seems like a reasonable number for a very simple device in LPM. As to the observation that the camera peaks at around 0.87A - I think the observation there is a current limit past which it draws from the internal battery is correct. If externally powered, with video recording in standby but feeding an external HDMI device - the internal battery WILL slowly drain. Would be interesting to see an ammeter in line with the dummy battery.
Just made this and it super awesome and easy , thanks Jeff for the info . Side not that if you are rocking a L Bracket that the angle wire jeff is using wont have the clearance to plug in . But the straight plug that comes with the Aukey Battery works like a charm
Very thorough video, thanks a lot for verifying the power draw. I am planning on using the DTAP on the CAME-MINI 3 to power my camera and RodeLink from the main gimbal battery. Now I need to find out how much the RodeLink draws, since the adapter will only produce 1.6A from the DTAP.
Great many options there Jeff. Thanks heaps mate. I love that mounted setup heaps but for me I use the 970 with the dummy battery inserted. I mainly do astrophotography so its mounted on a solid tripod for hours and he 970 is held on via Velcro. works a treat for my needs. I also use the a7s which is handy as they all use the same batteries as you well know. Love what Sony has introduced for us all to enjoy. Seems they have started the "advance" for tech to take us where Canon and Nikon didn't want us to be so soon. I am a confessed "ship jumper" from Nikon. Will never go back. just love this gear.
Very nice DIY, another thing that you might consider doing is DIY for custom eyecup. Hoodman sells eyecups for some cameras but not for bridge ones like Sony RX10 (M1/M2/M3). It is really easy to adopt the Hoodman (or any other similar eyecup) to be used on other cameras with Sugru self setting rubber.
That was awesome. Best solution I've seen yet. I love Sony cameras and you can't deny they're kicking ass, but why the hell don't they come up with something like this?
@Jeff Ello I want to believe the reason it keeps drawing power is because turning the camera off isn't totally turning it off. That is why it is possible to transfer pictures to your phone when the camera is turned off.
Great video! It happens to work just fine with the a6000. I did not like the right angle USB cord however. The angle points south (downward) and makes it awkward. Maybe a left angle would accommodate but a short USB cord works just fine. Cheers
Have you tested how long the small battery records/powers the battery for? The reason I ask is that I've been using 10,0000 mlAmp battery and in theory it should be able to power battery for a full day. Yet it only stays charged for about 3-4 hours in real world use. My stock Sony batteries run for about 1-1.5 hours a piece. I am interested in your option though! Also, I'm using an IndiProTools dummy cable with 7.4v limiter not in the battery portion, but the cable portion), and was wondering: does the camera have a limiter inside the USB port so it is safe to plug in my 10,000 mlAmp 9v/12v battery? Thanks!
Great! I am using Nikon, though, and cannot be powered via USB. So I am stuck with the dummy battery options. Thanks for the video, great information! Since I don't know much about electricity, I want to ask since the camera never drew more than 1 amper, would it hurt it if you plugged it in the 2.4A or even 3A USB? Can more amperes hurt the camera? Thanks and good luck! :)
The Water Hose Analogy: Volts are the pressure forcing the water through the hose, amps are how much flow is possible. Volts can be dangerous: too little pressure and nothing moves, too much and something will break or explode. Amps, on the other hand is how much flow is possible. If a device needs 1 amp, and you make 100 amps available, it will still only take 1amp. If it needs 100 amps and you only give it 1 amp, it won't be enough. To make anything electrical work, you need the correct voltage (or range) and at LEAST as many amps as the device demands.
I like your solution. I think the "OFF" power draw is perhaps a battery maintenance thing. I read that when storing for a long time Lithium cells should have a 1/2 charge in them. One other thing is the video possessor in digital still cameras (some more than others) get hotter than normal digital video cameras do and they do get warm.
Thanks for the easy to digest info. I'm a beginner and found this beneficial in understanding my camera and its power usage. I do have a thought on the power drainage even while it's off... does it still draw power if a lens isn't attached to it? Maybe that contact is somehow pulling power.
really helpful thank you , I do a lot of surf shoots and mains power can be hard to find, I have 11 batteries for my a7sii but that can still be worrying at times , the Aukey is dirt cheap and has stopped me worrying about where my next charge comes from
Great vid and a thumbs up. I want to move to mirrorless camera feom a gopro but i have the camera continuously record for 10 hours ever time i fish. Do u know a small and light camera that will not overheat and not freeze for 10 hours? Only gopro 4 has been able to do that. I bought and returned gopro 5 through 8 for freezing. I thought bigger cameras will not iverheat but i hear they still do. I just want a new camera that can take video all day.
Thanks aLots. A wonderful presentation about you such a excellent solution for power supply to A6300 camera. I really appreciate you for this informative video making. Thanks again
great video Jeff, going to use this system. Do you know of anyone who has removed the doors that protect the input ports?All they do is get in the way.
Man love this. good work. cos i about to purchase the Cam but the over heating issue and battery life is what is pushing me away. hope the over heating issue is stopped by using this your method? please let me know. thanks
FWIW, Sony PMW-EX1 camera could drain BP-U30 battery (14.4v 1.95Ah) overnight. Turned off. Sony released firmware but it only marginally improved drain. Great video, thanks
Hi jeff, Great tip and very innovative. My question is related more to the adapter for your Canon lens. I have a Canon 10mm to 22mm f3.5-5.6. I used the Metabones 3 adapter presently. It seems to track slow on auto-focus of stills but horrible on video. You mention the Sigma MC11. What is your experience on auto-focus image tracking with that lens adapter? Possibly I should sell the 10-22 and the Metabones adapter and buy the Sony 10 to 18 f4. Any input on this?
There is a RAVPower option for $16 - I don't have it, but it probably works fine. You can use any size power bank you want... I was just trying to find a good size/weight/power combination.
What powers the display on the USB volt meter? If there is not a battery in it, maybe that's the draw that you are seeing when the camera is off? Thanks for the video - So many batteries for different devices - I have several power bars charging batteries constantly -
Dude. I really like this. Very cool. I could put my VideoMicro on top of that little 1/4-20 rod, then slap the whole thing on my Zhiyun Crane no problem should I ever need more juice. Might do that if I got to SEMA this October. Thanks!!
I like the look of your solution. However, I usually do real estate photography and weddings and just having a couple extra batteries on hand seems to work best for me.
The 0.04 am is NOT coming out of the camera's battery but rather of the USB power for feeding up to the internal step-up-voltage from 5v to 8.4v charging-circuit build-inside the camara, which keep converting the 5v to 8.4v, regardless to wither the camera's battery charging or not. So the camera itself doesn't suck power while off. Once the external USB power disconnected, the build-inside camera charging circuit will not suck power from the NOT connected USB.
I am planning a trip to East Africa and will have an uncertain availability of electrical power on several (I hope intedrmittent) days so was delighted to read your solution of external power bank supply. One question - once charged , how long does the external power bank keep its power?
Still haven't pulled the trigger on an A7 II but this video has taken me one step closer to doing so! Do you know of any good grip extenders (kinda like Fuji's), that aren't also battery grips?
Great video, I am using a similar setup with my A6300 which is the main reason why I got it. I have discovered that the camera by default will always need a charged battery in camera so it draws a trickle power from its battery while receiving trickle power from the the powerpack. Apart from keeping the clock running The camera may also be running background software to retain app settings and catche. Could it also be running background functions such as how the camera has the ability to send images via wifi after switching off when you have the sync app running and to send images when camera switches off. As an example...
Less Talk, More Delicious no, when powering with USB, it will pull about 2/3 from USB, 1/3 from battery (when recording 4k, which is about the maximum power usage).
just for me to be sure, I can power this camera with a regular USB power supply plugged into the usb port on the camera? thanks. I like your mod and will probably go that route.
for streaming, could I plug in a micro usb into a A6400 and use it continuously and safely? I cannot seem to find the information anywhere on the net to answer my question
thank you for the great video, but I plugged a USB power bank similar to yours in and it doesn't seem to work, does it matter what USB settings you choose on the Sony camera settings?
i assume it works for the a7s too? and theres no issues using the dummy battery and power supply? i thought when i asked they say you cant power your camera this way.
Hey Jeff, quick question, but first of all thank you for the awesome video! I love the setup. Now, it was working fine but for some reason, a few days ago I tried plugging it in but it would not recognize it. For a brief moment it says "usb connecting.." then it goes the preview screen. I tried it with the camera off.. then on and same results. I checked the usb settings but it looks normal. The "usb power" is on. On "usb connection" it's on auto. Do you have any idea why it's doing that? Thank you!
5v is for DC IN charge port where the cam mobo converts it to whatever it want (its 5v because many common chargers and power banks use 5v for the purpose and its easy to get a source which provides 5v than a 7.3v even though its what the cam needs ) where as the battery is 7.3v because it doesn't give extra pain on the mobo to convert to the wanted because its already been fed with the optimal volt wanted by the internals i also wanted to do something like this i.e., much better tests with my multimeter and stuff and make more accurate results / make a better way to feed it with optimal power (which is way better than converting something (which makes more work for mobo(which makes more heat (which reduces the lifespan of the camera internals (which makes the camera die soon(which makes me left with nothing than a mobile camera which sucks anyways (which makes me not shoot video for my living (which makes me poor (finally i RIP)))))))) like the 5v DC IN to 7.(whatever it requires ATM) ) so that it easy , portable ,most efficient to work with . yeah but for this i'm gonna spend a pretty long amount of time wait why am i still even typing this when its already 3AM at my place ohk i'm gonna do this and i'll also make a video of doing stuff so if you like what i wrote (if it cleared ur doubt) please sub me share it thanks for reading GN Peace ✌️
Two questions: Can the USB power solution you showed at the end work with a sony a7ii? & does getting something like a battery grip for the camera along with the USB power make a signifiant difference as opposed to just the single battery and the USB?
I have had the same battery problem with my GoPro 3 camera. It seems that when I leave the battery in the GoPro it drains even though it is switched off, so I usually take the batteries out when not in use or when traveling.
Friend the thing is you can't power it from usb to have energy for lets say 10 times longer than normal battery, cause sooner or later the camera battery will die. Cause the energy from usb is weaker than from the battery and the camera uses simultaneously also the battery and it will die finally (ofc you will still have power in the powerbank). The camera works like this that you can't power the camera just from USB. But if you will use this cable battery system (which was also shown on your video) then you can use it constantly cause the battery will not die cause technically it's constantly full - cause you have delivered power all the time - from AC or DC
Adr805 Are you one of Sony a6* users? If yes - do you know what is estimated time of supplying camera with energy when using power bank? I’m interested in making 4K movies and need to film for 1-2h continuously. How much longer can I use my camera then? Are u able to estimate? Is it twice longer period of time or more or less?
dthdth24 If you attach an external battery (like he’s showing in this vid) it will extend the length of time you can shoot with the camera. But, eventually the Sony camera battery will die before the external battery runs out of power. This is because the Sony camera battery is always running out of power. But, with the external battery attached, it’s just running out at a slower rate. I believe the external battery he’s using outputs power somewhere near 5v at 2 amps. That’s a relatively average power output. If you attach another external battery with a higher output (like 5v at 2.4 amps or 5v at 3 amps) the Sony camera battery will last even longer before dying. This is because the power bank is charging the Sony camera battery at a higher amp rate. I use this type of setup with my GoPro Karma grip. I have it attached to a 5v 2.4 amp external battery and it keeps me powered for hours. Although it doesn’t seem like much, 2.4 amps is a much higher output than just 2 amps. But...and this is a big but...you mentioned wanting to film 1-2 hours of 4K footage with a setup like this. While the external battery setup described here is great for photography, it does not solve the Sony a6*** issue of overheating. So, even if the external battery setup lasts for 3+ hours, the camera would still overheat in well under an hour. To avoid the overheating issue completely, you would need a setup that includes a separate video recorder for the camera (something like an Atamos or Black Magic external recorder) along with a dummy battery (placed in the Sony camera). That dummy battery would then be powered by an external battery. Because the 4K footage is now being recorded to the external recorder (instead of to the Sony camera), no camera overheating will occur. You’d be able to film for as long as the external battery allows. Hope this helps a bit.
hi, great idea! Can I know how many hours the AUKEY allows you to record video? The original battery to must stay inside the camera, or you can remove it and use only the power bank Aukey? MANY MANY THANKS! :)
i have a question how long does that last set up last you? because i'm thinking of using it to shoot a wedding video or do you have other solution for long hour shooting?
thanks so much for making this video :) about to shoot a airshow this weekend and am too cheap to buy another sony battery lol, plus i can always use a battery charger for on the go to charge my phone as well :) was looking at this same battery pack before watching this but was not sure if i should get a bigger pack of different shape one. now im for sure getting this one. how is the weight of pack. does it add much to the camera? also is that 90* usb cable the cable that came with the Aukey battery or did you buy that separate?
A better battery with a better reputation and customer service are the RAV Power power sticks. this one or similiar they have many: www.amazon.com/Smallest-Powerful-Portable-Charger-RAVPower/dp/B00ZZYBAI2/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1467269561&sr=8-3&keywords=rav+power
I have avoided getting battery packs with power buttons. In most cases, when the load is too light, they shut off automatically. I was concerned that it may shut off in between shots, and I won't notice it, then wear down the internal battery unnecessarily. So going with an always-on battery pack is one less thing to remember. If anyone has tried this arrangement with a battery pack that shuts off automatically, please let me know your experience.
Hi, thanks for the ideas. I am interested in the 18650 charger but I can't find it anywhere. Do you know of any alternatives? Basically anything that uses 18650 batteries and outputs 7.5 V. Thanks!
HNN16 the battery only charges when the camera is off. when the camera is on, particularly when recording 4k, the camera will pull about 2/3 of what it needs from USB, 1/3 from battery. It produces slightly less heat than using the battery alone. Using a dummy battery is the best case scenario for heat.
When using the AUKEY battery setup on the top of the camera, do you still need a battery in the battery compartment or can you run one without it?. Also using this setup have you experienced any overheating or short cIrcuiting issues with it?
I've got an update to this video here: ruclips.net/video/O3moTEM3JZY/видео.html . It includes power information for the a7RIV / a7III / a7RIII / a9 along with *more* information for the new a6600, a6500, a6400, a6300 and a6100.
You can find the blog post for this video here: photonarmy.com/battery-power-options-for-the-sony-a6300-and-a7r-ii-a7s-ii-rx10-etc/
J
Hi jeff thanks for your very detailed vedio and may I know if this setup will be ol for Sony alpha A6000 ? Thanks.
@@nilangauyan3327 it lacks the USB power feature. It can only charge ( when switched off ) it cannot supply continuous power when turned on like other models.
@@Photonarmy thanks Jeff so dummy battery will be the only option then ? Isnt it?
@@nilangauyan3327 Effectively yes. You *could* use a USB battery, but it would only charge the camera while the camera is off. So if you're in the habit of turning off your camera between bursts... that can help, but it cannot supply power/charge while the camera is on.
@@Photonarmy I want continuous power for long time laps and so, will dummy battery setup work with couple of NP-F970 s?
What an elegant and effective solution. I actually like how that looks. I've been all over looking at cages and dummy battery connectors and the 970 as an alternative and it just looks and feels ridiculous. What I really like about this option is that, if you plan on using a mic or monitor or whatever, this works with a cold shoe mount so you could really place it anywhere on the cage. Really well done.
Regarding the constant energy draw, I think it has to do with the camera never truly turning off. Take the battery out and put it back in, it takes a longer time to power up. I think turning it off is putting it in sleep mode.
Makes sense...
The battery draining stuff. I think I got a clue of that. When you pull out the battery and replace with a new one. The camera will require a lot more time to finish the boot up. If you just shut it off without removing the battery, the boot time will be super fast.
This happens to my A7 II. I think it's draining a little bit of power to keep the camera ready and steady when you want to use it. When I prepare my battery for the trip. I always put it in the camera and make sure that the camera has been switched on once. So when the time comes, I won't miss the opportunity to take some memorable photos.
Been reading on other forums it could be lens related, also
This might be the case. The camera is just powering the RAM.
I have a Samsung TL500 camera. The camera drains the battery when it is in the camera and the camera is shut off, so I never leave the camera with a battery in it. The camera, with all it's metal parts, represents a negative pole, even when it is shut off. The shut off switch is only there to turn the mechanism off, but the current continues to flow from the battery. This is, the way I see it, a deep problem which the manufacturers have not met face on, but rather left on the side for the consumer to fumble with.
It's not a bug, it's a feature XD
super straight forward video, super well done and thank you....no going shopping or coffee time and then its 5 mins in and we get to the topic..,, rant over Jeff, just a very good example of a perfect tutorial .
you didn't press record?!?
Looks really good aesthetically, as if it was made for the camera.
Thanks :)
Outstanding solutions to power the Sony a6500 camera bodies. This is a fantastic solution. Thank you for all you have done for us.
Hi Jeff,
Think about the camera on/off circuit itself. The micro-controller must retain power just to recognize the on/off function.
There are other circuits that also need power, in order to bring the camera up to speed quickly when you do in fact power up.
So, a tip to your viewers...remove those batteries when you put the camera away for any length of time.
PCFXR4U
Just scored an a6300 on Amazon and got a 20% discount on the camera and all the parts to build your excellent battery pack. Thank you for the links to all the parts great job.
The draining of the battery when in switched off condition is because, the camera needs some power to maintain your GEO data, date and time. The camera is designed to hold little charge in its capacitors that is barely to hold your GEO data and date/time, to a duration of changing your dead batteries. Remember, you will always re enter the GEO data and date/time every time you removed and loaded your battery for a long time.
I could get this thought being an Elect Engineer.
You gave a fantastic explanation about the ways and means of connecting different batt sources.
I may add a DIY for you to think it over?
NP F970 battery charger is a throw away cost. Break & remove the charging board and bring out the DC wires soldered to the terminals and connect to dummy battery socket.
To make a dummy battery, use a dead FW50 battery, breal and remove all the dead stuff and retain only the terminals. Connect a + and - wire well soldered and bring it outside. Close the broken battery box with a quick fix.
Now you can connect NP F950 7.5 v directly to this dummy battery.
Sorry, I could cone across your vid only now.
So the reply you wanted is delayed for 4 years.
Dr B N Rajan
Chennai
India
Wow excellent idea you saved me so much money, time and probably some annoyance with charging multiple batteries. I will invest in a few of the usb chargers at $10 each and have 12 + hours of power. Again thanks for posting this, looking forward to more videos on the a6300. Just bought mine.
first off all, you just made my day.
second is that everything what sony had built is a battery drainer, walkmans, game console, minidisk, and so on .
I don't know why, but sony was always having this problem
True story: The battery life in my Discman determined the duration of my study sessions in college. "Oh, it's dead already? Party time."
Hi Jeff, thank you so much for this. I'm out all day taking videos of my kids and this seems a much better solution than pocket full of spare batteries, particularly given the over heating issues I've read about. I bought a smallrig cage and all being well will attach your solution to that. Thank you - Tim
Did this solution fix the overheating issues for you? I'm wondering because I can't find one that fixes it for me
Yes, no problem for me. It might depend on how long you record for at once. I rarely do more than 5-10 minutes with small breaks in between, but I'll do that all day. My gear is here amzn.to/2m7zfIQ and since I posted above I now use an upside down bullhead arm to hold the battery. Hope that helps - Tim
that cylinder mount is pretty clever, I'm doing a modified version for my a6300 action video rig, I'll be sure to show you the results.
Thanks for the inspiration!
This is fantastic ergonomically. For some productions I can deal with a larger solution, but this is great for quite literally everything else. And it still looks pretty slick!
The power-draw-while-off thing is a phenomenon I've noticed with every alpha camera I've had. A7s, a7sii, and a6300. Maybe it's spying on our private conversations? Who knows! Hopefully enough concern will prompt a firmware update from Sony. Interesting and weird that it happens, though.
Thanks for the note. The power draw is odd, I still haven't found a solid reason for it to use that much (internal clock should draw something, but 40mA is crazy.)
Have you tried the last setup on a dead battery? Does the camera turn on? Or does the battery need to be charged to some extent for this to work?
Great video Jeff. As some have said on here it's the circuit inside drawing power. Nothing to worry about, it's just the way the whole camera circuit is set up. As you say, just disconnect if it's sitting overnight or packed away for a few days. I also found you can only charge original Sony batteries whilst in camera, 3rd part ones have to be charged out of camera in a battery charging cradle. Kind regards.
I think that the camera may have a dc-dc convert to upconvert the 5V to 7,2V and that would explain the de 40mA drain it probably is build infront of the switch so that you can also use the higher power for charging the battery.
This sounds likely. Great video Jeff.
Yes. While there have been intermittent issues with phantom drain from the internal battery - it's MUCH lower than 40 mA. However, the camera is almost surely designed assuming external power is typically readily available and 40 mA isn't a problem - so the camera likely keeps the charger/BMS fully powered in case the battery needs any juice. Also, we know that the camera runs Android on the applications processor, and Sony may have implemented external charging in the same manner as Android where the CPU is operational and supervising the charging process. (Android calls this low power mode, or LPM - many users call it "charging when off"). Until very recently, Android devices would NOT enter suspend when externally powered, so the CPU would always be active (but idle) and 40 mA seems like a reasonable number for a very simple device in LPM.
As to the observation that the camera peaks at around 0.87A - I think the observation there is a current limit past which it draws from the internal battery is correct. If externally powered, with video recording in standby but feeding an external HDMI device - the internal battery WILL slowly drain.
Would be interesting to see an ammeter in line with the dummy battery.
its a damn 2 years and still i see now ^ that seems maybe correct
Just made this and it super awesome and easy , thanks Jeff for the info . Side not that if you are rocking a L Bracket that the angle wire jeff is using wont have the clearance to plug in . But the straight plug that comes with the Aukey Battery works like a charm
Wow I think this is the most simple & effective walk around thank you so much cant wait to try this with my A6500 when I get it in 2 weeks!!!
Ingenious! Looks sleek too, as TechMadeEasy said, almost as if it was made for the 6300. Subscribed!
Very thorough video, thanks a lot for verifying the power draw. I am planning on using the DTAP on the CAME-MINI 3 to power my camera and RodeLink from the main gimbal battery. Now I need to find out how much the RodeLink draws, since the adapter will only produce 1.6A from the DTAP.
Great many options there Jeff. Thanks heaps mate. I love that mounted setup heaps but for me I use the 970 with the dummy battery inserted. I mainly do astrophotography so its mounted on a solid tripod for hours and he 970 is held on via Velcro. works a treat for my needs. I also use the a7s which is handy as they all use the same batteries as you well know. Love what Sony has introduced for us all to enjoy. Seems they have started the "advance" for tech to take us where Canon and Nikon didn't want us to be so soon. I am a confessed "ship jumper" from Nikon. Will never go back. just love this gear.
Very nice DIY, another thing that you might consider doing is DIY for custom eyecup. Hoodman sells eyecups for some cameras but not for bridge ones like Sony RX10 (M1/M2/M3). It is really easy to adopt the Hoodman (or any other similar eyecup) to be used on other cameras with Sugru self setting rubber.
That was awesome. Best solution I've seen yet. I love Sony cameras and you can't deny they're kicking ass, but why the hell don't they come up with something like this?
@Jeff Ello I want to believe the reason it keeps drawing power is because turning the camera off isn't totally turning it off. That is why it is possible to transfer pictures to your phone when the camera is turned off.
Great video! It happens to work just fine with the a6000. I did not like the right angle USB cord however. The angle points south (downward) and makes it awkward. Maybe a left angle would accommodate but a short USB cord works just fine. Cheers
Awesome small compact solution. Not sure what is drawing the power if its off.I was going to say Pre-AF but thats only if its on.
Have you tested how long the small battery records/powers the battery for? The reason I ask is that I've been using 10,0000 mlAmp battery and in theory it should be able to power battery for a full day. Yet it only stays charged for about 3-4 hours in real world use. My stock Sony batteries run for about 1-1.5 hours a piece. I am interested in your option though! Also, I'm using an IndiProTools dummy cable with 7.4v limiter not in the battery portion, but the cable portion), and was wondering: does the camera have a limiter inside the USB port so it is safe to plug in my 10,000 mlAmp 9v/12v battery? Thanks!
Great! I am using Nikon, though, and cannot be powered via USB. So I am stuck with the dummy battery options. Thanks for the video, great information! Since I don't know much about electricity, I want to ask since the camera never drew more than 1 amper, would it hurt it if you plugged it in the 2.4A or even 3A USB? Can more amperes hurt the camera? Thanks and good luck! :)
The Water Hose Analogy: Volts are the pressure forcing the water through the hose, amps are how much flow is possible. Volts can be dangerous: too little pressure and nothing moves, too much and something will break or explode. Amps, on the other hand is how much flow is possible.
If a device needs 1 amp, and you make 100 amps available, it will still only take 1amp. If it needs 100 amps and you only give it 1 amp, it won't be enough.
To make anything electrical work, you need the correct voltage (or range) and at LEAST as many amps as the device demands.
@@Photonarmy Thank you, sir! That was really kind of you to take the time to explain 🙂
I like your solution. I think the "OFF" power draw is perhaps a battery maintenance thing. I read that when storing for a long time Lithium cells should have a 1/2 charge in them. One other thing is the video possessor in digital still cameras (some more than others) get hotter than normal digital video cameras do and they do get warm.
Thanks for the easy to digest info. I'm a beginner and found this beneficial in understanding my camera and its power usage. I do have a thought on the power drainage even while it's off... does it still draw power if a lens isn't attached to it? Maybe that contact is somehow pulling power.
really helpful thank you , I do a lot of surf shoots and mains power can be hard to find, I have 11 batteries for my a7sii but that can still be worrying at times , the Aukey is dirt cheap and has stopped me worrying about where my next charge comes from
Wow super good video. Good to see that multimeter analysis, very in depth!
Many thanks for the link to the usb right angle cables. Much appreciated...!
Thanks for this video. Such a cool mod you created. I was going to go with a battery grip but might just try this first.
This is gold! Great idea, 4x battery life on a gimbal coz its ligthweight setup. I’m on! Thanks!
What about overheating issue?
Great vid and a thumbs up. I want to move to mirrorless camera feom a gopro but i have the camera continuously record for 10 hours ever time i fish. Do u know a small and light camera that will not overheat and not freeze for 10 hours? Only gopro 4 has been able to do that. I bought and returned gopro 5 through 8 for freezing. I thought bigger cameras will not iverheat but i hear they still do. I just want a new camera that can take video all day.
Great video - how long do you get on a standard battery time wise and how much of a boost do you now get in terms of total time.
Thanks aLots. A wonderful presentation about you such a excellent solution for power supply to A6300 camera.
I really appreciate you for this informative video making. Thanks again
great video Jeff, going to use this system. Do you know of anyone who has removed the doors that protect the input ports?All they do is get in the way.
Man love this. good work. cos i about to purchase the Cam but the over heating issue and battery life is what is pushing me away. hope the over heating issue is stopped by using this your method? please let me know. thanks
Awesome guide. Will use the same setup. Thank you!
FWIW, Sony PMW-EX1 camera could drain BP-U30 battery (14.4v 1.95Ah) overnight. Turned off.
Sony released firmware but it only marginally improved drain.
Great video, thanks
Hi jeff, Great tip and very innovative. My question is related more to the adapter for your Canon lens. I have a Canon 10mm to 22mm f3.5-5.6. I used the Metabones 3 adapter presently. It seems to track slow on auto-focus of stills but horrible on video. You mention the Sigma MC11. What is your experience on auto-focus image tracking with that lens adapter? Possibly I should sell the 10-22 and the Metabones adapter and buy the Sony 10 to 18 f4. Any input on this?
I really like your ideas. I did find the Aukey but its 21 dollars now for the 5000. Also would a 10000 be too high to use? Thanks
There is a RAVPower option for $16 - I don't have it, but it probably works fine. You can use any size power bank you want... I was just trying to find a good size/weight/power combination.
EXCELLENT video - working on battery solutions for my Sony RX 10 2 - I like the Aukey solution very much - WELL DONE SIR!
SUBSCRIBED!
What powers the display on the USB volt meter? If there is not a battery in it, maybe that's the draw that you are seeing when the camera is off? Thanks for the video - So many batteries for different devices - I have several power bars charging batteries constantly -
Hi Jeff, great video, very well done. I've just noticed that the Amazon links for the USB power solution don't work, at least here in Italy. Cheers
Thank you so much for doing all the research and sharing this totally thorough and super useful video.
Dude. I really like this. Very cool. I could put my VideoMicro on top of that little 1/4-20 rod, then slap the whole thing on my Zhiyun Crane no problem should I ever need more juice. Might do that if I got to SEMA this October. Thanks!!
The best recommendation so far! Thanks.
Nice idea, you could have a bunch of those battery packs ready to swap in for very cheap.
I like the look of your solution. However, I usually do real estate photography and weddings and just having a couple extra batteries on hand seems to work best for me.
The 0.04 am is NOT coming out of the camera's battery but rather of the USB power for feeding up to the internal step-up-voltage from 5v to 8.4v charging-circuit build-inside the camara, which keep converting the 5v to 8.4v, regardless to wither the camera's battery charging or not. So the camera itself doesn't suck power while off.
Once the external USB power disconnected, the build-inside camera charging circuit will not suck power from the NOT connected USB.
Great solution for my a6300, thanks for sharing!
I am planning a trip to East Africa and will have an uncertain availability of electrical power on several (I hope intedrmittent) days so was delighted to read your solution of external power bank supply. One question - once charged , how long does the external power bank keep its power?
Still haven't pulled the trigger on an A7 II but this video has taken me one step closer to doing so! Do you know of any good grip extenders (kinda like Fuji's), that aren't also battery grips?
Thanks man! Awesome info... just ordered the USB solution based on your recommendation!
Great video, I am using a similar setup with my A6300 which is the main reason why I got it. I have discovered that the camera by default will always need a charged battery in camera so it draws a trickle power from its battery while receiving trickle power from the the powerpack. Apart from keeping the clock running The camera may also be running background software to retain app settings and catche. Could it also be running background functions such as how the camera has the ability to send images via wifi after switching off when you have the sync app running and to send images when camera switches off. As an example...
great video, thanks for sharing. Might try it out on my a6300
Will the camera work with the internal batt not installed and just only running the USB power bank?
Less Talk, More Delicious no, when powering with USB, it will pull about 2/3 from USB, 1/3 from battery (when recording 4k, which is about the maximum power usage).
Jeff Ello - PhotonArmy.com thanks for the answer and reply
just for me to be sure, I can power this camera with a regular USB power supply plugged into the usb port on the camera? thanks. I like your mod and will probably go that route.
Very well done and informative video. Thanks for sharing this...
for streaming, could I plug in a micro usb into a A6400 and use it continuously and safely? I cannot seem to find the information anywhere on the net to answer my question
thank you for the great video, but I plugged a USB power bank similar to yours in and it doesn't seem to work, does it matter what USB settings you choose on the Sony camera settings?
You, sir, are one thorough guy. Thank you so much.
i assume it works for the a7s too? and theres no issues using the dummy battery and power supply?
i thought when i asked they say you cant power your camera this way.
that setup looks amazing...
Thank you, Robert California.
Do you... feel... heard, Dan? Do you feel like you're being heard? You can answer.
@@Photonarmy Haha I love it. Have you ever been told you sound like him before? Could just be me.
@@DanTheSpartanMan Mostly Nick offerman... Voice wise. Tony Stewart otherwise.
@@Photonarmy I hear that too! Either way, thank you for the battery solutions!
Some of the links don't work anymore. It would be extremely nice if they are updated!
I have another video coming that summarizes this one, but includes the A7III/A7RIII and has a few more options than I mentioned here. Stay tuned.
12:50 wheres the mic gonna go?
Excellent, how is it holding up?
Hello, is it possible to directly power the camera from a power bank via a wire without converters?
Thanks Jeff. Wonder if have to have the internal battery in when you use the Aukey setup? thanks again, Iz
love it! thanks! sir, what's the brand of that battery charger?
Hey Jeff, quick question, but first of all thank you for the awesome video! I love the setup. Now, it was working fine but for some reason, a few days ago I tried plugging it in but it would not recognize it.
For a brief moment it says "usb connecting.." then it goes the preview screen. I tried it with the camera off.. then on and same results. I checked the usb settings but it looks normal. The "usb power" is on. On "usb connection" it's on auto. Do you have any idea why it's doing that? Thank you!
I cant find that 18 650 battery pack. Can you post a link to it? I want to use this option to help keep the camera from over heating.
Maybe a mic mount for the camera's hot shoe to mount the cylinder instead? Then you don't pooch your flash. Cool ideas.
So, 5v instead of 7.3v isn't dangerous for a6300? (sry for my bad english :p )
5v is for DC IN charge port where the cam mobo converts it to whatever it want (its 5v because many common chargers and power banks use 5v for the purpose and its easy to get a source which provides 5v than a 7.3v even though its what the cam needs )
where as the battery is 7.3v because it doesn't give extra pain on the mobo to convert to the wanted because its already been fed with the optimal volt wanted by the internals
i also wanted to do something like this i.e., much better tests with my multimeter and stuff and make more accurate results / make a better way to feed it with optimal power (which is way better than converting something (which makes more work for mobo(which makes more heat (which reduces the lifespan of the camera internals (which makes the camera die soon(which makes me left with nothing than a mobile camera which sucks anyways (which makes me not shoot video for my living (which makes me poor (finally i RIP)))))))) like the 5v DC IN to 7.(whatever it requires ATM) ) so that it easy , portable ,most efficient to work with .
yeah but for this i'm gonna spend a pretty long amount of time
wait why am i still even typing this when its already 3AM at my place
ohk i'm gonna do this and i'll also make a video of doing stuff so
if you like what i wrote (if it cleared ur doubt)
please sub me
share it
thanks for reading
GN
Peace ✌️
Hi . Would you recommend for wedding or birthday ? I film clip of 7min . But I need to record several short clip. I will have overheating problems ?
Hello Jeff. Any of the alternatives you have tested reduced or increased the overheating problem mainly when shooting 4K?. Cheers ;)
hi.. i liked your video ideas... by the way.. about your pipe clamp ... what sort of size? 32mm 34mm 35mm or 38mm? thank s for help.
G.lam
Two questions:
Can the USB power solution you showed at the end work with a sony a7ii?
& does getting something like a battery grip for the camera along with the USB power make a signifiant difference as opposed to just the single battery and the USB?
I have had the same battery problem with my GoPro 3 camera. It seems that when I leave the battery in the GoPro it drains even though it is switched off, so I usually take the batteries out when not in use or when traveling.
Friend the thing is you can't power it from usb to have energy for lets say 10 times longer than normal battery, cause sooner or later the camera battery will die. Cause the energy from usb is weaker than from the battery and the camera uses simultaneously also the battery and it will die finally (ofc you will still have power in the powerbank). The camera works like this that you can't power the camera just from USB. But if you will use this cable battery system (which was also shown on your video) then you can use it constantly cause the battery will not die cause technically it's constantly full - cause you have delivered power all the time - from AC or DC
Adr805 Are you one of Sony a6* users? If yes - do you know what is estimated time of supplying camera with energy when using power bank?
I’m interested in making 4K movies and need to film for 1-2h continuously. How much longer can I use my camera then? Are u able to estimate? Is it twice longer period of time or more or less?
dthdth24 If you attach an external battery (like he’s showing in this vid) it will extend the length of time you can shoot with the camera. But, eventually the Sony camera battery will die before the external battery runs out of power. This is because the Sony camera battery is always running out of power. But, with the external battery attached, it’s just running out at a slower rate.
I believe the external battery he’s using outputs power somewhere near 5v at 2 amps. That’s a relatively average power output. If you attach another external battery with a higher output (like 5v at 2.4 amps or 5v at 3 amps) the Sony camera battery will last even longer before dying. This is because the power bank is charging the Sony camera battery at a higher amp rate. I use this type of setup with my GoPro Karma grip. I have it attached to a 5v 2.4 amp external battery and it keeps me powered for hours.
Although it doesn’t seem like much, 2.4 amps is a much higher output than just 2 amps.
But...and this is a big but...you mentioned wanting to film 1-2 hours of 4K footage with a setup like this. While the external battery setup described here is great for photography, it does not solve the Sony a6*** issue of overheating. So, even if the external battery setup lasts for 3+ hours, the camera would still overheat in well under an hour.
To avoid the overheating issue completely, you would need a setup that includes a separate video recorder for the camera (something like an Atamos or Black Magic external recorder) along with a dummy battery (placed in the Sony camera). That dummy battery would then be powered by an external battery.
Because the 4K footage is now being recorded to the external recorder (instead of to the Sony camera), no camera overheating will occur. You’d be able to film for as long as the external battery allows. Hope this helps a bit.
hi, great idea! Can I know how many hours the AUKEY allows you to record video? The original battery to must stay inside the camera, or you can remove it and use only the power bank Aukey? MANY MANY THANKS! :)
thank you for your video and interesting idea, but how you can shot with the camera while it charging ? which USB mode do you use ?
This was an awesome solution!
thank you very much for the info and all your work
have you tried putting the camera in "airplane mode" to resolve the persistent battery draw problem?
very helpfull video!
Thanks for this my friend.
Thanks for sharing this tip! Love the USB volt meter too.
i have a question how long does that last set up last you? because i'm thinking of using it to shoot a wedding video or do you have other solution for long hour shooting?
I think its that Drok USB Tester that's drawing the 40mA... how else are those LED numbers lighting up?
thanks so much for making this video :) about to shoot a airshow this weekend and am too cheap to buy another sony battery lol, plus i can always use a battery charger for on the go to charge my phone as well :) was looking at this same battery pack before watching this but was not sure if i should get a bigger pack of different shape one. now im for sure getting this one. how is the weight of pack. does it add much to the camera? also is that 90* usb cable the cable that came with the Aukey battery or did you buy that separate?
A better battery with a better reputation and customer service are the RAV Power power sticks. this one or similiar they have many: www.amazon.com/Smallest-Powerful-Portable-Charger-RAVPower/dp/B00ZZYBAI2/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1467269561&sr=8-3&keywords=rav+power
Quick question, how is that battery better?
I have avoided getting battery packs with power buttons. In most cases, when the load is too light, they shut off automatically. I was concerned that it may shut off in between shots, and I won't notice it, then wear down the internal battery unnecessarily. So going with an always-on battery pack is one less thing to remember. If anyone has tried this arrangement with a battery pack that shuts off automatically, please let me know your experience.
They don't ship the batteries to Sweden..
Hi, thanks for the ideas. I am interested in the 18650 charger but I can't find it anywhere. Do you know of any alternatives? Basically anything that uses 18650 batteries and outputs 7.5 V. Thanks!
I like the last solution, but heat worries me as the battery is essentially charging the entire time, thus making it hot. Have you had any issues?
HNN16 the battery only charges when the camera is off. when the camera is on, particularly when recording 4k, the camera will pull about 2/3 of what it needs from USB, 1/3 from battery. It produces slightly less heat than using the battery alone. Using a dummy battery is the best case scenario for heat.
When using the AUKEY battery setup on the top of the camera, do you still need a battery in the battery compartment or can you run one without it?. Also using this setup have you experienced any overheating or short cIrcuiting issues with it?