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Battery Question for Gemini Owners

R

Rob Gregory

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Hey guys,
I am ordering my Gemini this week and wanted to ask yall about the batteries and hotswap adapter I am looking at. I heard the gemini could be finicky about batteries the other day, so I was just curious if anyone had any experience with any of these items. They are Anton Bauer Dionic XT batteries and a Core SWX V-mount hotswap plate. Any thoughts are greatly appreciated!

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/359201-REG/Switronix_GP_TS_GPTS_V_Mount_Hot_Swap.html

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1431984-REG/anton_bauer_8675_0126_dionic_xt90vm_battery.html

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/prod...nic_xt150vm_dionic_xt150_v_mount_battery.html
 
I haven't noticed the gemini being weird about batts, but I would stay well clear of v-locks. I mean, if there is a gun to your head and you have to use v-locks, AB v-locks are probably the way to go, but still ;-)

Nick
 
Nick Gardner said:
I haven't noticed the gemini being weird about batts, but I would stay well clear of v-locks. I mean, if there is a gun to your head and you have to use v-locks, AB v-locks are probably the way to go, but still ;-)

Nick
Click to expand...

Yeah... I've heard some naysayers on the vlock. But it seems like v-locks are more widely available and come standard on the Red Production Module, so I'm just rolling with it with my fingers crossed...
 
Nick Gardner said:
Your funeral. Good luck!
Click to expand...

Well, I am also going to have a MixPre 6 mounted on a cheese plate right behind the battery setup, so hopefully that will protect it from too much jostling. Although you are making me question it again. I completely switched out my cart to go v-mount the other day and now you're making me revisit this nonsense! Thanks a lot. Haha
 
Seconded, have used Pag V-locks in underwater housings for years, in current and surge, on violently pitching/rolling boats, not a single problem.
 
I’ve been using CoreSWX V-Lock Hypercore 9 Mini RED for a year with GENINI. No issues. I like the LCD display, which shows remaining runtime while in use and remaining charge time while charging. With the 7-inch touch and V-lock expander IO I get about 1:50 (almost 2 hours) runtime on one battery.

This battery also has a 2000 cycle count rating, which if accurate, should mean that it will retain its original charge capacity 2-4X longer than most batteries, which are usually rated at 500 or fewer charge cycles. So you won’t have to buy new batteries as soon.

My one wish is that the USB port supply higher current for connected accessories. It wasn’t enough power to run a Sound Devices MixPre3. The RED V-lock expander IO’s USB port doesn’t provide enough power either.
 
V-mount batteries are fine. I’m quite sure there are benefits to using AB batteries, but.. honestly, there are so many pieces of gear that you can power with v-mount batteries that using them simplifies your entire workflow. We use Blueshape and CoreSWX batteries, so can’t answer your questions on the Anton vmount batteries... also.. we’re using the red v-lock I/o module...

On our DSMC1 cameras we used aftermarket vmount plates (wooden camera) and those never felt super secure. There were a few instances where the vmount battery came right off for no apparent reason..

The RED Vmount module feels rock solid, and seems like it has a death grip on the batteries once you slide them on.
 
Rob Gregory said:
Well, I am also going to have a MixPre 6 mounted on a cheese plate right behind the battery setup, so hopefully that will protect it from too much jostling. Although you are making me question it again. I completely switched out my cart to go v-mount the other day and now you're making me revisit this nonsense! Thanks a lot. Haha
Click to expand...

RED cameras perform much better with high quality batteries. Trust me on this.

DO NOT BUY CHEAP BATTERIES. DON'T BUY THEM USED.

Get AB, Blueshape, etc.

Some cameras like Sony FS7s can tolerate really shitty batteries. But REDS will shut down if they sense that the voltage is irregular (cheap batteries do that).

This is big mistake folks make.

TRUST ME. Invest in great batteries. Whether they are AB or Vmount is secondary. Just make sure they are 1st Class quality wise.
 
I have been using the Gemini for a year now and I use mostly Anton bauers Gold mount with a WC wireless plate. Never had issues. You also might want to check out SHAPE batteries, you can fiund them on B&H. I was hesitant, but after buying 6 of them (135W) and a quad charger I am quite satisfied. Prices are better and the batteries are far lighter and smaller than Dionics.
 
Maybe some of you do not know that there is a battery "preference" between east coast and west coast. East are biased towards Anton Bauer Gold Mounts and majority in the West coast tend to use V-Lock type batteries. This was more pronounced during 90's thru 2017 or so. Both mounts are good. It is just a preference. There are more V-mount battery manufacturers than Gold mount type.

We use predominantly, the V-lock (aka: V-mount) batteries and have NOT experienced ANY problems so far with Switronix, IDX, BlueShape and a other name brands. We have problems with most of the Chinese junk they sell on eBay/Amazon under wired blah-blah names no one in the west can pronounce properly.
 
I just bought two Anton Bauer Titon 150 v mount for 600 €, the price of a single Dionic XT with just 2A less.
2h30 of battery life for each battery.
 
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