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  • Hey all, just changed over the backend after 15 years I figured time to give it a bit of an update, its probably gonna be a bit weird for most of you and i am sure there is a few bugs to work out but it should kinda work the same as before... hopefully :)

Komodo Battery F.A.Q.

Is there a fast and reliable charger for the canon BP-900 series that you recommend?

thanks

I've been running the Dolgin TC-400 to charge my Canon BP's since I got my C300 back in '12 or '13. Not cheap, but rock solid.

Sometimes you can find some "scratch 'n dent" or refurb deals on their site and save a nice chunk. There's a TC-400 on there right now for 25% off.
 
Yes. The 2200mAh ones run for about 35-40 minutes. I don't have the 1500mAh ones here, but they should run for about 27 minutes max.

You mean there were two different versions of BP-915 available from Canon? The only genuin ones I can find says 1500mAh on the box. However there are "compatible" non-Canon batteries with 2200mAh.
 
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So I saw Phil mentioned Wasabi as one off the 3rd party brand he tested. Looks like that's about the only brand on Amazon that ships remotely soon.

Soooo.. who's gonna be the first to stick some Wasabi Power BP 975s onto their brand new Komodo for the betterment of us all? :rolleyes:

Curious to hear if anyone maybe even has already?

Any thoughts Phil?
 
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So I saw Phil mentioned Wasabi as one off the 3rd party brand he tested. Looks like that's about the only brand on Amazon that ships remotely soon.

Soooo.. who's gonna be the first to stick some Wasabi Power BP 975s onto their brand new Komodo for the betterment of us all? :rolleyes:

Curious to hear if anyone maybe even has already?

Any thoughts Phil?

I have some here. They do power the camera and they are crap cells IMO and they don't transmit charge info as there is no chip. The Canon stuff and likely more reputable brands are ideal.

And I should say I have some Wasabis that didn't seem to get the camera to boot. Kastar was a bit better, still cheap.

I have 4X BP 975 personally and yep I mostly use V-Mount with tiny batteries. I'll be exploring the new mini-V stuff that everybody is making now shortly. That's about the only stuff I haven't tested because they haven't shipped yet.
 
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We need someone to make approved models that are half size of the BP-955 for very compact setups or mounted rigs.

Agree-ish. Canon ditched the 915s because people wanted longer runtimes, but for such a low power draw camera like Komodo they make a lot of sense.

I will say you can go down to one BP-955 and happily shoot with your Komodo though.

I suspect we'll see lots of new options shortly now that people are diving into the chip tech.
 
I've been running the Dolgin TC-400 to charge my Canon BP's since I got my C300 back in '12 or '13. Not cheap, but rock solid.

Sometimes you can find some "scratch 'n dent" or refurb deals on their site and save a nice chunk. There's a TC-400 on there right now for 25% off.



I have an old Dolgin Turbo Charger from the Panasonic HVX days - with Panasonic plates. It was a rock solid 4 place charger - but had Panasonic battery plates on it.

Just pulled it out of storage, and ordered Canon BP plates for it from Dolgin; a little solder and it will be back in use with the Komodo.
 
Phil I never try the Global Dynamics United 98Wh batteries you mention, but they look very well because of the extra ports they have for power my monitor. The only doubt I have is if I can use this batteries with the core swx plate in a gymbal like the new Ronin S2. Here in Peru I shoot mostly documentaries and because of that I travel a lot. Indeed, I hope I can continue using My backpack and my 1535 Pelican case for fit all my future Komodo Gear.

Thank you very much for share all this information!
 
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Has anyone tried the Canon BP-945 batteries with the Komodo? Thanks Phil and all for this super helpful thread!
 
I have a bunch of BP-980 batteries, I know the site says BP-9XX and the recommended ones are the BP-955 & BP-975, but will the BP-980 work?
 
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I'm between the core v-mount & tilta. Which does everyone prefer?

I'll go with pros and cons from stuff I've used so far:


CoreSWX
Pro - Transmits battery information to the camera
Pro - Mounts directly to the body
Pro - No cables
Pro - AUX power solutions D-Tap, etc.
Con - Batteries do ride a bit high
Con - Right angle SDI cables are not ideal for this plate typically

Tilta
Pro - Mounts directly to the body
Pro - No Cables
Pro/Con - Batteries are sideways which is lower profile, but also well they are sideways
Pro - AUX power solutions D-Tap, etc.
Con - Not RED approved

Wooden Camera
Pro - Mounts directly to the body
Con - Requires a cable to DC IN
Pro - AUX power solutions D-Tap, etc.
Pro - Battery position is adjustable
Pro - Compatible with the B-Box
Pro - Has extra port for DC IN pass through

I'll say for all 3, honestly they are all pretty well built. And truthfully it's hard to really decide what's best. They all have good features and they all have quirks.


I have a bunch of BP-980 batteries, I know the site says BP-9XX and the recommended ones are the BP-955 & BP-975, but will the BP-980 work?

Haven't tested those, but they have the correct output. They aren't chipped so I don't think you'll get the power passthrough and likely will get the unapproved battery warning.

I'll safely say if you want to do the best thing and use BP stuff, just go with official BP-955 or BP-975s from Canon or one of the several coming chipped models from other vendors. That's the most bulletproof BP solution.

Some of the real cheap stuff has crap cells and power dips in my testing, so a dollar saved there likely means a dollar spent for something else later on.

Older batteries certainly will work and hopefully they still hold a decent charge.
 
Adorama used batteries

Adorama used batteries

Just a heads up: You can check the Adorama site for used BP-955s, and they do come up form time to time. You can also call them about it. I bought 4 last week for $99 each, and they are mint condition. Work perfectly.
 
Can anyone confirm if the Hedbox 975 batteries can charge from the camera body ? It seems red disabled the ability to charge non canon batteries from the camera body when it is turned off and plugged into AC power .
 
Can someone point to the best chargers around for the BPs? Both small low key ones for travel and larger heavy-duty chargers? Maybe one with two charging spaces and one with four?
 
Can someone point to the best chargers around for the BPs? Both small low key ones for travel and larger heavy-duty chargers? Maybe one with two charging spaces and one with four?

Dolgin Engineering. I have a four position for my BP's that has been plugged up and working 24/7 for probably 7.5 years, now.
 
Second on the Dolgin units. I have a dual charger running without problems for 2+ years
 
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