Raptor V-Lock Fit

[Steve Babuljak]

Anyone have any issues with their v-lock connection? I have tried the RED 98w batteries and they slide in but the eject button does fully pop back out. I also just got the Core SWX dual battery sharkfin and it won't engage the lock at all. I have a service ticket started with RED but wondered if anyone else has had this issue.

 

[Ryan Chernin]

Yes, confirming mine experienced this as well. The accessory battery plate is far more secure, but of course you gotta shell out the extra for it.. and it still isn’t fully secure. But that’s kinda the nature of V-Lock. I think it’s also why a lot of the rental houses only carry Gold Mount (around NYC at least).

 

[Russ Fill]

Ive experienced this on different battery brands... Its not or doesn't seem to be the Raptor V lock as much as every different battery company has their particular v lock tolerances. Like my GDU's work fine but my Core's are a little picky at times. Maybe the more you use it the more or widely accepted to different battery companies... Or Ive added the Tilta cage which has a completely different raised V lock system that works with all it seems.

 

[MorganMaassen]

my Anton Bauer Titon Micro 150's work perfectly but the 2x Redvolt Micros rarely catch & click in.
one just flat out died as well after 6 months of light use.

 

[Steve Babuljak]

The odd thing is that my friend's ST Raptor fit these batteries and this Skarkfin better so it makes me think it is the camera's v-lock

 

[Steve Babuljak]

From Mr Land himself:

"Break in isn’t the right answer nor the answer you wanna hear…. But the effects of wearing down the locking tab on the camera does give the desired outcome for something that is on the battery side. This goes back to the dual v lock mechanical standards that are floating out there. We are working with most companies to try and narrow that back to one, and are making some great progress thanks to our relationships with great companies like core etc. In the meantime we are experimenting with some new replacement locking latches on modules that mitigate this fitment issue some people have. But the best solution will be one standard on v lock… the AB guys need to just scream louder cause as someone just said this stuff doesn’t really happen over on that side of the fence."

 

[Steve Babuljak]

my Anton Bauer Titon Micro 150's work perfectly but the 2x Redvolt Micros rarely catch & click in.
one just flat out died as well after 6 months of light use.

This is good to hear..well sort of.

Amazing water reel btw way! I've been following your stills work for years, but didn't know you shot motion as well! What do you shoot in the water? Komodo?

 

[Andy Jarosz]

Tangentially related, but we have the Tactical Top Plate kit, and none of our D-Tap cables fit the port on the battery plate. The port is just a tiny bit too small.

 

[MorganMaassen]

This is good to hear..well sort of.

Amazing water reel btw way! I've been following your stills work for years, but didn't know you shot motion as well! What do you shoot in the water? Komodo?

Red directed me to CoreSWX to have the battery repaired, just sent it in today.
i mentioned it doesn't click into the v-mount easily (as well as my second Redvolt Micro) but i don't think there is a fix for this - it's just poor build quality.
it seems like a lot of the accessories were half baked, like how the SmallHD Red Touch's base doesn't sit flush on the Raptor brain.

and thanks! i shot my latest Water film on a Red Weapon CF and Gemini.

 

[DJ Meyer]

I discovered that the Teradek Bolt 6 V-lock adapters would not mate with the Tactical Top Plate's receiver at all. I transplanted the V-lock hook from a CoreSWX battery, replacing the one on the Teradek, and it worked.

 

[Andrew Reese]

This is why I cried about not having an AB mount when Raptor came out (a lot did, but RED didn't listen) Still blows my mind and is a big reason why I never upgraded from Monstro. I would have had to sell all my AB batteries to reinvest in inferior V-mount which doesn't make sense when my entire production kit is made up of gold mount accessories like lights, directors monitors, etc. that I had invested in over the last several years. AB is industry standard, at least at all the rental houses in my neck of the woods. TBH I think they just wanted to sell GDU batteries lol.