As somebody who first picked up a digital camera at 10 years outdated and has been taking pictures professionally for the final 20 years, I assumed I had every part I wanted in my package bag. That is, till I got here throughout the NEEWER PS099S Mini V Mount Battery, now a necessary package merchandise that I don’t plan location shoots with out.
Being a seasoned photographer, I’m well-versed relating to prepping for a shoot to make sure that I’ve every part I want and plan forward of time: batteries charged, SD playing cards formatted, and package baggage totally filled with a guidelines ticked off as I load up to make sure that nothing is left behind on shoot days.
Thanks to advances in know-how, images tools has turn out to be extra moveable through the years. This makes important gadgets more and more transportable with the assistance of built-in batteries and battery packs, that are preferable over wired items reliant on mounted energy sources to take your taking pictures additional. While taking pictures on location, there has all the time been considerably of a race in opposition to time relating to preserving gadgets charged, comparable to strobes and laptops for lighting and reviewing photographs. Power banks are helpful—I’ve a couple of that preserve supporting gadgets charged—however I’ve by no means discovered such a sturdy product as NEEWER’s Smart Mini V Mount Battery, which retains my shoot going, even powering LED lights. It’s sufficiently small to pack into most package baggage and durable sufficient to simply handle journey and prolonged use.
I’ve used a couple of totally different energy banks earlier than, however often with one machine in thoughts—for instance, a small energy financial institution that matches in my pocket to provide my cellphone an additional cost on days out, or as I’ve beforehand written, a devoted energy financial institution to energy my MacBook, permitting me to work on modifying and admin-based duties away from house. But I had by no means earlier than thought-about searching for a battery that works properly sufficient to energy all of the units you want throughout location photoshoots.
- Battery Type: V-Mount
- Battery Capacity: 6,800 mAh/99 Wh
- Output Voltage: 14.5 VDC
- Battery Chemistry: Lithium-Ion
- Accessory Mounting Thread: 1x 1/4″-20 Female, 1x 3/8″-16 Female
- Dimensions: 4.5” x 3” x 2.4” / 115mm x 77mm x 60mm
- Weight: 1.5 lbs / 675 g
Powering Your Shoot
Lately, I’ve integrated fixed LED COB lighting into my repertoire, which is one thing that many photographers, videographers, and content material creators depend on for his or her work. The NEEWER V Mount Battery, when connected through the longer D-Tap energy cable (bought individually), provides constant output to energy my NEEWER FS300C LED COB Light for a formidable 1.5 hours when set at 50% output. It is value investing in a V Mount clamp to connect the battery pack to your gentle stand.
On high of powering LED lighting, attaching to the digital camera with assistance from the NEEWER PS015 V Mount Quick Release Battery Plate permits creators to shoot steady video and images over prolonged intervals of time.
This will energy a number of units, preserving everybody related, permitting for tethered taking pictures whereas preserving laptops powered up. The vary of various connection ports—two USB-C, one USB-A, each DC 8V and DC 12V, in addition to D-Tap and BP connections—helps a variety of suitable units.
Other Uses
After the primary time taking pictures supported by this battery pack, I noticed how helpful it might even be for a tenting journey a couple of weeks later. I need to admit, I’m a camper who likes her comforts, taking gadgets of comfort to make sure my journey is as restful and comfy as attainable. Even so, I’m nonetheless off-grid, away from energy sources, which might often trigger me to restrict use of my units until obligatory. In the absence of proudly owning a tenting energy station, bringing the NEEWER V Mount Battery completely remodeled the journey, and that’s not an understatement. While I might usually seize solely key moments in the course of the journey and decrease communications, this battery pack allowed me to entertain myself as I might nearer to house, by creating as a lot content material as I needed to doc the journey after which enjoyable whereas streaming films on my iPad throughout wet nights with out worrying about battery life.
The tenting journey lasted 4 nights, unfold over two places within the West Highlands of Scotland, and I made it house with 43% energy left within the battery after it was used to cost a number of telephones, an iPad, my Apple Watch, and my digital camera battery.
What I Liked
The options I most appreciated had been the 100 W quick charging through a number of ports and the OLED show, which exhibits the ability consumption ranges in actual time as a part of the Intelligent Battery Management System. This may be monitored both on the battery display or by means of the NEEWER App.
What I Didn’t Like
This battery is described as one that may be held within the palm of your hand; nevertheless, as a feminine photographer, I discover it a bit too cumbersome for that. Realistically, you aren’t going to make use of the battery handheld, and it’s nonetheless value discovering the additional area in your package bag to take it alongside in your shoot. Although I discovered the OLED display helpful, it was onerous to learn in direct daylight.
Final Thoughts
Is energy helpful when taking pictures on location? Absolutely, and this battery pack carried out properly with out ever worrying about working out of energy. As you’ll be able to inform from the constructive tone of this text, I discovered the NEEWER PS099S V Mount Battery an especially helpful addition to my package. Priced at $159 within the US and £189.99 within the UK on the time of writing, this battery pack is on sale in each places with glorious reductions, lowering the worth by round $100 and £110 respectively. There has by no means been a greater time to spend money on energy!