Camcorder Battery Charger Choices: Matching Power to Purpose

What one accessory can make or break a video shoot? Consider the following. Before becoming a "professional," everyone needs a paying job. Mine was, of course, a friend's wedding. No major production. A one-camera set-up using the on-board mic. The outdoor setting eliminated the need (at least for my simple purposes) for lights. And I was pretty confident of my "hand-held" abilities, so the tripod stayed at home as well. I took several master tapes and a couple of back-ups just for emergencies.

Joe (as I'll refer to this "former" friend) and I sat down two days before the wedding and mapped out the shooting agenda. Starting with before service activities like guest arrival shots, bride's preparation and the jittery groom, I would lead directly into some music solos. Joe's sister was a star pupil of the 6th grade choir, so I just had to record the talent for posterity. Then the vows would begin, with some time left over for reception antics. Joe requested about a 60 minute tape. And for the price he was paying, which wasn't much, I explained no editing would be involved. Just a simple title card at the opening (which really consisted of me shooting the wedding program).Sounds easy enough, right? Too bad there was one accessory I failed to consider. One major glitch in my foolproof scheme. One downfall that ruined a friendship and tarnished my first foray into the world of professional videomaking. You see, I forgot about power. You know, juice, electricity, wattage. The stuff to turn those little wheels and illuminate that tiny viewfinder. The one accessory that definitely "broke" this video shoot.

I'll spare you most of the ugly details. Let's just say that after-the-fact recordings of the still photographer's photos wasn't quite what Joe had in mind when he said wedding "video." My "came-with-the-camcorder" battery died 20 minutes into the festivities. How was I to know that its life was coming to an abrupt end?

Providing power to run your camcorder (or lights) is probably the most important consideration when planning a shoot. You can get by without the proper lights. Sure the picture may be a little grainy, but at least an image is recorded. You can live without sharp sound. Bad audio can always be replaced with a music or voice-over track. And you can continue a shoot without a tripod. News crews and documentarians do it daily. But besides tape stock itself, no other accessory can halt a production like the absence of power.

Often, the battery sold with your camcorder is not enough. It's a good starting point. But for professional jobs, you'll need an accessory battery or power supply. Most camcorder batteries have too short of a charge and an even shorter life. Using a camcorder battery charger to recharge the units can be a hassle. And if you only possess one battery, you can count on regular periods of downtime as the camcorder battery charger goes to work- a process that may take 12 or more hours. How can you capture a breaking video event if your battery is hooked up to a wall outlet?!If you want your transition from hobbyist to pro to go smoother than my experience, you need extra batteries. Even if you just want to continue your position as family historian, more power can only add to your capabilities. Who knows the next time you'll have a chance to capture Granny as she swims 50 consecutive laps at the summer family outing? Equipped with only a two-hour battery, one that's half fried from taping your cousins' chicken calling contest, may lead to your missing the septuagenarians historic aquatic event.

Before you run out and buy the first pack-of-power the salesman drools all over, a survey of the battery market, their features, compatibility and lifespans is a good plan. And what better place to get this info than from the very magazine gripped between your videomaking hands!Batteries can be categorized in several ways; by their chemical make-ups, size, technology, features and, sometimes most importantly, price. Since cash is always a concern amongst budget-minded videomakers, price is as good a defining point as any.

The high end of the battery market is dominated by the professional line from Anton/Bauer. Designed to power camcorders and lights, these batteries are consistently rated the highest in user satisfaction. And with Anton/Bauer batteries, the old saying, "you get what you pay for," definitely holds true. At the top is the Digital Pro Pac Logic Series NiCad battery. Developed for professional applications, this premium, heavy-duty cell is designed to deliver long life and high performance under high current loads. The Digital Pro Pac 14 ($539) weighs a little over 5 lbs., with a run time of 4 hours at 15 watts. Batteries, like just about every other product associated with videomaking, have their own line of accessories. Anton/Bauer's Digital Trimpac is a new size and shape battery that was created in close collaboration with major camcorder manufacturers. Extremely thin and lightweight, the Trimpac 14 ($354) still has more effective energy than two NP style slides in batteries. Its shape matches most modern camcorders.

For those with major power needs (and a thick wallet), Anton/Bauer's 30/13 battery belt ($814) powers virtually all portable equipment. It can handle 30 volt lights, all 13-14v cameras and VTRs. With a built in overnight charger, voltage display, circuit protection and an external, 1-hour fast charge option, this is truly a powerhouse. Again, this is more suited for the high-end professional, but it doesn't hurt to dream.

Also residing in the high-end battery category are several offerings from NRG. The 880 Power-Pro+ ($324-$354) belt is targeted at the prosumer videomaker. It features a 7-stage electronic runtime indicator and individual removable packs for interchange and charging, with no interruption in recording. The dual-outputs on the unit allow the user to simultaneously power both a camcorder and accessory. Up a step higher is NRG's 970 Power-MAX ($418-$488). This belt is designed for extended periods of power in situations where changing packs would be inconvenient or impossible. Created to meet the needs of industrial event videographers, the 970 comes with dual inputs and outputs.

The Campak series is NRG's answer to those tired of short run times and piles of original equipment batteries. Available in 12-volt ($169-$184) or 13.2 volt ($219), these cells feature 2-6 hours of run time in an ultralight 2.3 lb. pack. The unit uses the same style sintered memory-free Ni-Cad cells as in NRG's large belt packs. Each battery comes with a custom soft case, overnight charger and instruction manual.

While the battery market resembles a third world country with the majority of the "residents" living at one of two price extremes, Markertek offers some models that fall somewhere in the middle. Their PRB-20 ($188) power belt features a rugged Cordura construction. At a hefty 16 lbs., the unit will power your camcorder for up to 20 hours. Its lead acid gel cells take 14 to 20 hours to reach a full charge and have a life of approximately 300 cycles. For those wanting an extremely long life cell, the EXC-5 ($134) promises nearly 1500 charging cycles. The Nickle Cadmium construction weighs only 3.25 lbs., and will power your camcorder for 7 hours. A 50 watt light can be run from the battery for a little over an hour.