Kickstarter: This Revolutionary Camera Battery will Lighten Your Bag and Change the Way You Shoot

goldenhusky

CR Pro
Dec 2, 2016
440
257
Like many others here I am also skeptical about this battery. At the same time after reading the post on KS it seems to be a viable concept. These are simply 2 Panasonic 18650 (widely used in vapes, battery banks and flash lights) type or similar batteries connected in series and a case built around to match the form factor and locking mechanism of Canon, Sony or Nikon camera. I almost ordered one each for Sony and Canon but there is no word on the weather sealing so choose not to order them. But if they have weather sealing and if this is truly Panasonic Li-Ion batteries these must be solid. I always use battery grip on Sony bodies. This would be ideal for a person like me but not risking without any assurance on weather sealing.
 
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dominic_siu

R5, 1435, 2870, 100500, 28, 100 Macro , 135 (RF)
Aug 31, 2018
107
94
Of all the things you could spend money on in photography, a first party battery (or several of them) is probably the wisest purchase.
I have just purchased an extra LP-E6NH for my R5 using the grip. I won’t use third party batteries for my camera.
 
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Mr.Burberry

EOS man
CR Pro
Feb 14, 2020
27
30
U.S.A.
I went ahead and backed this... it is currently 200% funded, so it should go forward. Really an outstanding idea.
From my own experience, even 500% funded products (some with a price >$100) ended up being POS. I quit "Kickstarter" casino once and for all. Good luck with your "bet" though ;)
 
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Jun 27, 2013
1,861
1,099
38
Pune
While I do think that one should be careful at kickstarter, I find a LOT of critics to be realy to cynical


So what?


Of course, they wouldnt be on kickstarter otherwise.


Of course, they wouldnt be on kickstarter otherwise. Also they probably just sourced a battery and didnt invent a new one. To market a nicely rehoused powerbank, doesnt mean you have to be able to build a battery.


It sounds like not that much, but its likely that they put in some money of their own. Also: its not easy to realy say how expensive things like this should be. They probably took an existing battery and only 3d-modelled the new casing, which can bea produced easily and cheaply in china. This could be made pretty cheap. Its not a very complex thing. Powerbanks are only 5 USD or something. Battery dummys for lp-e6 are only 5 USD or something. Its not rocket science, So i think it can be achieved at reasonable prices. Its not necessary to produce a complex cpu inside. Though I find roughly 100 USD not unrealistic for a product like this.


Please show me something like this, I will buy it in an instant. I have battery dummies, I used battery grips - but nothing that combines this so clever. Also the feature to power other tools on the camera with usb c - this is quite nice!


This indeed doenst sound good. Though I am not familiar - whats the usual amount and quality of press material that kickstarters have?


For exmaple? Which one exactly?
What exactly do you mean? It doesnt look like they are duplicating another brand or something, do they?


While I cant tell with any kind of certainty that this is or is not a scam - I find all this not realy substantial.
With regards to press kits there are many reputed brands in PC industry(Patriot Memory, Lian Li, etc. ) who all have their own websites but still file sharing service to provide presskits(spec sheet, product photos, etc...) for their new products as its much easier to share all the files in one place rather than adding additional load on their own site. Also its not new for kickstarter products not to have their own websites. I had supported a toiletary bag on KS few years back didnt have their own website well after product was delivered and even now the website is just a placeholder page which brings backs to KS page for ordering.
 
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SCAM SCAM SCAM, and I can't believe both CR & CN have fallen for it.

* First of all, the extra bulk is for a circuit board to control charging, not for any extra battery cell area. The 3700 mAh is going to turn out to be totally fake.
* Second, cells are standard sizes (like 18650 for example), not a gel where the volume of weird extra space would matter. These aren't gel batteries.
* Because of the above, they are only going to fit the SAME SIZE CELLs in them as Canon does, meaning, it's the capacity and quality of the cells that matters.
* Having bought my share of eyebrow raising high capacity batteries and mind bendingly bright lumen rated torches from China, and then tested them, it's all a bit of fun till someone actually believes the marketing numbers....
* Lastly, I would not trust charging a dodgy LiPo battery like these WHILE IN MY CAMERA. The Canon CPS guy would just laugh at you if you tried to make a warranty claim.

SCAM, SCAM, SCAM
 
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interresting concept (in theory). I was wondering how they want to include more capacity with almost the same space. I like the concept but the question i have is: is it still sealed when you remove the battery cover? I once supportet a kickstarter Project which i got one year later than it was sceduled so - never again. Maybe something like this could be a "mini grip" coming directly from Canon.
 
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Mar 25, 2011
16,848
1,835
In many countries like Japan, selling a battery pack without extensive testing can't be done. Apparently not so in the US. A battery pack needs sophisticated electronics to tailor charging rates to the cells, to monitor for overheating, and to communicate with the camera. The cells themselves have none of this built in. There are lots of back alley battery pack manufacturers in China who move every night to keep one step ahead of the authorities. $10,000 would be a lot of money to them, the components they use just cost a buck. Its the safety testing, hot and cold testing, distribution and warranty that run up the cost and they just skip all that.

This has the look and feel of a quick buck outfit. That doesn't mean that the guy doing all this is not a genius, many businesses started with a genius that operated on a shoestring. Its just that even if the design is perfect, the first products will be crude and won't last long. That's the best outcome because safety is a serious issue and when a battery loses capacity, it is unlikely to become a huge safety issue.
 
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Nov 1, 2012
110
10
Seriously, is there nobody here picking out the inconsistencies on this one.

Nevermind that X-tra out of Los Angeles is an art journal.

The CEO and CTO are unknowns.

They have no experience with batteries.

They only want 10k, would you trust your camera with ANYTHING produced that cheaply.

They provide really nothing new that isn't out there by...reputable companies.

Their press kit is a google drive, they have no website.

Other companies look very similar, like X-tra being a part of their name....that's not these dudes.

This looks like a larger scam than the Y35 by Yashica and everyone's eating it up...again...because they didn't look into it more..

Sheesh people. Nevermind the obvious sponsered content gods involvement. This sucker is going to walk off with your money.
No experience with batteries..true but no one knows the true background of their experience and the other people within the company or manufacturing company. 2 people listed in the campaign aren't the only people on the team/company.

Typically these companies put a low amount just to satisfy the requirements. Place a high number and if that goal is not met, they don't get the money. These companies usually have the funds and planning already planned for with the manufacturer.

Press Kit on google drive? Nothing new. I know a few that does this. Peak Design is one of them.

It may throw red flags but they could be legit. If they are, its a matter of how long are they in it for? Every company has to start somewhere. Blindspot Gear, Peak Design, Litra, Lume Cube and all these other smaller companies.

I've reached out to the company to see if they can provide me with a review unit. We'll see if they respond.
 
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slclick

EOS 3
Dec 17, 2013
4,634
3,040
No experience with batteries..true but no one knows the true background of their experience and the other people within the company or manufacturing company. 2 people listed in the campaign aren't the only people on the team/company.

Typically these companies put a low amount just to satisfy the requirements. Place a high number and if that goal is not met, they don't get the money. These companies usually have the funds and planning already planned for with the manufacturer.

Press Kit on google drive? Nothing new. I know a few that does this. Peak Design is one of them.

It may throw red flags but they could be legit. If they are, its a matter of how long are they in it for? Every company has to start somewhere. Blindspot Gear, Peak Design, Litra, Lume Cube and all these other smaller companies.

I've reached out to the company to see if they can provide me with a review unit. We'll see if they respond.
Do you really think this is in house designed? How many google, fly to Asia, sign a contract and hit KS?
 
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There are some serious questions about this

- How is the weather sealing? Dont want to put my $4000 camera at risk.
- The mechanism, is it secure or will there be a chance it can drop out?
- Will it fit with L-plates like the 3legged things? (wont fit with the ones that are cut out specifically for the model).
- How is it with colder temeratures?
- Will it give me high speed FPS with the R5/R6 like with the new batteries?
- This is not from a reputable company/person/organization that I trust or know making things.Only 10k wanted? hmm.

For me, there are waaaay to many "might not work" on this list. Like the dragons say in the Dragon's den: "I'm out".
true, same concern I had.
 
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Yes, but it will only charge the battery when the camera is off. The R5 and R6 can be partially powered by USB PD, but the battery in the camera will always be used for a portion of the power.
Would be nice if the RF bodies could draw upon 100% of its power needs + trickle charge the battery as a fallback via USB PD charger or powerbank.
 
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