If you shot with the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K then you know the drain it can take on your Canon LP-E6 batteries. While, yes the new BMPCC4K has a battery life way better than the original Pocket Camera you still are battery concerned nearly all the time. At NAB 2019, Blackmagic Design showed off a Battery Grip accessory for the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K. It takes two Sony L-series batteries giving shooters about 2 hours of run time. We talked to Dan May of Blackmagic. Check out the video here.
Blackmagic’s new BMPCC4K Battery Grip features a unique carbon fiber design, non‑slip hand grips, and a slide-out tray that holds 2 L‑series batteries. While you may end carry just as many batteries with the Battery Grip as you may with the standard LP-E6 Canon batteries the camera uses without the Battery Grip you can be comfortable knowing you will get close to 2 hours of continuous record time with the Battery Grip.
Let’s put this simply if you are recording onto USB-c storage then the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K needs to power that device and as great as the external recording is on the camera it comes with an added power draw killing those Canon LP-E6 batteries quickly. Btw, you can read my review of the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K right here: The short of it? This camera is killer with great light sensitivity.
Featuring a unique carbon fiber design, non-slip hand grips, and a slide-out tray that holds 2 Sony L-series batteries, the Pocket Camera Battery Grip solves the problem of only having around an hour of record time. The Battery Grip is priced at $245, which I think may be a nice addition to those BMPCC4K shooters who want to keep their camera light-weight in their hands as opposed to on their shoulders with a larger battery solution like the new B-Mount or older V-Mount.
The L-Series batteries used are standard batteries used for a variety of professional lighting equipment, so they’re readily available. Operators can charge the batteries in the grip via the camera’s 12V DC connection if they so, please. Hey, it’s an option and I love having options. To use the grip, you simply remove the detachable LP-E6 battery door cover from the camera, slide the pocket grip in and lock it into place. There’s even a storage slot built into the grip for the battery door cover. Blackmagic Pocket Camera Battery Grip will be available in August for $245
Lastly, and I got to say this, we shot all of our NAB 2019 coverage on the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K. It worked well for us on the show floor even without the battery grip.
Blackmagic Design Pocket Cinema Camera 4K
- 4/3″-Sized HDR Sensor
- Record DCI 4K 4096 x 2160 up to 60 fps
- Dual Native ISO to 25,600
- 5″ Touchscreen Display
- Active Micro Four Thirds Lens Mount
- Record up to 120 fps Windowed HD
- CFast 2.0 & SD/UHS-II Card Slots
- External Recording via USB Type-C
- 13-Stop Dynamic Range, 3D LUT Support
- Includes DaVinci Resolve Studio License