FIND A DEALER OR DISTRIBUTOR
When a client hires a cameraman, it’s usually because this cameraman is skilled, professional, and reliable. And, as a cameraman, it’s important to live up to the expectations of the client. A cameraman is only as reliable as his equipment. If his equipment runs out of power in the middle of an important shot, it can reflect badly on the cameraman for not being prepared. Sometimes, the simplest precautions can prevent huge disasters from occurring. One simple tool to prevent unfortunate incidents like unexpected power outages are batteries that are attached to V-Plates. V-Plates provide precisely engineered connectivity to a professional battery. The “female” receiving side of the connection is an exact fit to the “male” mount of the battery – this makes attachment and dismantling very efficient and stable.
It’s simple to adapt your camera to accept a V-Mount. Standard V-Plates usually attach via form screw and wire connection and you’re ready to use a V-Mounted battery. Using a V-Mounted battery can really change the way you shoot things. It can make many things easier to do. Some V-Plates include D-Tap – allowing you to plug in camera accessories, such as on-board camera lights or hard recording devices, that will help you to consolidate the number of devices you need to keep track of as you’re filming. This is a great way to streamline your equipment and your work process, especially when you’re filming under difficult or delicate circumstances. It means that you can handle more on your own, without others to assist you.
V-Plates are available in an array of configurations. Some V-Plates will include not only one 2-pin D-Tap for powering accessories from the plate, but also a second D-Tap for converting professional battery voltage to your camcorders voltage level (such as 12V converted down to 7.4V common in small camcorders). Other V-Plates include a switch for synchronizing an on-board light to turn on and off in sync with the camera’s record mode. Another version V-Plate has a hard wire 4-pin XLR cable to accommodate devices requiring a 4-pin mate. And there are V-Plate adaptors that provide conversion from and to V-Mount, depending on the type of battery (and its mount) being used that day. Take the time to get a general idea of how you need to choose V-Plates. Using V-mounted batteries can make you a more efficient cameraman.
