2011Cases/Carts/Stands and Transport forum
Portable power solutions for camera carts to charge devices and run equipment
15 years old. Gear and prices may have changed since.
DisputedParticipants disagreed and reached no conclusion. Read the findings as positions, not as an answer.
What the thread found
- Multiple approaches exist for powering carts, including using existing battery systems with appropriate adapters rather than adding dedicated battery packs.
- V-lock battery systems can power laptops and phones through commercial inverters and adapter cables designed for this purpose.
- Anton Bauer and other manufacturers produce inverters that convert battery power to either USB or AC mains output for charging multiple device types.
- D-tap to phone charging cables allow direct charging of mobile devices from camera batteries without additional power conversion.
- Some operators prefer to charge devices at a central charging station away from the cart rather than integrating power into the cart itself.
- Steadicam operators often carry sufficient batteries for a full shooting day, reducing the need for on-set charging of primary equipment.
- Marine deep-cycle batteries can provide extended runtime for entire cart setups if weight and complexity are acceptable.
- UPS battery backup systems combined with standard AC lighting may be less efficient than battery-powered LED solutions.
Depends on
- Discussion includes older technology mentions from 2011, before modern USB-C and wireless charging became standard.
- No consensus reached on whether integrated cart power is practical versus centralized charging setups.
- Weight and complexity concerns mentioned but not quantified for specific solutions.
- Some solutions require custom cable fabrication or adapter creation.
- Effectiveness depends heavily on individual shooting workflows and equipment configurations.