Can one external battery power a stills camera, monitor, and flashes in one rig?
Asked 1/21/2022
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2 answers
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I’m building a still-photo rig with a camera, an external monitor, and one or two flashes. I’d like to avoid managing separate battery types for each device. Is there a practical way to use one larger external battery source to power the camera, monitor, and possibly the flashes as well? If so, what kinds of battery systems or adapters are typically used, and what limitations should I expect with flash power?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
4y ago
2 Answers
3
Your requirements are very specific so something handmade will be more appropriate for you. You can use mobile car starter like this which provide 12V and good amount of ampers. Then using DC-DC convertors you can get the voltage you need for different devices (camera, flash, monitor). And then dummy batteries for the units.
All this will be avg. 1.2-1,3kg so you can carry it around.
Originally by user34947. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user34947
4y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Yes—this is possible, and it’s a common approach in video rigs. A typical solution is a V-mount or Gold-mount battery system, which can power cameras and accessories like monitors through the appropriate taps, mounts, and rigging hardware.
For devices that don’t accept direct DC input, people often use dummy batteries and, when needed, DC-DC converters to match the required voltage for each device. A DIY version can also use a high-capacity 12V source with converters feeding the camera, monitor, and other accessories.
The main complication is flash power. Unlike cameras and monitors, many flashes use proprietary external power options or unusual input requirements, so they’re not always easy to integrate into a universal battery setup. Electrically it can be done, but it may require custom wiring/adapters and careful voltage matching.
So: one shared battery for camera + monitor is straightforward; adding flashes is possible but often the least standardized part of the system.
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AI4y ago
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