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Power bank for SL2


Seymar

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On 10/23/2020 at 8:24 PM, Speeding said:

As Power Delivery (PD) can be fickle between devices and cables, I can confirm the OmniCharge Mobile 12800 does not power the SL2 (insufficient power message on camera).  The RAVPower PD 20000 does power the SL2 and can be found for ~$50 USD.  In fact, I have yet to find a PD device I own that the RAVPower is not compatible with.  Also the Anker PowerCore 25600 is very good at compatibility but bigger, heavier and costs more than the RAVPower.  

 

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Good news! Did you do some tests in video mode?

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2 hours ago, scott kirkpatrick said:

The SL2 is not a PD device -- that's one part of the problem.  It says in the manual that it meets the USB 3.1 spec ("USB 3.1 Gen 1 type C")  .

How do you deduct that the SL2 is no PD device ? In my experience it does not work with non-PD devices, but does work with PD devices like the Anker PD devices. (Yes, you can recharge the battery with any power source, PD or not. And it’s usually very slow. But running the SL2 from external source only works with PD devices.) (At least in my experience. If you have another experience, please describe the circumstances in detail.)

From that I simply have to deduct that it is a PD capable/supporting device. How else would it be able to find a common value (V and A) to exchange energy ?

It is not documented in the manual (wether it is PD capable or not), this is a big mistake by Leica. So either they are really amateurs regarding PD, and too sloppy to write a short sentence about it, or simply extremely lucky that the camera is working with PD devices without them actually planning for it . (So maybe even against their will ?) Sounds like a small miracle.

All in all not a masterpiece of clear information. And high time for Leica to correct it. (If they know what they are doing, then it should need only a few minutes to add a sentence or two to make things clear.)

By the way, what does Panasonic write about the S1R ? In the end it is probably the same USB port and power supply supporting the same protocols, I assume.

Edited by caissa
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It looks to me like the design of the power subsystem in the SL2 predates the PD specification that is now in use.  The manual doesn't mention PD, but cites an earlier standard.  I can charge my SL2 from PD and from pre-PD Ankor batteries and from a PD charger that came with a Lumix S1R.  In each case I see the camera drawing less than an amp at 5 volts.  When I charge the S1R it draws 2.8 amps at 9 volts from its AC converter.  So it's not "the same USB port."  Those protocols have been constantly changing.

These differences in design and power interface may be a cause of the power problems that users are having with L-mount lenses that set off battery level alarms.

Edited by scott kirkpatrick
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Sorry, but could you please try to understand the difference between recharging the battery and running the SL2 from external power.

I said clearly that you can charge the battery from any device. PD is not necessary. But the process is slow (probably because just the lowest settings are used).

But for running the camera from external battery more power (than the base level) is needed. So the basic settings are insufficient. So it works only with PD devices that can agree on a higher level (of V and A). That is my experience (and afaik of all other users). Please let me know if you have another experience.

By the way recharging from a PD device is faster, probably because they can agree on a higher level (than just the base level). 

To make it clear again: This is not about charging but about running the SL2 from external power bank.

 

Edited by caissa
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We agree that the hardware in the SL2 comes mostly from Panasonic. The S1R is older than the SL2. So I assume the USB port in the SL2 is at least as modern as the one in the S1R. Do you agree ? Or do you think they sold an old lemon to Leica that has less functionality ?

Is the one in the S1R capable of USB PD ?   

There must be someone in this forum with a close connection to Leica, to find out what are the specs of this USB port ....   in the SL2.

Edited by caissa
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No. we don't agree.  Leica seems to be more conservative in this part of its  design than Panasonic was.  I have operated both cameras from eternal battery.  Even when the external battery has a PD interface (USB C outlet, marked "PD"), the Leica only asks for 5 volts, and gets a constant current regardless of what is happening.

If I use the same PD charger with the S1R the camera draws at 9 volts, and for battery charging starts at 2.8 amps, steadily decreasing as the charge completes.  When I have the camera running, the voltage is again 9 volts, and the current varies a bit with what is happening, but I don't know if this is just recharging the battery at a standard rate (as the SL2 does) or is actually supplying the instantaneous current demand of the operating camera.  Others have reported that the SL2 shooting video with external USB power does still run down, but much more slowly than on its battery alone.

Edited by scott kirkpatrick
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  • 2 weeks later...

the OmniCharge Mobile 12800 DOES power the SL2 but instead of using the Usb-C port (on the Power bank itself i.e. USBC to USB-c on the Sl2) I use the USB-A port to the USB-C on the SL. Works fine as does the bigger Omnicharge Omni 20c+

Pic below of the small Omnichage 12800 powering both the MixPRe3 (USBc to USB c cable) and the Sl2 Red USB A to USB c cable. 

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Its a weird one perhaps SL2 less power needed from the USB A
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2 hours ago, BMT FIlm said:

the OmniCharge Mobile 12800 DOES power the SL2 but instead of using the Usb-C port (on the Power bank itself i.e. USBC to USB-c on the Sl2) I use the USB-A port to the USB-C on the SL. Works fine as does the bigger Omnicharge Omni 20c+

Pic below of the small Omnichage 12800 powering both the MixPRe3 (USBc to USB c cable) and the Sl2 Red USB A to USB c cable. 

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Its a weird one perhaps SL2 less power needed from the USB A

Thank you for posting this.  Yes, you are correct, it will power on and function off the 5V side.  As Scott Kirkpatrick mentioned it appears to function as USB 3.1, feeding the battery as the camera slowly discharges.  I even connected it to my PC via USB A - USB-C cable and it powered on and functioned showing the little "plug" icon next to the battery.  I suppose it's better than nothing but odd that PD wasn't fully implemented.  

I suppose the next test is to see how long with a fully charged battery and with current coming in via USB it will record 4k60 video before the warning messages start to appear.  

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  • 4 weeks later...
On 11/10/2020 at 7:05 AM, Speeding said:

Thank you for posting this.  Yes, you are correct, it will power on and function off the 5V side.  As Scott Kirkpatrick mentioned it appears to function as USB 3.1, feeding the battery as the camera slowly discharges.  I even connected it to my PC via USB A - USB-C cable and it powered on and functioned showing the little "plug" icon next to the battery.  I suppose it's better than nothing but odd that PD wasn't fully implemented.  

I suppose the next test is to see how long with a fully charged battery and with current coming in via USB it will record 4k60 video before the warning messages start to appear.  

UPDATE: Finally had some time to test my scenario above.  Fully charged battery in SL2.  Connected to RAVPower PD 20000 portable charger via USB-C.  Recorded video at 4k60 and waited...

The camera showed full charge (battery indicator) with plug symbol for 29 min until it reached the recording limit (duration).  I hit record once more and it went another 29 minutes before again hitting the (arbitrary) recording limit.  

I switched to external recorder and recorded for 1hr straight and the battery indicator still shows full charge with plug symbol.  

So the camera may not be PD spec but as far as I can tell it behaves like PD on a portable charger which may be good enough.    

Edited by Speeding
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Its definitely ok. Once I found this it works well. Of course the V mount battery since I can afford the Lockcircle cage will make this into a production camera. So Im happy - apart rom now seen the SL2 - S released which is the camera I would have bought (as I only use it for video) if it had been available at the time. Feel like I've been duped by Leica on that one - as its leased and only 6 months in so can't 'upgrade' as Sl2-S costs a grand less!

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What is the main purpose of the power bank vs having multiple camera batteries which takes much less space and weight less than any decent power bank? I bought 5 SL batteries over the years and don't ever think about power bank because I rarely use more than 3 of them in the same day with the excessively shooting. But I see a lot of people still think about power banks, why?

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11 minutes ago, hirohhhh said:

What is the main purpose of the power bank vs having multiple camera batteries which takes much less space and weight less than any decent power bank?

There are two main advantages: you can shoot nearly unlimited video, and you don't have to worry about third-party lenses that have high power draw.

On the video front, you can power an external monitor/recorder from the same D-Tap battery (with the right cables/adapters). The Atomos recorders are power hogs, which means that many video shooters already have a D-Tap battery handy. They just need an additional USB cable to keep the SL2/SL2-S battery continuously topped-up.

External power isn't really needed for the average shooter, especially if you shoot stills. You can just swap batteries when you get down to 1 bar, just like you have done since the start of the digital era.

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I've also seen what BMT observes above.  With my Ankor 20000 attached to the SL2 using a C to C cable and the PD output of the battery I get 5 volts at about .5 amps.  It's the same whether starting to recharge the SL battery or running the camera.  Using a USB A to C cable and the battery's "IQ" output, I see 5 volts and just over 1 amp.  I have no idea why. 

To answer @hirohhhh above, multiple batteries are fine for still shooting when you can always stop for a minute, and carry them in bag or pocket.  For long continuous running, the alternatives are the handgrip, which costs $995 and holds one extra battery, or a battery pack, which can cost as little as $50.  Now that the SL2-S (and the video enabled S1 products from Panasonic) can run more than 30 minutes, this function comes just in time.  I've shot video for plays which tend to run about an hour, shutting down in scene blackouts and hoping that nothing critical is missed in the soundtrack -- this is a better answer.

Edited by scott kirkpatrick
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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 6 months later...
On 10/23/2020 at 7:24 PM, Speeding said:

As Power Delivery (PD) can be fickle between devices and cables, I can confirm the OmniCharge Mobile 12800 does not power the SL2 (insufficient power message on camera).  The RAVPower PD 20000 does power the SL2 and can be found for ~$50 USD.  In fact, I have yet to find a PD device I own that the RAVPower is not compatible with.  Also the Anker PowerCore 25600 is very good at compatibility but bigger, heavier and costs more than the RAVPower.  

 

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Okay! This is exactly what I have been googling for, for the SL2. The  RAVPower PD 20000 . Couple of questions:

1. About how long does it take to charge the SL2 battery with the RAVPower?

2. Will it also provide power to the SL2 without the battery in the camera? 

FWIW, seems I am able to supply power to the SL2 w/ the iMac/Macbook USBC port and using the MacBook USBC charging cable. I found this handy while learning how to set up SL2 menus for the first time from Youtube videos and not burn up battery time while exploring the menus. 

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And the RAVPower PD 20000  is now 50% off. Even better! 

On my first outing, I experienced the infamous surprisingly quick SL2 battery drain even with the EVF set to extended mode and using  a manual focus only lens. At the end of a couple of hours I wanted to view my photos with the Fotos app on the iPhone and couldn't connect. I quickly discovered the battery on the SL2 was low and wouldn't support a Fotos app connection. Wondering if the RAVPower would have helped in that situation as I don't have a second SL2 battery yet. Something I will try out as soon as my new, now ridiculously inexpensive 😃 RAVPower arrives.

In the meantime, is there some setting in the SL2 menu that I missed to see percentage of battery power displayed ?  

Edited by LBJ2
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