Power Bank Recommendation

[geoffc60]

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Can anyone advise on a powerbank compatible with the SL3 that they've used successfully? Especially for airline travel?

Thanks

Edited February 16 by geoffc60

[beewee]

Do you have a specific need or use case in mind? Is it just for charging up the camera when battery is low or do you need to do long timelapses and keep the camera powered for an extended period?

Most USB battery banks will do the former but only some will allow you to do the latter. The issue I’ve come across is that when the battery is full and the camera is not consuming as much power, the power bank may think that it can shut off and then the camera no longer receives power. Some of the more expensive and higher end power banks have a trickle charge option to keep the camera powered even if the power draw is very low.

[PhotoCruiser]

Actually i have a Sharge 100 (25600 mAh, 100 W, 94.72 Wh) what is a excellent battery bank with a lot of informations, but expensive
Before i had two Xtorm XB3 Series Titan (27200 mAh, 100 W, 98 Wh) worked great and is a bit less expensive, the new XB4 model is more expensive.

I never had problems with airlines, important is that battery banks are in carry on and not in checked luggage and i am not aware of airlines who don't allow battery banks.

Chris

[Photoworks]

i have used a few of power banks

you need PD power, many on the new one are that way

for video, I use this one 

https://a.co/d/fAoMHEi

or this one charges my iPad and camera at the same time tethered 

https://a.co/d/gAtvhS4

 

if it is for video consider the Leica USB battery adapter with it

[jaapv]

If you need to charge on a plane, most of them have an USB socket in front of your seat Carry on has never been a problem for me. I just put it in my camera bag. 

[BernardC]

19 hours ago, PhotoCruiser said:

Actually i have a Sharge 100 (25600 mAh, 100 W, 94.72 Wh) what is a excellent battery bank with a lot of informations, but expensive
Before i had two Xtorm XB3 Series Titan (27200 mAh, 100 W, 98 Wh) worked great and is a bit less expensive, the new XB4 model is more expensive.

I never had problems with airlines, important is that battery banks are in carry on and not in checked luggage and i am not aware of airlines who don't allow battery banks.

The important thing is to stay below 100 Wh capacity, which is the limit for carry-on on major airlines. The check-in limit is effectively zero. That's why so may portable batteries top-out at 95 Wh, 98 Wh, etc.

[PhotoCruiser]

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vor 3 Minuten schrieb BernardC:

The important thing is to stay below 100 Wh capacity, which is the limit for carry-on on major airlines. The check-in limit is effectively zero. That's why so may portable batteries top-out at 95 Wh, 98 Wh, etc.

This can be, i never heard of that but it may depend also from airline to airline and it's not a general rule by IATA.
Chris

[jaapv]

Nobody has ever checked this.

[BernardC]

23 hours ago, PhotoCruiser said:

it's not a general rule by IATA

It is: https://www.iata.org/contentassets/6fea26dd84d24b26a7a1fd5788561d6e/passenger-lithium-battery.pdf

Also by the FAA and other countries that I checked.

[PhotoCruiser]

Well, then it changed and limit is now max one 159.99Wh what would be a huge power bank.

I travelled all around the world and 2006-2022 every year at once from Europe To Costa Rica and back plus eventually other flights.
In this period i carried a big carry on photo trolley with cameras, external hard disks, cables, LI batteries and power banks and the security employees always got pissed and had pull me everything out to scan it in the bins.
Never ever i got any mention about the LI batteries, the only thin i was aware is that scuba lights need to be without batteries of any kind, but for the reason that they can't get switched accidentally on and start a fire because of that. From 2022 til now - after i sold my companies in Costa Rica - i travel 3-5 times Sardinia to Switzerland with almost only electronic gear as i have the rest in either my houses there and here.
Same thing, i never ever got asked about batteries or power banks, the most recent change is that in some airports i don't have to pull all the electronic gear out of the bag.

However, thanks for posting your objection, it may be important for someone who want/need to carry one big or several smaller power banks and/or batteries. Worst case scenario would be having to leave the excess in LI batteries in the airport.

Chris

 

 

Edited February 18 by PhotoCruiser

[hoolyproductions]

As has been pointed out this depends a lot where you are going and with which carrier. I have almost never had this checked but on one flight to China before COVID this was strictly enforced: the number of lithium batteries I could carry, plus how I carried them (must be either in the device or then in a bag/container that avoids the electrical contacts of one battery touching another). If I had not paid close attention to the airline instructions they would have been confiscated.

Regarding the point above on max 160wH I am not sure whose guidance it is but Finnair (with whom I fly most often) still has a limit of 100Wh.

 

[Photoworks]

1 hour ago, PhotoCruiser said:

Well, then it changed and limit is now max one 159.99Wh what would be a huge power bank.

The limit is still 100W

Everything above needs special storage to fit on the plane and get marked on check-in.

Video crews have this dilemma all the time, most batteries of big size get shipped ahead by land and sea.

You don't want to charge any of these batteries in flight.

You don't want to be responsible for the restoration of a plane.

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[PhotoCruiser]

Maybe i interpret this sheet wrong,
but i understand that only batteries over 160Wh must go in special containment (prepared and carried as cargo),
100-159.99 Wh need Operator Approval.
 

I understand the dangers of Li Batteries in planes and that every now and then a fire occurs, but honestly those cases are marginal considering how much Li-Ion batteries fly every day.

Chris

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Edited February 18 by PhotoCruiser

[Photoworks]

59 minutes ago, PhotoCruiser said:

but i understand that only batteries over 160Wh must go in special containment

You need to tell the airline that you have them, they need to be in a box that can't get damaged and that the contacts are separated and disconnected. Limit 2 per passenger 

1 hour ago, PhotoCruiser said:

I understand the dangers of Li Batteries in planes and that every now and then a fire occurs, but honestly those cases are marginal considering how much Li-Ion batteries fly every day.

i think most of the time is when you charge them. 

In many cities, they don't allow the scooter or bike batteries in APT anymore, too many of them catch on fire, and I have seen an e-bike riding on the road exploding and burning up.

[JTLeica]

23 hours ago, jaapv said:

Nobody has ever checked this.

They do refuse large power banks when your bag goes through security etc. But anything around the 25000 mah or under is ok.

 

[jaapv]

No security ever checked my spare batteries, nor power banks. (Famous Last Words? 😅)

[PhotoCruiser]

vor 2 Stunden schrieb Photoworks:

You need to tell the airline that you have them, they need to be in a box that can't get damaged and that the contacts are separated and disconnected. Limit 2 per passenger 

No, the airline has to ask me if i carry dangerous goods as they do with diving lamps when i checked in my scuba gear. A airline has to tell and educate their passengers about what they can carry and what not. They should also put them on the posters with forbidden goods, as firework, firearms, knifes, etc, etc

vor 2 Stunden schrieb Photoworks:

In many cities, they don't allow the scooter or bike batteries in APT anymore, too many of them catch on fire, and I have seen an e-bike riding on the road exploding and burning up.

Maybe in USA, but not in Switzerland not in Italy and i am not aware of any other European country, the darn e-scooters are everywhere and e-bikes, Teslas are everywhere.

Once more, in all the years i flew around the world, including about 20 times in Newark and JFK, 5 times in Fort Lauderdale and Miami i never got asked or got informed that there is a limit for LI-ion batteries or for devices who have them non removable integrated. I carry frequently at least two McBooks, a iPad and my iPhone, if i have the cameras with me then at least two batteries per camera and one of the powerbanks i mentioned in the beginning. Sometimes 4 boxes of Eneloops in their respective plastic box for the underwater flashes.
And again, i never had any issue other than get asked if the dice lamp or flashes have batteries inside, the dumbest was in 2006 in Germany where the security lady asked me to take a photo with the camera and got upset when i took a photo of her 😂

However, everyone believes what he think is right and as i said, worst case scenario is that the batteries have to be left on the airport.
Who is worried about this issue should contact his airline before departure to verify this matter.

Should the next airline inform me about limitations regarding Li-Ion batteries (as they did back when they forbid lighters and matches, and later liquids) i will obviously follow the rules and i always carried my batteries in a way that a short cirquit or pierced housing is very unlikely.
Chris

 

 

Edited February 18 by PhotoCruiser

[Photoworks]

18 minutes ago, PhotoCruiser said:

No, the airline has to ask me if i carry dangerous goods as they do with diving lamps when i checked in my scuba gear. A airline has to tell and educate their passengers about what they can carry and what not. They should also put them on the posters with forbidden goods, as firework, firearms, knifes, etc, etc

100-160Wh is with airline approval, you are supposed to disclose it. The pilot in charge has the final saying.

Just like when you have something else like a gun, it gets special tags at check-in

 

the fact that someone does it or not is irrelevant to what is permitted.

 

PS: all Macbooks are limited to 100Wh anyway for that reason

[jaapv]

Maybe, but in this case I am sure that very few passengers know of this limitation. Regarding guns, there are placards plastered all over walls in airports. 

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