Three Weeks with the JVC GY-DV500, p. 2

 

 

 

 

Batteries
The camera came with the JVC battery mount on the back. I requested and got the Anton Bauer mount, a very inexpensive addition which took about 10 minutes to install. Our only problem was that the 2-wire connector for the viewfinder battery indicator was hidden behind the right hand camera panel and tied there, for safekeeping, no doubt. Once that was released and routed through the back panel, installation was a snap. I went with the Anton Bauer back for four reasons:

  • I wanted long run times with fast, on-location charging capability.
  • I wanted the viewfinder power indicator, which is adjustable in-camera for various voltages.
  • I wanted a slight rear-heavy bias for the camera on the tripod, dolly and jib.
  • I already own Anton "bricks" and have come to truly rely on them when on location.

Run times with the Logic Series bricks averaged 3-4 hours. I never used AC and I never used more than 3 batteries in one day. How did I do this? Glad you asked! Since we were shooting a full length digital feature movie, we were going to have a lot of time during lighting and blocking that we weren't shooting but I needed the camera on to visually check my progress. The camera has a standby/save switch that came in very handy. In "save" mode, the deck shuts down and leaves the camera on with an E to E picture and full operation of any camera functions. This enabled me to setup the picture to match scene by scene, or create a new scene with a film look or just about any look the director or I wanted. So the camera would be turned on at the start of the day and would only get turned off if we had a long wait at a location. Otherwise, I left it on. This saved battery power but allowed me to see the shot at any time during setup.