Off-camera battery mounts are popular among all types of users for situations where a direct mount isn’t available. Compact lights, for example, whether basic or professional, don’t have a direct mount for V-mount and Gold mount batteries, so clamp mounts provide a convenient solution.
Below we discuss some popular jaw clamps, C-clamps, crocodile clamps, belt clips, and actual belts, all relatively affordable, for mounting a high-capacity brick battery off a camera, light, or monitor.
Clamp mounts secure to a tripod leg or light stand to hold a V-mount or Gold mount battery in stationary applications, and the battery can be connected to your camera or light using a compatible cable. For mobile applications, such as shooting with a handheld gimbal, belt mounts are available that let you attach the battery to your body and take it with you.
A simple accessory and the right cable provide an affordable and efficient solution for achieving extended run times, as much as your entire shoot day.
Jaw Clamp Mounts
The Watson Pro Universal V-Mount Battery Clamp attaches to a tripod leg or light stand to hold a V-mount battery. As long as your battery has a D-Tap output, like the popular 98Wh Micro-Series from IndiPRO, you can connect it to your camera using an appropriate D-Tap cable, with the other end of the cable a 2.1mm barrel, 2.5mm, XLR, LEMO, or other connector, depending on your camera.
There are also similar options from DigitalFoto, CAMVATE, ikan, CAME-TV, among other brands. Besides build quality, the key difference between them is in the way they tighten, whether via a T-handle that’s good for tight spaces, a crank, or a lever.
All of these are V-mount supports, since Gold mount options virtually don’t exist in this design because the mount is too large for such a small accessory. There is one from Wooden Camera, but it’s a full-size battery plate screwed into a clamp.
Belt Mounts
While a jaw clamp mount is for stationary use, the following belt mount options are available for handheld applications.
Here’s a simple one: the SmallRig Mini V-Lock Belt Clip. It clips onto your belt and provides a V-mount receptacle for attaching your battery. You’ll have the battery on your belt, going with you wherever you go with the camera. With this solution, as well, a cable is used to connect the battery to your camera.
Here’s another one, but it’s a belt clip with a complete battery plate, not just a V-mount receptacle: the Watson Pro Micro V-Mount Battery Plate with Belt Clip. (This same Watson plate is also available in a clamp and screw clamp version.) A Gold mount option is available from Limelite.
The IndiPRO Tools Universal Battery Belt, available in a V-mount and Gold mount version, is a waist belt with a battery plate secured to it. The battery plate also has five D-Tap outputs for powering accessories. Alternatively, a simpler belt from Core SWX, this one with just a single D-Tap port for accessories, is the GP-S/12 V-Mount Plate with Belt. Although these two belts are ideal for mobile applications, nothing is to stop you from simply hanging them on something and running power to stationary devices and accessories.
Other Options
The rest of the options that follow are for stationary use, like the jaw clamps we opened with.
CAMVATE’s standard and extended-size V-mount C-clamps are for clamping onto flat surfaces, like table edges and shelves.
bebob has V-mount and Gold mount crocodile clamp options.
Here’s another compact jaw-clamp type from SmallRig, although in a slightly different design: the Mini V-Lock with Claw-Shaped Clamp. What’s special about this one is that the V-mount is on a small plate that attaches to the clamp, and this compact plate can be removed from the clamp and attached instead to your camera rig to support a battery, providing extra versatility.
We’ll close with two jaw clamps with multi-output battery plates attached to them, designed for more professional applications: the CAMVATE V-Lock Power Supply Splitter and the SmallRig V-Mount Plate with Clamp. The outputs include D-Tap, USB, and DC ports, for powering multiple accessories along with your camera, light, or monitor.
Please share with us in the Comments section, below. We’d love to hear your thoughts about any experiences with such alternative mounts.
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