SmallRig is famous for their collaborations with active filmmakers and YouTubers (we already reported about their tripod created with Gene Nagata a.k.a. Potato Jet earlier this week). This time around, the company teamed up with Caleb Pike, the runner of the “DSLR Video Shooter” YouTube channel, to create a new V-Mount battery. In particular, they wanted something lightweight and portable, but also with a larger capacity than usual for cells of this kind. Nino Leitner met with Caleb at the NAB 2024 floor and took a first look at the SmallRig VB212 Mini V-Mount and its key features. Despite being called “Mini”, VB212 is not the smallest V-Mount battery in the world. However, as Caleb Pike explains, it sits between the traditional ones that filmmakers deal with a lot and the new crop of tiny 99Wh, which have become quite popular over the last years. At the same time, the new, portable product offers a good price/quality value with its high output, fast-charging capabilities, and multiple interfaces that can be used simultaneously. SmallRig VB212 Mini Battery: the central idea First of all, why 212Wh? Not a conventional number for a battery, as manufacturers usually try to come up with something round. “Why not?” – responds Caleb Pike. – “These are 12 more watts, after all.” When SmallRig approached him, they had an idea for a V-Mount battery with a larger capacity, but which would also stay lightweight and versatile. Together, they worked on the fit and finish, defined the central...
Published By: CineD - Friday, 19 April