pauldudeck

Hi Jens, There are quite a few differences, especially in the manufacturing process, that justify this price difference. First, the cells are very different. They are by the same manufacturer, however, the cells in the CINE 90 and 150 can handle up to 12amps of constant current, whereas any other battery on the market has a maximum of 10amps. Secondly, the CINE 90 and 150 are manufactured in the United States, whereas the Digital series are manufactured in Mexico (by Sanyo/Panasonic), so there is also a difference in labor prices. Lastly, the materials used are different and higher in cost at the moment. Once we are able to go into production and get these batteries moving in quantity, then we can review the pricing and hopefully be more competitive. Every other battery on the market is made in Asia, or at least 90% of them are. Some may say they are "manufactured" in the USA, but in actuality, they are only "assembled". So, as you know, labor is a lot less expensive there, thus, the lower cost. Anton/Bauer works closely with Sanyo/Panasonic in order to make sure that all of the batteries meet the specs that our Engineering Team came up with to ensure high quality and life. Other companies will sub out the design work and then only purchase the item from the assembler. I hope this sheds some light on it. Regards, Paul PS: I'm sure that you will see even more new stuff from Anton/Bauer in the near future... :rolleyes:

For anyone that is in NYC today, working or visiting for the CCW Show, please stop by TCS to see the Artemis and Trinity in action. Cu'rt Schaller is here today demo'ing the equipment. I am also in town helping Curt and have brought some of the new CINE 90 batteries with me...C-Motion is also here. Please stop by and see us... Call or text me if you need any information. My cell number is (203)521-1357 Thanks. Paul

Hi All, Just for reference, all Anton/Bauer batteries are able to handle 10amps of current being pulled from them. With the new CINE 90 and CINE 150, they are actually able to handle 12amps on constant draw, with peaks up to 18amps (for about 200mS). Paul

Hi Guys, Once I have some finalized specs on the batteries, I will post them. Thanks. Paul

Hi James, As with all Anton/Bauer batteries, they will only charge on an Anton/Bauer charger. Regards, Paul D

We have not "re-celled" batteries in 25+ years... :)

Curt Schaller will be in NYC June 11, 12 and 13th He has a very interesting and new Artemis Stabilizer system with him, something very new and very different. This was shown at CineGear also. The Gear will be at TCS Rental from on June 12 for testing. Please let us know if you are able to come and play around with the gear. He will also be there Friday, June 13th. Curt would like to have dinner with anyone who is available. Is June 11 or 12 better? And what would be a good place to meet up? Please let Curt know if you will come to TCS and your availability for dinner. Curt Schaller artemis_info@me.com curt.schaller@vitecgroup.com Mobile: +49 171 62 38 240 Thank you. Paul D

Hi Everyone, For those of you who came to CineGear this past weekend, I hope you had a chance to stop by and see the new XCELL batteries that Anton/Bauer was showing. These new batteries will come in 90wh, 150wh and 190wh and will be available sometime around September/October. As always, they are fully backwards compatible with any charger that you have that charges the DIONIC series of batteries. A chip upgrade may be necessary, but not a whole new charger! The XCELL batteries are made of carbon fiber and will only come in one physical size. Because we stack the cells differently internally, we are able to use the same exact footprint for a 90, 150 or 190wh battery, with only a slight variance in weight. List price will be somewhere between USD$450.00 and $499.00. Stay tuned for more information.... Paul D

Hi Guys, Just to let you know that Anton/Bauer is still manufacturing the DIONIC HC batteries. The next batch will be available at the end of April and we will continue to manufacture them until we have a smaller footprint battery than the new DIGITAL 90 batteries. We understand that there are certain applications which need a smaller footprint battery, so Anton/Bauer is addressing that now. Any questions or issues, please contact me or visit with me at NAB. Thanks. Paul

Hi Guys, Sorry for the last minute notice, but Vitec Videocom is having a small event at our Headquarters in Shelton, CT on Thursday, February 26th. This is an open session where you can ask Pat Grosswendt any questions about lighting subjects or situations and he can review them with you. Also, he will run thru the complete Litepanels product line and let you know what advances LP has made and what the future in LED lighting looks like. I am sorry if you are unable to make this event, but would like to hear from you if this is something that would be of interest to you when we do it again in the future. We would think about doing it again in Shelton, CT and also possibly in CA, either at our Bexel office or the Litepanels office in Chatsworth. Or, if there is some other type of event that would benefit you, whether it be for Anton/Bauer, the Sachtler Artemis, Vinten or Sachtler tripods, I would like to hear from you as we are always looking to help people learn more. Thank you in advance and I am looking forward to seeing you soon. Kind Regards, Paul Dudeck

Hi Guys, Just to update you and give you the correct information (:)), the Digital 150 and 190 batteries will start shipping in March. Anton/Bauer did go back to the drawing board on these batteries and squeezed them down into a smaller platform than was shown previously. The Digital 90, which is currently available and shipping, will also be brought back to the infamous "drawing board" to try and get it down to the original size, shape and weight that it was supposed to be. Hopefully, this will happen some time by summer. As always, feel free to contact me directly with any questions. Thanks. Paul

Hi Everyone, As I mentioned a while back, we have quite a bit of BStock equipment available for sale. Right now, we do not have any HC, HCX or TM4 chargers (SORRY!!), but we do have Litepanels lights, Petrol Bags, tripods from Vinten, Sachtler and some OConnor 2065's, along with a bunch of other stuff. If you are interested in any of this gear, please contact Gregg Hamlin at Gregg.hamlin@vitecgroup.com and he will help you out. We have a few Artemis pieces available, that are in great shape: Artemis DV Pro, 12V/24V, light, AB (List $9,975.00) - available for $4900.00 Vest, Artemis, DV Pro MD (List $1,250.00) - available for $700.00 Thanks. Paul

Hi James, I checked out the Impact batteries and they look almost exactly like a DIONIC HCX, which is the 124wh version of the DIONIC HC. The cost of the Impact batteries seems high at over $600USD (395 British Pounds) when the HCX has a list price at USD$500.00. Do you know which cells are being used in these batteries? or where they are manufactured? Regards, Paul

Guys, I understand the concern about the batteries being made in Mexico, but we are not losing one body here on our Production Floor. The chargers and Medical batteries/chargers are all being made here and I am happy to invite anyone who wants to come and tour our factory here. We will also be taking on some of the manufacturing of the Litepanels lights here in Shelton. Regards, Paul

Mr Jarnigan, You know that I am always available to answer any questions on this forum, or you (or anyone) can call me at any time and we can discuss batteries, the Yankees, cars, but not politics!! The low-down is this; Anton/Bauer was waiting for final agency testing on the batteries before they get released. As you may, or may not know, Panasonic (Sanyo) will be making these batteries for Anton/Bauer in Monterrey, Mexico. We are supplying all the specs and such for the batteries to Panasonic, and they will assemble them, this will allow us to not have to "touch" the batteries in Shelton, keeping the costs down. Panasonic has also "required" Anton/Bauer to include certain "extra" safety features internal to the battery which has caused a slight increase in weight in size. However, Anton/Bauer is still working to have the size made as small and ergonomic as possible. So, since the batteries were originally supposed to be released and be shipping in April/May, Anton/Bauer reduced the price of all their current batteries and chargers to be in line with the new battery and charger pricing. At some point, once the new batteries and chargers start shipping, the current line (HC's, HCX's, QUAD 2702, TM4, etc) pricing will increase again, but not as high as it used to be. There will be at least a 3-4 month overlap of Anton/Bauer shipping the new batteries and keeping the legacy products. Currently, we plan on shipping the 90's (HC's) in December and the 150/190's won't be available until sometime towards the end of Q1. So, to keep it short, we will have current products, such as the HC's and TM4's until at least NAB. And, as Eric mentioned, Anton/Bauer will be manufacturing another version of the 90 (HC) which we are hoping will have a footprint no larger than a current Gold Mount bracket. That means it would probably be slightly smaller than the HC, but may be slightly fatter (from the camera towards the back of the battery), but not by much, maybe a 1/2 inch or less. As far as fitting on chargers, the new DIGITAL series of Gold Mount batteries will fit on all legacy chargers. If you have a TM4 or QUAD 2702, then you can still charge 4 of the new ones. Anton/Bauer will have a new charger called a LP4, which is an updated version of a QUAD 2702 / TM4. it will be a four position simultaneous fast charger with an LCD and have a list price around $1195.00. So, I hope I have answered any questions or doubts that you or anyone may have. If not, then just let me know! Paul

Hello All, As I mentioned in a post a few months back, Vitec Videocom (Anton/Bauer, Autoscript, OConnor, Litepanels, Petrol, Sachter, Vinten, Vinten Radamec) is doing a year end sale on used equipment. The discounts average around 50% on this used equipment. Here are some examples: Anton/Bauer QUAD 2702 $750.00 each Anton/Bauer DUAL 2722 $650.00 each Anton/Bauer TWQ $700.00 each Anton/Bauer T2 $600.00 each Anton/Bauer DIONIC 90 $200.00 each OConnor 1030 heads Call/email OConnor 2065 heads Call/email Sachtler CINE 75 HD $7,000.00 We have limited supplies, so everything is first come, first serve. Please do not contact me on this. Please send all inquiries to Gregg Hamlin at Gregg.hamlin@vitecgroup.com and he will be able to quote you and take care of your order. Thanks Paul

Hello All, As I mentioned in a post a few months back, Vitec Videocom (Anton/Bauer, Autoscript, OConnor, Litepanels, Petrol, Sachter, Vinten, Vinten Radamec) is doing a year end sale on used equipment. The discounts average around 50% on this used equipment. Here are some examples: Anton/Bauer QUAD 2702 $750.00 each Anton/Bauer DUAL 2722 $650.00 each Anton/Bauer TWQ $700.00 each Anton/Bauer T2 $600.00 each Anton/Bauer DIONIC 90 $200.00 each OConnor 1030 heads Sachtler CINE 75 HD Artemis DV Pro, 12v/24v, light, AB $5,000.00 Vest Artemis DV Pro MD $650.00 We have limited supplies, so everything is first come, first serve. Please do not contact me on this. Please send all inquiries to Gregg Hamlin at Gregg.hamlin@vitecgroup.com and he will be able to quote you and take care of your order.

Hi Guys, I am getting ready to sell off all of our current Demo gear and BStock for the Vitec Videocom brands. As you know, the brands include Anton/Bauer, Autoscript, Litepanels, OConnor, Petrol, Sachtler, Vinten and VInten Radamec. This product is used, but in very good condition. If you are looking for anything in particular, please email me and I will let you know if we have it and the pricing on it. The discounts will range from 20-35%. We have tripods, bags, some chargers and batteries, lights (1x1's, SOLA's, Light Kits), etc...if we sell it, we probably have one in Demo Stock! My email is paul.dudeck@vitecgroup.com Also, Vitec Videocom may end up having a Tag Sale / Flea Market of used gear in September at our Seacaucus office (Bexel), where you can come and look at any equipment and buy it on the spot. More details on this to come... Thanks. Paul

Hi Victor, The idea was to create a new updated look with the Anton/Bauer product line. I know that not everyone will like it, especially because it is a drastic change, but we hope you look beyond that and to the safety, quality and durability. Regards, Paul

Hi Will, I was giving you the old elbow in the gut when I wrote that. I know that you, and all steadicam users, do their due diligence when purchasing equipment and i would expect nothing less. By the way, do you have a mathematics degree, because you had a lot of calcuations on that reply! We had done some testing with the stacking PAG VMount batteries and found a few issues; no charging consistency (one day would charge to 100%, next day 60%, next day different) and they only lasted 200 cycles (using their own charger). Not sure if they are using the same cells or not in the new batteries, but they are LG cells. The new batteries are slightly larger, and that is purely for safety reasons which is becoming a requirement from SANYO (the largest cell supplier in the world and owned by Panasonic). SANYO is now requiring that each battery cell have a 2mm plastic protection around it and also extra space around the cell pack for air flow. If we do not follow the requirements by SANYO, they will not warrant the product for us. If any other battery manufacturer is using a reputable cell manufacturer, then you will see that the size of other batteries will also grow slightly for the same reasons. SANYO also indicates that having lithium ion cells only separated by plastic or cardboard sleeves is not the best way to assemble them. Once I have some pictures of the inside of the new battery, I will post them. Also, a few things to keep in mind with those PAG batteries: - List price of $499.00 each - They recommend changing the rear battery with 30% remaining charge in it, so, essentially a 95wh battery is now only a 62wh battery - If you have 3 of them on a camera, and replace the rear one, only the new one on the rear will discharge. So, you have 3 batteries on your camera, but you are only using one! - On a QUAD 2702, 4 batteries will take a minimum of 12 hours to charge. Stack another one on top and you will double that, if not more.... As always, I am on the forum to answer questions or I can always be emailed directly... Thanks. Paul

OUCH! :wacko: Not sure what the real advantages of this battery are besides stacking during useage??? The more you stack, the longer the charge times....much higher price than an HC....what about battery construction and holding up to field use and drops? Also, not sure how they set up their safety circuits inside the battery to ensure that the charger does not over/under charge the batteries...just sayin'....

So, how were the reviews?

http://video.antonbauer.com/News/130?title=Digital-Battery-and-Performance-Charger-Series-debuting-at-NAB-2014&class=headline I hope you all had a chance to see the new line of batteries and chargers at NAB... Paul

Hi Guys, With NAB and the Olympics over, Anton/Bauer has a bunch of BStock equipment available: DIONIC HC's $299.20 each DIONIC HCX $420.00 each TM4 $1030.40 each T2 $712.80 each I may have some other items, so if you are looking for something different, please let me know and I will check. Please email me directly (paul.dudeck@vitecgroup.com) for purchase of any of this equipment. Thank you! Paul

I just put a post on about the new prices..... Paul