Batteries & Storage

SmallRig V Mount Battery Guide

SmallRig makes v mount batteries in a lineup that runs from compact, mini-format packs up to larger, higher-capacity bricks, which gives you a range to pick from depending on how much runtime and output you need. It's a common choice for solo shooters and small crews building a first power kit, since it covers a camera and monitor setup without the higher cost of professional cinema-grade brands.

Capacity range

SmallRig's smaller v mount batteries are built for compact kits: a single camera and maybe a field monitor, running for a half day or so before needing a swap or a recharge. Its larger batteries step up to cover a longer day, or a setup that adds a small light to the same power draw. The exact runtime you get depends on what you're powering and each device's draw, not just the battery's rated capacity, so check your gear's power draw against the battery's max output before assuming a given capacity covers your full day.

Mini vs full-size models

SmallRig's mini-format batteries trade some capacity for a smaller footprint and lower weight, useful on gimbal rigs or shoulder rigs where every extra ounce matters. Full-size models in the lineup carry more capacity and generally more output ports, better suited to a stationary or lightly mobile setup where weight matters less than runtime. See our SmallRig VB99 mini v-mount battery guide if a compact form factor is your priority.

Grab the free filmmaking gear starter checklist to see how a v mount battery fits your full camera and lighting kit.

Output ports and what you can run

Check how many D-tap output ports a given SmallRig model has before buying, since that sets how many devices you can power at once without a splitter. A camera and monitor together is light work for most models in the lineup. Adding a light to the same battery draws more current, so confirm the battery's max output against the light's draw rather than assuming any v mount battery can run everything.

Compare SmallRig v mount batteries

How it compares to other brands

SmallRig's v mount batteries generally sit in a more accessible price range than professional cinema brands like Anton Bauer or Core SWX, trading some of the ruggedness and battery-management features those brands build in for a lower cost of entry. For a solo shooter or small crew running a camera, monitor, and maybe one light, that trade usually makes sense. See the full v mount battery hub for how SmallRig compares to other brands, and our CFexpress card guide for the storage side of a power-and-storage kit.

Battery display and monitoring

Many SmallRig v mount batteries include a basic display showing remaining charge, either as a percentage or a simple LED indicator. That readout matters more than it sounds, since running a light or monitor off a battery with no visible charge level means you're guessing when it's about to cut out mid-shot. If a specific model you're considering doesn't list a charge display, factor that into how much buffer time you plan around it.

Common mistakes with this lineup

The most common mistake is buying the smallest, cheapest model in the lineup without checking its max output against the actual devices you plan to run. A battery with plenty of watt-hour capacity but a lower max wattage output can still struggle to power a bright light at full output, even though it has "enough charge" left on paper.

A second mistake is buying one battery to cover an entire crew's needs. Once you're running a camera, a monitor, and a light at the same time, splitting the load across two batteries, even two smaller SmallRig models, is usually more reliable than asking one battery to do everything and risk running low on all three devices at once mid-shoot.

A worked example

A solo shooter upgrading from a camera's built-in battery to v-mount power might start with one mid-size SmallRig battery, a V-mount plate for their cage, and a single D-tap cable to run a field monitor alongside the camera. That's usually enough to cover a half or full day of interview-style shooting, with a second battery as the next purchase once lighting gets added to the kit.