Phil holding his lastest creation - USB powerbank adapter.

Last year I created a remote and breakout box for my beloved Blackmagic Micro Cinema and Studio Cameras. The remote was a great success and now I am supplementing my camera rig with a USB power bank adapter, breakout box with optional bluetooth receiver. That's right, longer battery life, ports for DC Power in, 8v DC Out, Lanc, Genlock and Composite Video and the ability to remote control your micro!

Working prototype of the usb powercell adapter

The power bank adapter is based on a rig design of a cinematographer who purchased one of my remotes. He had a USB power bank strapped to the back of his camera which not only gave him much longer battery life than the standard LP-E6 battery but the profile was much sleeker than using a Sony battery adapter with one of the bigger, longer life Sony batteries.

Powerbank adapter with unbranded USB powerbank.

Battery Choice - Anker Powercore 10000 with IQ

Firstly, most usb power banks will work, provided they are 25mm or less in thickness and 65mm or less in height. I designed the adapter for a specific battery to keep the size down.

I designed the adapter to use the Anker Powercore 10000 with IQ usb power bank. I chose this power bank because of its size to power ratio being 100 x 63 x 22mm in size and 10000mAh. With this battery you can get almost 5 hours of constant recording or 3 hours of constant recording while also running my Ikan VL35 field monitor. My second battery is Ziaomi Mi power bank, which gives the same times as the Anker but costs less.

Optional remote receiver

As part of my One Little Remote project I wrote a mobile app that allows you to control your Micro camera remotely - up to 80m in open air. The adapter is designed to allow an Arduino compatible board and associated receiver to be snapped in at a later date or you can get it as one of the project rewards.

Mobile app for remote controlling Micro via power bank adapter.

Shout-out and T-shirt rewards

If you want to support the project but aren't the market for a powerbank adapter then feel free to get one of the One Little Goat Tees.

One Little Goat T-shirt

If you don't like Tees then pledge to get a personalized social media shout out and get your photo in my epic thank you animated movie by supplying a head-shot. If you're camera shy you can always just have your name in the credits :)

Not since Avatar has there been such an epic film. Ok, maybe not.

FAQ

Does the One Little Remote Lite work with the power bank adapter?

Yes

Does the One Little Remote V3 and V4 work with the power bank adapter?

Yes. It requires a different cable, which is supplied free to backers. Is a USB power bank included? No, you will need to buy a compact power bank.

Will the powerbank adapter work with other remotes?

Yes, the ports on the breakout box are jumpered so they can be connected to whichever pins you want on the micro expansion port. This allows complete flexibility.

Does the powerbank adapter come with a usb powerbank?

No. You will need to purchase your own compact powerbank.

Do I need to get the bluetooth module?

Depends. If you have a One Little Remote V3, V4 or Lite then you already have bluetooth capability and don't need it. If you don't have a OLR and you want to control your camera via bluetooth then, yes. The bluetooth module can be added later.

Can I power the Video Assist with the DC out?

Probably not. The adapter can support it but compact usb powerbanks generally don't supply enough Amps and you really need about 3.5Amps for both the camera and the VA. Smaller displays like the iKan i35 will run at the same time as the camera.

How much recording time can I get?

This depends on the powerbank you get. A 10000mAh powerbank will get you about 4.5-5 hours non-stop recording.