[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4OXD3ENA_UA]

Clever youtube DIY filmmaker Chris Winter posts this great how-to for easily extending your DSLR battery life.

Normally DSLRs do not have input for external power, which is incredibly frustrating if you try to shoot video or time-lapses for more then a few hours. To get past this limitation, Chris explains that all you need is a dummy battery that has a power cable extending from it (also called a DC coupler, cheaply and easily sourced online) and external battery (he recommends the 10,000mah EZOPower/Anker battery). A DIY hot-shoe mount, connected to the battery with velcro, allows it to be mounted on top of your camera for convenient all-day shooting or video.

While this is an awesome project and something I will definitely try out, you might have to make a few extra modifications. Depending on your camera, you may need to bust out an X-acto knife out and cut away a part of the battery cover to let the cord through. Also, the the video may give you the impression that this extends the limited video recording time of your camera, but it does not — it only extends battery life. Still, a sweet project that DIY filmmakers will appreciate.

If you have any projects like this you’ve been keeping hidden in your film bag, make sure to submit them to our Make: The Shot contest and enter to win some fantastic Nikon camera gear, including a grand-prize kit valued at $3600.

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