Quick take: The NEEWER PS099E 99Wh V-mount battery is the best V-mount I've used for hybrid rigs like my Canon R5 C, because its USB-C port is on the side instead of the top. It has accurate readouts and costs under $100. NEEWER's PS015 V-mount plate looked odd out of the box, but its adjustable, swiveling design balances the rig and frees up the screen better than anything I've used.
Why a Whole Video on a Battery
My main commercial camera is the Canon R5 C. The form factor is great: light, easy to pack, and easy to keep low-profile when you can't look like a full cinema crew. This NEEWER battery and plate are now the core of my new rig, because I think NEEWER inadvertently made the best V-mount battery for anyone running a hybrid camera like this.
The Problem With Other V-Mount Batteries
I've used a lot of V-mount batteries over the years. The early ones were expensive and don't hold a charge well anymore, and some don't even have a USB-C PD port. My newest set was $1,200 for four batteries and a charger, and they're still fine for lighting, but not worth it.
They all share the same weird design flaw: the USB-C port (if there is one) is on top. When you're holding a rig by the top handle, you keep hitting it, and if you bend the port or the cable, you're in trouble. It sounds minor, but when you use these tools every day, you notice the things that could have been done differently.
The PS099E puts its USB-C port on the side, next to the D-Tap, which is exactly where it should be. Cable management is much cleaner, nothing gets in the way when I grab the top, and I don't need an overly long cable to avoid tugging on the power when I adjust the screen.
Stress Tested Before Recommending It
Full disclosure: NEEWER sent me the battery and plate for free. As with everything on this channel, if a product is bad it doesn't get promoted. Years ago I bought something a YouTuber pushed, it was bad, everyone else hated it too, and I've held a grudge ever since. We all work hard for our money.
So instead of shooting this review right out of the box, I used the setup on two jobs and for my outdoor Fuji X-H2S autofocus update video. I ran the battery down four or five times to make sure it didn't cut off early at 10, 5 or 2 percent, and the readout was accurate. The display shows remaining percentage and power draw, which helps when you run a lot of accessories. It fully recharges in about two to three hours.
I'm confident taking it on every job, and I plan to buy a second for my B camera, which is usually the handheld one, where that side USB-C port matters most.
The PS015 V-Mount Plate
Out of the box I almost wrote this plate off. Compared to my SmallRig plate it looked chunky and fidgety, and it comes with an Arca-Swiss plate in case your cage doesn't have one built in. Then I used it. Whoever designed it either asked working video people what they wanted or is one.
Balance and Ergonomics
On my old SmallRig setup, I had to extend the plate just to mount the battery, cables got in the way, and with a heavier lens like the Canon 24-105mm the rig was front heavy. When you're handheld all day, crouching or standing for hours on 10- to 12-hour days several days in a row, that wears on you.
With a twist of a knob on the NEEWER plate, the battery moves back and the rig is well balanced. A well-balanced rig is less fatiguing than a lighter one that isn't balanced. The knob is on the side, so nothing sticks out to stop you from pressing the battery against your body, and you can even brace it like a small shoulder rig (you probably shouldn't, but I'm going to).
Screen Access
The plate also gives the screen much more clearance, especially on a tripod. You can angle the battery down as a counterbalance on an Arca-Swiss tripod head and still have full access to the screen. One of these batteries will power an R5 C shooting 8K for around six hours, if memory serves.
Why 99Wh
NEEWER makes larger batteries too, but I stick to 99Wh because I fly with all of this, and airlines limit batteries to 99Wh. That's why I own so many V-mounts.
Final Thoughts
I love functional gear that works well, especially when it's cheaper than what I've been using. Most of my old V-mounts are being demoted to lighting batteries, and I'm replacing them with these because they make my job easier.
Keep Reading
The Perfect Canon R5 C Rig: SmallRig 4064 Compact V-Mount Plate
Taking The Canon 24-105mm F2.8L For A Spin: A Real World Test
Gear in This Video
Gear in this video
My Fuji gear
My Canon gear
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