External battery

windsurf

Hi,
I am currently hoping to do some star time lapses using my Nikon D5300, using an external battery pack to power the camera, as I've found the batteries don't last long enough.
Is there any way of setting this up, without buying an expensive conversion kit?
Cheers

Ironheart

This will do the trick and is the best priced solution I've seen yet:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1241256-REG/tether_tools_case_relay_camera_power.html

windsurf

Ironheart said:

This will do the trick and is the best priced solution I've seen yet:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1241256-REG/tether_tools_case_relay_camera_power.html

Ouch, that's still expensive

Ironheart

$135? That's cheap. The only way to connect an external battery directly prior to this product was $600. The nikon solution that only gets you AC (i.e. you need an extension cord or a full inverter/battery solution in addition) and costs close to $300

Member

Have you tried using a batterygrip as this will double the capacity. $60 for a Vello batterygrip at B&H or $20 - $45 in China. The batteries are even hot swappable as long as you remove one at a time.

Pistnbroke

If you have an old battery you could pull it apart and wire in a couple of lithium iron 18650 cells which go up to 9500 mah ( if you believe the spec)
Though having said that the grip with two batteries hot swopable is the simple solution if you don't own a soldering iron ...

spraynpray

Beware of 18650's especially. I use quite a few of them and the supposed 9000mAh batteries from various sources are not as good as pukka Nitecore batteries that have a rating of only 2600mAh. I estimate the 9000mAh batteries to actually be about 1500mAh.