Our friends in SmallRig offered to send us a SmallRig VB99 Mini V-Mount Battery for our honest review and we gladly accepted. More of our readers are getting into videography these days and the battery capacity requirements are also changing due to this trend. The longer video recording sessions and the use of larger number of supporting equipment compared to stills shooting consumes much more energy and as a result we need bigger batteries to power our cameras, field monitors, video lights, gimbals and more.
Whats is SmallRig VB99 V Mount Battery
The VB99 Mini V-Mount Battery from SmallRig is a compact and lightweight (compared to typical V-Mount batteries) 99Wh battery which can support up to a 14A draw at a nominal 14.8V.
What are the Key Features of VB99?
- 99Wh Lithium-Ion V-Mount Battery
- Supports up to 14A Draw
- 14.8V D-Tap Output
- USB Type-A Output, 2 x DC Barrel Outputs
- USB Type-C Input/Output
- D-Tap & USB Type-C Fast PD Charging
- Ultracompact, Travel-Friendly Size
How large is the VB99?
The external dimensions of the VB99 are 107.0 × 73.0 × 53.0 mm and it weighs 550 g ±10 g.
What devices can you power with SmallRIg VB99 V Mount Battery
The VB99 Mini battery is suitable for powering handheld cameras, drones, field monitors, video lights, gimbals and more. USB-C type output means you can also use it to charge many other mobile devices with USB type charging capability such as your mobile phones, tablets and more.
D-Tap is used both as an Input (8A Max) and an Output 14.8V / 14A Max)
The VB99 battery can be charged using a standard V-mount charger, an optional D-Tap charger, or by using the USB Type-C input/output with a 65W PD fast charger and the built-in OLED type small display shows the remaining battery capacity and the current status.
The VB99 provides multiple accessory ports, including one 14.8V D-Tap output, one 8 VDC barrel output, one 12 VDC barrel output, one USB Type-C output, and one USB Type-A output for powering various accessories, cameras, or mobile devices.
I used a separate battery plate by SmallRig in order to attach the VB99 to my light stand.
The battery and the SmallRig RC120B COB light is connected via Dtap output of the VB99. Read our RC120B LED light review here. I mainly use V-mount batteries with my COB lights when I need to move the lighstand often and minimize the cables running around. Another good use area is on the field outdoors/indoors shooting when there is no power plugs around.
The only control on the battery body is the ON button on the side:
What we like about the SmallRigVB99 V Mount Battery
- Compact Size for the capacity
- Good design (even cute!) and build quality
- USB-C output gives lot of versatility for charging mobile devices as well as your camera equipment
- USB-C charging means you don't need expensive D-tap chargers
What can be improved on VB99?
- OLED screen could be a tad larger and brighter
Price and Availability
The SmallRig VB99 Mini V mount battery is available for $279 at Amazon. The smaller version, VB50 is selling for $179 and the larger VB155 which is to be released soon is priced at $379.