This Out-of-Work Filmmaker Created a ‘Quick-Draw’ Battery Holder You Can Buy for $10

Documentary filmmaker Tim Irwin has been making his own 3D-printed camera accessories for a while, but when COVID-19 cleared his work schedule, he finally has time to embark on a project he’s had his eye on for some time: creating quick-draw battery holders for everyone else.

The idea came to him years ago while on a shoot with a couple of Panasonic GH4s. According to Irwin, their bags were “awash in batteries,” and it was difficult, if not impossible, to keep the charged and depleted batteries organized. Ever since then, he’s been working on a battery holder design that would solve this problem, and with a little extra time on his hands, he recently dived into this project full-time.

The result is the Battery Mag: 3-slot and 4-slot battery holders 3D-printed from PLA+ filament, available for the most popular Canon, Sony, and Panasonic batteries for about $10 each—every single one printed-to-order in Irwin’s basement.

When he first launched the Battery Mag site and started selling his creation, he wrote that, “I have no idea if I’m gonna be selling 4 of these things, or 400.” We have a feeling the number will be closer to 4,000… or 40,000… especially if he decides to create models for Nikon, Olympus, and Fujifilm batteries as well.

This is the perfect kind of accessory: a simple idea, well executed. And if it helps Irwin get through these tough economic times, well then, all the better.

To learn more about the Battery Mag or pick up a 3- or 4-slot holder for yourself, check out the video up top and then head over to the Battery Mag website. All of the options currently available sit somewhere between $9 and $14.

(via DPReview)