DIY Organizer Fixes the Problem of Camera Battery Management
Belgium-based YouTuber and DIY enthusiast Handy Bear has created a simple organizing station that lets photographers easily manage charged and uncharged batteries.
Like most photographers who’ve been honing their craft for any amount of time, keeping track of all of the batteries for their devices and which ones have or need a charge can be a daunting task, especially when these batteries are often incredibly small and look exactly the same.
“Almost all modern cameras use Lithium-Ion batteries. They’re small, rechargeable, and quick to swap when one gets empty. But the problem with Li-ion batteries is the fact that with time, they start to degrade,” Handy Bear says in the project writeup on Instructables.
“A two-year-old battery will last much less than a new battery. Also, with smaller batteries their capacity out of the box isn’t huge either, so one needs to have a few as a backup when doing longer shoots or going traveling.”
This is why he decided to design a 3D Printed battery management system that even has an enclosure so it can be brought on the road to help keep a photographer’s batteries sorted and properly charged for whatever task lies ahead.
The current product build has been designed for Sony Alpha 6000 series NP-FW50 Batteries (since that is what he tends to use for his work) but he says the same concept can be used for any other camera battery brand and size. Users will just have to build their own 3D model for the DIY battery organizers and housing, which hopefully will not be too hard since he has included the 3D project files for the NP-FW50 batteries, meaning other 3D printers should be able to modify the dimensions and photographers can easily build their own.
“I thought that maybe other fellow content creators who like to make stuff could be inspired by this concept,” he tells PetaPixel.
According to the product summary found on the Thingverse, the base has been printed using white filament to contrast against the darker batteries, making it easier to see which battery slots are filled and ready for use at a glance. The housing for the switch was printed in black to match the charger.
More of Handy Bear’s work can be found on his Instructables, YouTube (French), and Instagram page.
Image credits: Handy Bear
