Last Updated on 11/11/2021 by Chris Gampat
Essentials is a series featuring products we’re currently lusting over in quick, bite-sized posts.
The old joke used to go that you’d buy a Sony camera, two lenses, and 10 batteries. That’s changed a bit these days, but no manufacturer makes a battery that lasts for an insanely long time. So to keep your camera batteries organized, Battery Mags were developed. They’re exactly what you’d think they are: magazines that hold your cells when they’re not in use. And that’s all they do. Made using 3D printing and available for pretty much every manufacturer, the Battery Mag is for photographers with a ton of batteries for their cameras. Better yet, it keeps everything sorted if you use more than one camera system.
Created initially for videographers, there’s a great reason why a photographer may want Battery Mags too. If you’re more of a mixed media shooter, then you probably need to keep lots of batteries around If you’re a journalist, you also probably need lots of them. If you’re a travel photographer or an adventure shooter, you definitely need more batteries around. And those are whom the Battery Mags might appeal to the most.
The Battery Mag works by letting you slip your batteries into it. The tension is just enough to hold the batteries in place. But a firm shake can eject the batteries. Of course, you don’t need to do that. You can simply give them a tug, and they’ll pop right out. Once you’ve put your batteries in the mag, you just place it in your camera bag. The entire package is around the size of a small lens–so it keeps everything super organized. The significant benefit is that you won’t need to go fishing in your camera bag to get your batteries–especially because batteries are inanimate objects that don’t take the bait.
When using the battery mag, you can develop your own process of organizing to figure out which batteries are dead and which still have juice. It’s all just about flipping the battery upward or downward. As long as you remember your own system, you’re all set. This is very useful on long trips or when you’re out in the field for a while. Then, when you get back to wherever you’re staying, you just look at the battery mag and charge the batteries that need it. We tested first-party camera batteries in them, not third party. Personally, I’ve never really trusted third party options. Years of working at B&H Photo and being right by the house brands department subjected me to horror stories.
A Battery Mag was sent to us for Fujifilm, Old Sony, New Sony, and Canon. They’ve all got around the same level of tension settings. You can’t adjust it, and they’re 3D printed, so they’re going to be the same no matter what. During this time, we also never put the batteries in a place where they’d heat up. But I can imagine that if you do, there’s a possibility that something could go wrong. Personally, I never put my batteries in places that are super warm or super cold. It’s just irresponsible. Keep them in your camera bag and well regulated.
You can check out the Battery Mag website and purchase them for yourself. We recommend them for any working pro, a traveler, or even those who just have a ton of batteries.