V-Mount & Gold-Mount Power

Buying Guide: V-Mount & Gold-Mount Battery Systems

V-mount and Anton Bauer Gold Mount batteries are the professional power standard for cinema cameras, monitors, large LED lights, wireless video systems, and any complex rig that needs reliable high-capacity power without a wall outlet. If you are outfitting a cinema rig or a serious documentary setup, understanding these systems will save you a lot of headache on set.

V-mount vs Gold Mount: what is the difference?

V-mount (also called V-lock) and Anton Bauer Gold Mount are competing professional battery standards that are electrically similar but physically incompatible — they use different mounting rails and cannot be swapped without an adapter. V-mount uses a V-shaped sliding rail and is the more open standard, supported by dozens of manufacturers including Sony, Core SWX, Swit, Bebob, and CAMVATE. Anton Bauer Gold Mount is proprietary and most common in broadcast television environments. For new cinema and hybrid video rigs, V-mount is the dominant choice because of the wider product ecosystem and lower prices across batteries and accessories.

Capacity: choosing the right watt-hours

V-mount batteries are rated in watt-hours (Wh), not milliamp-hours, because they supply power at variable voltages. Common sizes: 98Wh (the maximum size allowed on flights without airline approval), 150Wh, and 195Wh to 260Wh for extended shoots. To estimate runtime, divide the battery Wh by the total wattage of your connected devices. A 150Wh battery powering a cinema camera (15W) and a 7-inch monitor (12W) will run roughly 5.5 hours. Larger Wh batteries weigh more — for handheld rigs, a lighter 98Wh battery that you swap more often may be more practical than a heavy 260Wh cell.

D-tap and USB-C outputs

Most V-mount batteries include one or more D-tap (also called P-tap) outputs — a 2-pin DC connector that powers accessories like wireless follow focus, monitors, wireless audio receivers, and cine lights directly from the battery without additional adapters. Some batteries add USB-A or USB-C outputs for charging smaller devices. D-tap to LEMO, D-tap to barrel connector, and D-tap to XLR cables let you power a wide range of accessories. When speccing a rig, count your D-tap loads carefully — most batteries supply one D-tap circuit, some supply two.

Battery plates and distribution

A V-mount battery plate mounts to your camera cage, baseplate, or a separate power distribution box (PDU) and outputs regulated power to your camera body and accessories. Some plates output 12V regulated for monitors and recorders; others pass through the full battery voltage (14.4V nominal). Power distribution boxes split one V-mount battery into multiple regulated outputs, letting a single battery power a camera, monitor, and wireless system simultaneously through individual fused circuits. Investing in a quality plate and distribution box protects your equipment from voltage spikes and keeps the rig organized.