Enhancing Battery Life of a Sony Action Camera with an External Adapter

Evan Monsma, an avid camera experimenter, faced a challenge with his small Sony action camera, which offered excellent performance but had a battery life of only about twenty minutes. This limitation made it impractical for regular use, prompting him to develop an external adapter to accommodate a larger battery and enhance functionality.

The camera was originally designed more as a stunt camera than for consumer use, prioritizing size and weight over endurance. To make it suitable for broader applications, Monsma first attached a CNC-machined aluminum half-cage, which provided mounting points for additional accessories, including a screw mount for a neutral-density filter.

He then designed and 3D-printed a mount and battery clip for a larger Sony camera battery. This setup included a voltage converter to reduce the battery’s 7.2 V output to match the original battery’s 3.7 V requirement. A USB power adapter was integrated into the battery compartment to connect the power leads to the converter.

However, the camera has another drawback: it tends to overheat during prolonged use, which prevented Monsma from conducting a comprehensive battery life test. Despite this, he is optimistic that the modified setup will provide sufficient power for practical use.

Similar modifications to action cameras have been documented, including an external battery mod and adaptations allowing the use of third-party batteries in vendor-locked cameras. Additionally, there have been innovations for larger cameras, such as hot-swappable battery packs.

For those interested, a video demonstrating the upgrade process is available online.

Source: Hackaday