Photographers and videographers that are constantly on the move may require a reliable source of power to keep their equipment charged and ready to go. BLUETTI's new AC60 & B80 power stations provide a flexible and expandable solution for professionals shooting on location.
The BLUETTI AC60 is a solar generator with a compact size of 11.4 x 8.1 x 9.2 inches and weighing only 18.9 lbs, making it portable enough to carry outdoors. With a 403 Wh LFP battery and 600 W inverter, it can power various devices, including lighting, accessories, and cameras. Its seven different outlets, including two AC outputs, one USB-C port with power delivery up to 100 W, one cigarette lighter port, two USB-A ports, and a wireless charging pad, ensure compatibility with most devices. Additionally, it features a 600 W pure sine wave inverter and can carry a device of 1,200 W for a short period in its Power Lifting Mode.
The AC60 is also rated IP65 for water and dust protection, making it great for outdoor activities such as camping and even shoots on the beach. It supports four charging methods, including adapter, car, solar, and generator charging. The AC Turbocharging feature enables it to recharge from 0 to 80% in just 40 minutes with a 600 W AC adapter.
Additionally, it operates quietly at 45 dB, or below 40 dB under Silent Charging Mode, ideal for confined spaces such as a room or tent.
The AC60 also features an advanced ECO mode that automatically shuts off to save power if no loads are connected. For powering small loads, AC and DC outputs can be adjusted separately to 10-30 W and 5-20 W respectively on the BLUETTI App, reducing its self-consumption and allowing it to run for 1-4 hours. The intuitive color LCD screen displays battery percentage, charge and discharge time remaining, output and input power, and other helpful information. The BLUETTI App offers real-time monitoring and control from anywhere for ongoing management.
Designed to complement the AC60, the B80 expansion battery uses the same reliable LFP cells and can expand the capacity of AC60 to a maximum of 2,015 Wh. Two B80s, 806 Wh each, can be added for capacity boosting. The B80 can also work as a standalone DC power source with three DC ports: a USB-A, a USB-C, and a car outlet. It can be recharged on its own via its input ports or in connection with the AC60.
What’s incredible is that BLUETTI provides a six-year warranty for both products, ensuring worry-free use. Both the AC60 and B80 are roughly as compact as a normal shoebox and weatherproof, making them ready for any outdoor adventure.
Ultimately, BLUETTI’s new AC60 and B80 power stations are a great option for photographers and videographers shooting on location. With their flexible and expandable capacity, multiple charging options, and fast charging time, these power stations provide a reliable source of power for a wide range of equipment, making them an essential tool for any professional.
The A60 and B80 will be available to purchase directly on BLUETTI's official website and Amazon stores by mid-May. You can check out the website using this link here.
I have been interested in poser stations like this for a while, especially ones that allow for solar charging for longer road trips, as well as backup power if a storm knocks out a power line since with a decent output, you can run an ONT, router, and laptop for quite a long time, especially with an added solar panel for the unit.
I like the concept around the power stations, the the main issue with them, is the anti-repair approach these companies take to these products. One of the main issues is what happens when the battery capacity due to wear and tear from multiple charge cycles renders the device unusable for the user's needs.
While these units have not been available long enough for more longer term use, but from other power stations that have been out longer, but used the same battery tech, they lose capacity rather quickly, and warranties don't cover wear and tear (only issues caused by manufacturing defects). With that in mind, it when buying a premium product, it is desirable to want a way to at least have simple user servicing of the one part that will wear out no matter how gentle you are with the product, ans the battery tech degrades with both time and charge cycles, and that is no fault of the manufacturer, it is a limitation of the technology. Limitations are understood and accepted in many other areas, and the difference is the user can do something about them. Car tires don't last forever, but they are simple to change.
Since a device like this, serves primarily a utilitarian purpose, the use case of them is similar to other utilitarian devices where you maintain it for as long as you need the functionality kinda like a car that you buy not at a status symbol, but that only works for cars that are user serviceable.
Compare that to 4 stroke engine gas lawn mowers that advertise "lifetime oil" where there is no option to change the oil. The engines last around 1/8th the life of the engines that you can change the oil in, hence why you can see a older 7-8ft/lb torque 190cc 4 stroke flathead engines being use for 20+ years with just basic maintenance of changing the oil, while the newer ones with no option to change the oil start to have compression issues after as little as 3 years of regular use, because they end up with many hours running on old broken down oil.