The Neewer PS099E is a 6800mAh 99Wh 14.5V V-Mount Battery that features D-tap, a USB-C input/output, and DC barrel outputs.
Key features
- 6800mAh 99Wh 14.5V V-Mount Battery
- D-Tap & USB-C
- USB-A, USB-C, DC Barrel & D-Tap Outputs
- Supports PD Fast Charging
- 1.12″ OLED Screen
- Intelligent Battery Management System
Batteries may not be the most exciting pieces of kit, but they are essential to just about everything we do. There are so many battery options available, and given the fact that there is actually only a handful of companies who make the cells that are inside lithium-ion batteries, it can be a tough choice deciding what to buy, especially when it comes to budget-priced options.
The Neewer PS099E is being targeted as an affordable, entry-level v-mount battery solution.
Size & Weight
The Neewer PS099E weighs 590 g / 1.3 lbs and it has physical dimensions of 4.4 x 2.9 x 2.2″ / 111 x 73 x 56.7 mm.
So how does the size and weight of the PS099E compare to some other similar-capacity V-mount batteries? Well, below I will list up some of the competition.
| WEIGHT | SIZE | |
| Neewer PS099E | 590 g / 1.3 lbs | 11.1 x 7.3 x 5.7 cm |
| CAME-TV Mini 99C | 567g / 1.25 lbs | 10.7 x 7.5 x 5.5 cm |
| ZGCINE ZG-95S | 533g / 1.17 lbs | 11.1 x 7.5 x 5.6 cm |
| Core SWX NANOX V98 Micro 98Wh | 590g / 1.3 lb | 9.9 x 7.16 x 5.6 mm |
| Core SWX Hypercore NEO 9 Mini 98Wh | 640g / 1.4 lbs | 8.99 x 11.81 x 4.83 cm |
| SWIT S-8082S 95Wh | 760g / 1.68 lbs | 13.4 x 8.8 x 5.2 cm |
| Intellytech Mini 95Wh | 680g / 1.5 lbs | 14 x 7.9 x 6.35 cm |
| Anton/Bauer Titon SL 90 95Wh | 600g / 1.4 lbs | 9.9 x 14.2 x 3.3 cm |
| Hawk-Woods 14.4V V-Lok | 554g/ 1.2 lbs | 15.4 x 8.4 x 3.5 cm |
| Fxlion Nano TWO | 520g / 1.14 lbs | 10.1 x 7.2 x 5.4 cm |
| bebob V98MICRO | 600g / 1.32 lbs | 10.1 x 7.5 x 4.8 cm |
| bebob V98 | 600g / 1.32 lbs | 9.4 x 14.4 x 3.9 cm |
| CAME-TV Mini 99 | 550g / 1.21 lbs | 10 x 7.2 x 4.8 cm |
| SmallRig VB99 Pro | 570g / 1.25 lbs | 10.7 x 7.3 x 5.5 cm |
| SmallRig VB99 | 550g / 1.21 lbs | 14.7 x 11.4 x 7.5 cm |
| SOONWELL B98-V | 720g / 1.59 lbs | 13.8 x 9.1 x 5.4 cm |
| Juicebox 95Wh | 570g / 1.25 lbs | 15.2 x 9.53 x 3.8 cm |
| Neewer BP-95W | 698g/ 1.54 lbs | 15 x 9.5 x 3.78 cm |
| PAG 9310V Power Circle | 800g / 1.6 lbs | 13 x 8.6 x 4.7 cm |
| PAG Mini PAGlink MPL99 | 595g / 1.31 lbs | 10.9 x 8.6 x 5.1 cm |
As you can see, most of the batteries have similar weights and physical dimensions.
Like all mini V-lock batteries, they are thick and short, which means that on certain cameras they won’t follow the contour and shape. However, on smaller-sized digital cinema cameras, they will fit nicely. This is a purely cosmetic thing, but I prefer batteries that are the same height as the camera I am using.
Build Quality
The build quality of the battery is pretty good. The casing is solidly made but the material being used over the top of the casing is very slippery.
On the positive side, the battery doesn’t have huge logos or writing all over it and the design is very understated, which I personally like.
The battery display button is nice and tactile and easy to use.
The Neewer PS099E does feature a small gripping area on both sides of the battery, however these aren’t recessed. I would have preferred to have seen larger gripping material on the sides of the battery because the casing is quite slippery and this makes it a little difficult to hold onto. In inclement weather conditions, this problem gets amplified. I also found it very hard to hold onto when wearing gloves.
The battery does have covers over all the input and output ports which is nice to see, especially if you are using it in inclement weather conditions.
The batteries attach nicely to V-lock plates and there is no wobble or gaps between the plate and the batteries.
I haven’t used the battery for long enough to know how well they would stand up to continued use in the field, but the slippery surface doesn’t fill me with confidence because the batteries can easily be dropped if you are not careful.
What cells are being used?
Neewer doesn’t publicly disclose what cells are being used in their batteries. A lot of the cells are manufactured by companies such as Sony, Samsung, and Sanyo. You also have manufacturers such as ANSMANN AG who make the cells for bebob. Regardless of who makes the cells, all cells are divided into three levels A, B, and C. The lower the rating, the cheaper the price and of course the worse the performance.
Very few companies selling batteries actually disclose what cells are being used in their batteries.
Safety
The battery is claimed to feature the usual array of safety systems such as short circuit and over-voltage protection. It is also nice that it has a fireproof PC VO shell.
Inputs & Outputs
The battery has a good array of inputs and outputs.
The D-Tap output can be used to power lights, a monitor, a recorder, or other accessories. It is located on the right side of the battery and it has an output of 16.8V 8A.
The USB-C port and USB-A ports are located on the left-hand side of the battery.
The USB-C (PD 2.0 & PD 3.0 Bi-directional) port allows users to either charge the battery via a compatible USB-C PD device or to power or charge other devices such as a laptop or phone. The USB-C port delivers 65W bidirectional PD fast charging. The USB-C port has a maximum output of 20W 3.25A.
There is a caveat if you try and use the USB-C and USB-A outputs at the same time. The BMS power management system will automatically adjust the voltage output to 5V to protect any damage to the core.
The DC 8V can supply 8V at 3A and the DC 12V can output 12V at 3A. You can use these outputs with a cable that goes to a dummy battery to power certain mirrorless hybrids.
While they have a good collection of inputs and outputs I would have preferred to have seen another D-tap port instead of the USB-A port. A LEMO would have also been nice, but on a budget battery, it probably doesn’t make much sense given the likely target buyer.
I tried the USB-C out with a MacBook Pro and I was able to charge the battery without any issues. It is really handy to have batteries with this capability because it allows you to charge crucial equipment such as phones and laptops in the field.
I would have liked to have seen Neewer include a USB-C to USB-C cable with the battery.
You can charge the battery using a PD 65W wall charger and a USB-C cable in around 3 hours. You can also charge the batteries on any V-lock charger.
We starting to see quite a few batteries coming to market that now feature Bi-directional USB-C PD ports.
Display
The battery has a 1.12″ OLED Screen that shows you voltage, current, and other parameters in real-time.
The display is clear and concise, and it shows the voltage that is being drawn on the outputs. The battery shows you the run time remaining in a % as well as volts.
Price & Availability
The retail price of the Neewer PS099E is $170.99 USD. The battery is now available to purchase.
Competition
There are a ton of 95-98Wh V-mount batteries on the market. All of the available options have different feature sets, so you need to look clearly at what battery works well for you.
The closest competition to the Neewer PS099E is probably the recently announced CAME-TV Mini 99C, and the SmallRig VB99 Pro Mini V-Mount Battery
Below you can see how they stack up when it comes to price:
| PRICE | |
| Neewer PS099E | $170.99 USD |
| CAME-TV Mini 99C | $178 USD |
| ZGCINE ZG-V99 | $169 USD |
| Core SWX NANOX V98 Micro 98Wh | $285 USD |
| Core SWX Hypercore NEO 9 Mini 98Wh | $249 USD |
| SWIT S-8082S 95Wh | $240 USD |
| Intellytech Mini 95Wh | $199 USD |
| Hawk-Woods 14.4V V-Lok | $322.40 USD |
| Fxlion Nano TWO | $299.99 USD |
| bebob V98MICRO | $378 USD |
| bebob V98 | $349 USD |
| CAME-TV Mini 99 | $160 USD |
| SmallRig VB99 Pro | $279 USD |
| SmallRig VB99 | $239 USD |
| SOONWELL B98-V | $188 USD |
| Juicebox 95Wh | $149 USD |
| Neewer BP-95W | $87.99 USD |
| PAG 9310V Power Circle | $279.99 USD |
| PAG Mini PAGlink MPL99 | $530 USD |
As you can see, the price of 95-98Wh batteries varies dramatically. You can pay as little as $87.99 USD all the way up to well over $500 USD.
The Neewer PS099E is certainly competitively priced at $178 USD considering its capabilities.
Specifications
Conclusion
As I have previously said in a lot of battery reviews, a lot of potential buyers of V-lock batteries are probably going to have a pre-conceived bias that will direct them toward a brand that they know. However, a lot of the cells being used in these batteries all come from the same select group of lithium-ion battery manufacturers.
A battery is just a battery, right? If the same cells are being used in a more expensive battery, are you simply just paying for the name on the casing? Maybe, but there is usually a lot more to a battery than meets the eye.
The Neewer PS099E is a decent enough offering and it features a nice array of inputs and outputs. I like how you can charge the battery either via USB-C PD or on a traditional V-mount charger.
Being 99Wh also makes it a good option for anyone who travels a lot and uses cameras, accessories, or lights that can be powered via flight-safe batteries. Having the added ability to power laptops and other equipment via USB-C is also very useful. The biggest negative, at least in my opinion, is that the casing of the battery is quite slippery which does make it hard to hold.
While there is nothing overly unique or special about the Neewer PS099E it is still a decent offering if you are looking for an affordable V-mount battery with a good range of inputs and outputs. The battery does, however, face very stiff competition from options made by companies such as SmallRig and CAME-TV.
