About this replacement
Sony PMW-EX1 / PMW-EX3 Series — 14.8V Li-ion Replacement Battery (BP-U30)
This is a 14.8V, 2600mAh (38.48Wh) Li-ion replacement for the Sony BP-U30 battery. It fits the PMW-EX1, PMW-EX1r, PMW-EX3, PMW-F3, and 17 additional Sony professional camcorder bodies that use the BP-U series mount. Same cell chemistry and voltage rail as the OEM unit.
- BP-U series platform compatibility: The PMW-EX1, EX3, and F3 all share Sony's BP-U battery mount and draw from the same 14.8V nominal rail. The connector and BMS communication protocol are consistent across this platform, so one cell design covers the full lineup without modification.
- Bench tested on actual hardware: We ran this cell on a PMW-EX1 body and cycled it through full discharge and charge sequences. The camera's BMS accepted the cell, reported charge status correctly, and the protection circuit responded to expected load events without tripping under normal recording draw.
- First-use charge cycle on EX-series bodies: Perform one complete charge cycle using the OEM BC-U1 or BC-U2 charger before extended shooting. Some BP-U body firmware requires a full charge cycle from a recognised charger to calibrate the battery-remaining display on a new cell.
Why the PMW-EX1 battery-remaining indicator reads inaccurately on a new cell
The PMW-EX1 maps its remaining-charge display against a voltage-discharge curve stored in the camera body's BMS firmware. A new replacement cell has a slightly different discharge curve than a broken-in OEM cell, so the indicator can read high early in a discharge and then drop sharply toward the end. Running two or three full charge-discharge cycles through the OEM charger lets the BMS recalibrate its threshold mapping. After those cycles, the readout tracks the actual cell state more closely. If the display still jumps after three cycles, check that you are charging to 16.8V at the charger terminals.
Camera body shows "no battery" or refuses to power on with a valid replacement cell installed
This happens when the PMW-EX1's BMS authentication check does not complete on the first install — particularly if the replacement cell shipped at a low storage charge state. Remove the battery, insert it into the OEM charger until the charge indicator confirms a full cycle, then reinsert into the camera body. The body typically accepts the cell after one full charge outside the camera. If the camera still shows no battery after that cycle, check the gold contact pins on the BP-U mount for debris — clean them with isopropyl alcohol and confirm the cell seats fully past the latch click.