Bebob

Overview

bebob (stylized lowercase, company name: bebob factory GmbH) is a manufacturer of camera batteries, chargers, and power supply accessories for the film and broadcast industry. The company was founded in 1995 by Pierre Boudard and is based in Munich. bebob manufactures batteries and accessories in Germany (Munich area) and positions itself as a specialist for robust, durable set equipment.

In everyday set terminology, the name almost always refers to the brand, i.e., a bebob battery or a bebob charger – not a type of light or a grip tool. bebob batteries are used to power cameras, monitors, LED lights, wireless systems, and other on-set equipment.

Product Portfolio

The product range includes batteries and accessories in the common industry mount standards:

• V-Mount (V-Lock) – the widespread connection standard in the film/broadcast sector
• Gold-Mount compatible batteries (Anton/Bauer interface)
• B-Mount – the standard introduced by bebob (see below)
• Micro batteries for small, lightweight setups
• Chargers, adapters, and hot-swap adapters for uninterrupted battery changes

According to the manufacturer, a unique selling proposition of bebob is the re-cellability (Re-Cell) of the batteries: the cells can be replaced instead of disposing of the entire battery.

B-Mount Standard and ARRI Cooperation

bebob is the inventor of B-Mount, a battery interface developed in close coordination with ARRI and introduced at NAB in 2019. Key features according to the announcement:

• designed for 24 Volt high-performance applications, while being multi-voltage capable (powers 12V and 24V devices)
• unified communication protocol between battery and device
• open specification that can also be used by third-party manufacturers

ARRI announced that it would use B-Mount for future cameras; the background was the search for a 24V standard for high-performance camera systems (from ALEXA LF onwards). bebob has also manufactured custom solutions for ARRI, such as battery holders for the SkyPanel and V-Mount plates for the Alexa Mini.

On-Set Usage

bebob batteries serve as the central mobile power source on set – on the camera itself as well as for connected accessories. Via D-Tap/P-Tap outputs (including the bebob "twist D-Tap") and USB/USB-C ports, monitors, wireless systems, LED lights, and other equipment can be powered directly from the battery. Hot-swap adapters allow for battery changes during operation without interrupting the power supply.