Tag Archives: batteries

Go Mobile with a USB Charger For Your Camera Batteries

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Nearly all electronic devices these days come with USB chargers- except for cameras. While some point and shoots and mirrorless cameras feature USB charging capabilities, most cameras on the market only ship with AC battery chargers.

This can be problematic when you’re on a road trip, because when you’re outside, you’re usually not near an AC outlet. However, you’re almost always near some sort of USB port, whether it’s in your laptop, a portable solar panel or an external battery pack. (I really like the rugged Goal Zero Venture 30 power pack.) Heck, even most rental cars and airplane seats have USB ports as well.

If only there was a way to bridge this gap and charge your camera batteries via USB…

Fortunately, these options do exist. We’re finally seeing a number of third party USB camera battery chargers come on the market, and the good news is that they’re quite inexpensive. In my research, I’ve found USB chargers for nearly every major camera manufacturer.

And, the nice thing, is that they’re REALLY lightweight. Most of these chargers only weigh a few ounces and will hardly take up any room in your camera bag. They’re way lighter and less bulky than the regular chargers that come with most camera, and you don’t have to deal with the long, cumbersome AC cable either.

For just a few bucks and you can free yourself from the AC outlet. Combine one of these with a solar panel or a power pack like I mentioned above, and you suddenly have a charging system that will work anywhere, even if you’re outside for extended periods of time.

Here’s a list of available USB camera battery chargers for Fuji, Nikon, Canon, Sony and Olympus. If your camera isn’t listed here, check this page and see if there’s a USB charger for your particular camera battery.

Fujifilm

The OAproda NP-126 USB Rapid Charger is designed for the Fuji NP-126 batteries, which power all of the interchangeable X-Series cameras, including the X-Pro2, X-Pro1, X-T1, X-T10 and the X-E2.

NOTE – If you live in Europe, you can get the Patona USB NP-126 battery charger. It even comes with two spare NP-126 style batteries.

The PowerSmart NP-95 USB Charger works with the Fuji X100 and X70 cameras, although the X70 can be charged via USB. It comes with a micro USB cable, which allows you to plug in and charge it actually charge it directly from any USB port.

Nikon

The OAproda USB charger is for the Nikon DLSR cameras that use the EN EL15 battery: D600, D610, D750, D800, D800E, D810 and D7100/7200 series. Here’s the kit with two extra batteries. If you have the EN EL14 cameras, like the D5200/5300, D3200/3300 or the CoolPix P7000/7100/7700/7800 or the Nikon Df, this is your USB charging solution.

Canon

Here’s the USB Charger for the Canon DSLRs that use the LP-E6 battery, like the EOS 5D, 6D, 7D, 60D and 70D series cameras. If you have the LP-E8 battery cameras, like the EOS 550D, 60D, 700D, or the Rebel T series, you’ll want to use this USB charger.

Sony

This is the USB charger for the A7 series. It also works with all of the NEX series cameras, and they even have a bundle that includes two extra batteries. And, here’s one for Sony Cyber Shot camera, like the RX100 series.

Olympus

The OAproda USB charger is designed for the Olympus OM-D and PEN series cameras.


Solar Charging Solutions For Your Camera Batteries

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TentFireKnikModern technology is awesome, but it sucks to be tethered all the time. As much as we depend on our gadgets, and especially our cameras, we what outdoor photographers, adventurers and travelers really long for is to be able to run free through the world without being ruled by the battery indicator.

Sure, you can always pack a handful of spare camera batteries, but if you’re on extended backcountry adventure, a long bike tour or traveling in remote areas, it’s nice to be self-sufficient, especially when it comes to powering your devices.

For years, I’ve been waiting for the right combination of product development and and adaptors that would allow me to charge my camera batters from solar, and I’m psyched to have finally found a workable solution.

_DSF6306Goal Zero Solar Panel

It begins with the Goal Zero Nomad 7 Solar Panel. You could use any solar panel that has a USB port, and there are a few of them out there, but I like the Nomad 7. It’s a nice, compact size that easily fits in a backpack, and it provides a reasonable charge times for most small devices. It includes a dedicated USB port and a 12v port w/ adaptor cable.

Once you have the panel, you can charge any USB powered device, like a phone, iPod or GPS, or using the Goal Zero Guide 10 kit, you can charge 4 AA batteries for things like headlamps. Overall, I’m pretty impressed with the Goal Zero stuff, they seem to be hitting a stride and coming out with a wide range of very usable and compatible stuff that’s built well and clearly designed to address the needs of outdoor adventurers and travelers.

The second part of this solution is a USB charger for your camera battery. This has been the tricky part, but fortunately, we’re starting to see a number of them pop up on the market.

USB Battery Charger

For my Fuji X-T1 and X-T10, I just got the OAproda NP-126 USB Rapid Charger, which you can find at Amazon. This handles all the interchangeable X cameras, like the X-E1, X-E2 and the X-Pro1 and the X-M1 as well. (Other brands listed below)

At this point, OAproad doesn’t seem to make one for the X100, but I found this PowerSmart USB charger for the NP-95 batteries which does the same thing. And here’s a PowerSmart USB charger for the Fuji X10/20/30 NP-50 batteries.

If you live in Europe, you can get the Patona USB NP-126 battery charger. It even comes with two spare batteries.

In full sun, it takes about 4 hours to do a full charge on an empty battery, which is not bad at all. Of course, charge times will vary depending on sky conditions and light. Plus, it weighs next to nothing and fits right in the zipper pocket on the Nomad 7 Solar Panel. Of course, you could also charge right from a computer or laptop, or you can even plug it into the wall using a standard USB adaptor. For how cheap and lightweight these chargers are, it might make sense to have a couple of them.

So far, I’ve used it a few times and it seems to do the trick. I’ve also charged it from the Goal Zero Venture 30, which is a 7,800mAh battery pack that’s designed specifically for the outdoors. It’s quite rugged and built to withstand a reasonable amount of water and abuse.

_DSF6308_DSF6309_DSF6310The Venture 30 is designed to pair with the Nomad 7 panel, and in fact, you can buy the two items as a kit. (You save ten bucks if you buy then together.) Since the solar panel doesn’t actually store a charge, you can fill up the Venture 30 from the panel and then charge your devices later, say if you don’t have any sun.

Or, you can use it as a charge-through device. The Venture 30 has two USB ports, plus Mirco USB, so you can charge up to two devices at the same time, either straight from the Venture 30’s power, or you can transfer solar power to both right from the panel.

(Edit: Goal Zero has just released the new larger Venture 70, which is the bigger brother version. It packs 17,700 man, which allows it to charge 5-6 phones, 2 tablets, and will obviously handle over twice as many camera batteries as the Venture 30.)

There are also a number of cheaper third party batteries that even have a built-in solar panel. My friend Derek has this 12,000mAh solar battery made by Levin. He used it on our recent bikepacking trip and it seemed to work pretty well. If you look on Amazon, you’ll see more, like this 15,000mAh model made by Maozua, and this one 8,000mAh battery by ZhiZhu.

Of course, the solar panels on these batteries will take a much longer time to charge, but they’re small, light and compact, and as long as the unit has a USB port, it should work for this purpose.

At any rate, the combination of a panel like the Nomad 7, a power pack like the Venture 30 (or something similar), and USB charger offers an extremely portable and lightweight solar charging solution. I’m pretty psyched and I plan to use this kit for bike trips, backpacking and even general travel.

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USB Chargers for Other Camera Brands

OAproda makes USB chargers for a huge number of mirrorless, DLSR and point and shoot camera batteries. From what I’ve seen, there’s a solution for just about just about camera. Note, when you shopping for these things, try to buy the “Rapid Charge” models, although they don’t make them for all brands.

Sony: Here’s a USB charger for the A7 series. It also works with all of the NEX series cameras, and they even have a bundle that includes two extra batteries. Also, here’s one for Sony Cyber Shot camera, like the RX100 series.

Olympus: Here’s the OAproda USB charger for the Olympus OM-D and PEN series cameras.

Nikon: Here’s the OAproda USB charger for the Nikon DLSR cameras that use the EN EL15 battery: D600, D610, D750, D800, D800E, D810 and D7100/7200 series, and the kit with two extra batteries. If you have the EN EL14 cameras, like the D5200/5300, D3200/3300 or the CoolPix P7000/7100/7700/7800 or the Nikon Df, this is your USB charging solution.

Canon: Here’s the USB Charger for the Canon DSLRs that use the LP-E6 battery, which includes the EOS 5D, 6D, 7D, 60D and 70D series cameras. If you have the LP-E8 battery cameras, like the EOS 550D, 60D, 700D, or the Rebel T series, use this USB charger.

Just in time for summer! Now that the camera battery solar charging solution has been solved, there’s no reason not to grab your camera, stuff your backpack and go lose yourself in the outdoors for a few days or weeks, or take a long road trip. Have fun out there!

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Don’t Forget To Carry Extra Camera Batteries!

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Backcountry Skiing, AlaskaI shot this photo about a year ago while skiing at Hatcher Pass here in Alaska. It was made with my Nikon D700 and my favorite lightweight “adventure zoom lens,” the Nikon 70-200 f/4G ED VR. I love this lens for backcountry adventures because it weighs about half as much as my 70-200mm f/2.8 and it’s super sharp. This means I can keep up with my super fit ski friends who aren’t carrying any heavy camera gear and still get pro quality images. Oh, and did I mention? It’s also half the price.

Know what else I love? Extra camera batteries. Ok, so I don’t really have a thing for batteries, but here’s the deal: If you’re shooting in the outdoors, you’d better have a least one extra battery for every camera that you own. Especially if you do any cold weather photography.

I kind of miss the days when cameras took AA batteries. I’d pop a set Energizer AA lithium cells into my SLR and forget about it. They’d last a really long time and worked great in the cold. And even if I didn’t have an extra set of lithiums, you could get AA batteries ANYWHERE, like the gas station. You could even cannibalize them from your Walkman.

Now, every camera has a proprietary battery that needs its own charger. I guess in the end it’s better to recharge than to throw away, but this means that you’d better have at least one extra, because if your a prolific shooter, or if you often shoot in winter, you’ll be SOL if you don’t one. Every watch that little battery icon turn red and realize that you DON’T  have an spare? Yea, that’s not very much fun.

Here are the batteries you’ll need for most Nikon and Canon DSLRs, as well as the batteries for the Fuji X cameras. If you’ve got another brand or type of camera, look here.

DSLR Batteries

Nikon

DSLR batteries generally last a long time, and they tend to work pretty well in the cold, but I always carry at least one extra with me at all times. More if I’m traveling or spending multiple days in the backcountry. The higher end Nikons, like the D800, D600 and D7100 use the EN-EL 15 battery. There’s also a generic version available, which costs a little less. I’ve never used generic batteries in my Nikons, but chances are, some of them are probably the same OEM battery, just with a different label and packaging.

Most of the consumer end Nikon DSLRs, like the D5xxx and D3xxx series use the EN-EL14 battery. There’s also a generic version here. These are smaller capacity batteries, so they won’t last as long in the cold, so if you shoot a lot in winter with one of these Nikons, you might want more than one spare.

Canon

Many of the Canon DLSRs, like the EOS 60D, 70D, 5D II, 5D III, 6D and 7D, use the LP-E6 battery. There’s also a generic version of the LP-E6, which costs a lot less.

Fuji X Camera Batteries

As cool as the X cameras are, their battery life is not what you’d find on a high end DSLR, so it’s a really good idea to get some extras. The Fuji X-Pro1, X-E1, X-E2 and X-T1 all take the NP-W126 battery. I’ve got three of these and in fact, there have been many days when I’ve burned up all three during the course of a single day of shooting. Ideally, I’d like to have at least four. There’s also a generic version of the NP-W126. I haven’t tried it, but I’ve used generic batteries in my X20 with no problems.

The Fujifilm X100S is uses the NP-95 battery. I haven’t used the X100, so I don’t know how well it performs with regards to battery life. According to the manual, it’s about the same as the other X cameras – around 330 frames. Get yourself in front of a great subject and you can burn that up pretty quickly. There are also a couple of generic versions of the NP-95.

The Fuji X20 takes the NP-50 battery, which is pretty economical. I have five or six of these of these.

Universal Battery Charger

What if you’re on a road trip and don’t have any way to charge your batteries? The Digipower TC-3000 Universal Battery Charger will let you charge any lithium ion, NiMh or Ni-Cd camera battery, and it also comes with a 12v adaptor that lets you charge right from your car.

Most batteries have 4 contacts, but the outer two are the active ones. You simply slide the tabs on the charger to the appropriate width and then place your battery in the charger.

Having something like this also means that you don’t have to carry multiple chargers if you’re traveling light and carrying more than one camera, say a DSLR and a point and shoot. You can also use it with one of the new solar charging kits by companies like Goal Zero. It will take awhile to charge a camera battery from a portable solar panel, but it’s better than nothing.

Eneloop Rechargeable AA Batteries

If you’re using speedlights or other devices that take AA batteries, (maybe an old SLR film camera) The Sanyo Eneloops are the best AA rechargeable batteries around. I’ve lost count of how many Eneloops I’ve got kicking around in my battery drawer. I use them for camera flashes, computer mice, bike lights… anything that takes AA cells.

On average, the Eneloop batteries will hold 90% of their charge for up to one year and they can be recharged up to 1500 times with no significant memory loss that is usually experienced with other AA NiMH batteries.

The Best Rechargeable AA Batteries For Speedlights And Stuff

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Categorize this in the “Stuff I use that isn’t really camera gear but that’s just as essential” folder. The problem with AA batteries is that you have to throw them away when you’re done. It’s bad for the environment. Yes, even the … Continue reading →

Winter Photography Tips – Today on MasteringPhoto.com

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Just in time for the Winter Solstice, which comes to Anchorage, Alaska at 8:30PM this evening, check out my Cold Winter Photography Tips post today on the MasteringPhoto Blog. Powered by Focal Press, the publisher of a number of excellent photography … Continue reading →

3 Things on My Easter Photography Wish List

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Easter, the one holiday that never occurs on the same day of each year, is right around the corner. To celebrate, I thought I’d go ahead and put my Easter Photography Wish List out there, in hopes that The Easter … Continue reading →