p.2 #1 · Sony battery charger for A7V, what a joke.
Doesn't matter to me. I mostly charge via USB-C or grab one of my many chargers.
What is a little annoying is that every time I go to sell a camera, I need to reference B&H's "what's in the box" for that camera to see not only if I need to include a charger, but also which charger model I need to include.
Of course, since I have so many chargers and options to charge, I now generally leave the charger in the carton when I unbox the camera, so it never gets used.
p.2 #2 · Sony battery charger for A7V, what a joke.
I think we are in a transition here and it will end good. As soon as everybody has a PD USB-charger a basic charging solution will bea available as soon as the camera arrives. This includes charging with a power bank and charging in the car.
For old fashioned people like me there is a used market for chargers, I have bought two original Sony chargers complete with power cable for 40€ each. I'm happy whith this combination of options.
p.2 #3 · Sony battery charger for A7V, what a joke.
To expand on my earlier post a bit, when I travel I try to keep gear to a minimum. For overseas travel that usually means a smaller system designed more for street photography… and packing carefully enough that we can limit ourselves to carry-on luggage.
There’s an old saying that if you watch the ounces the pounds will take care of themselves, so we try to minimize gear, eliminate things we don’t really need, and use smaller and lighter versions when possible.
I have several of the OEM chargers that I’ve collected over the years. they are generally too large and come equipped with American plugs… which don’t do me much good when traveling. Years ago, even when I had those chargers, I replaced them with smaller units that ran off of multipurpose USB-A chargers with switchable (US v. international) plugs.
Instead of carrying the big stuff I used to carry I now can carry one tiny international (multiple types) USB power adapter that has USB-A and USB-C outputs. This single unit charges my camera, phone, tablet, watch, toothbrush, and earbuds.
I’ve since moved in the same direction at home. I recharge camera batteries almost always by simply plugging in a USB-C cable from the computer… which also is used to download images to the computer.
Sure, there are still some situations in which the old school AC power adapters/chargers make sense. But most people simply don’t use them any more… and those who want them now can choose the OEM versions or less-expensive third party options.
p.2 #4 · Sony battery charger for A7V, what a joke.
I'm fine without the glut of cheap cables, chintzy slow chargers or wall bricks. Too much e-waste going into landfills. I bought this tri-charger awhile back when it was on sale for $99 and it's much better than any Sony. Plus it has card slots, it can act as a power bank and you can recharge batteries with a power bank in the field or in the car and so on.
p.2 #5 · Sony battery charger for A7V, what a joke.
Now that cameras don’t come with a battery charger and possibly a wall wart or not depending on the brand if you need one I still recommend not charging batteries in the camera itself. Especially if using a third party battery since they can swell when charging. Always charge my batteries in a separate stand alone charger. There are quite a few quality third party chargers so get either the OEM one or one of these.
p.2 #6 · Sony battery charger for A7V, what a joke.
swldstn wrote:
Now that cameras don’t come with a battery charger and possibly a wall wart or not depending on the brand if you need one I still recommend not charging batteries in the camera itself. Especially if using a third party battery since they can swell when charging. Always charge my batteries in a separate stand alone charger. There are quite a few quality third party chargers so get either the OEM one or one of these.
That's probably good advice, especially with third-party batteries. (Though the incidents that turned me off to third-party batteries entirely were when batteries that I had charged in a standalone charge swelled in the camera during use...)
p.2 #7 · Sony battery charger for A7V, what a joke.
I really like the Sony BC-ZD1. It is well made being an OEM product and charges 2 batteries as fast as possible with the Sony safety, unlike many gerniatic chargers. I have numerous PD AC adapters to use with it and it also works with a power bank. On travel a 100W+ PD charger or two with multiple outlets can charge batteries, phone, tablet, laptop, etc. simply and without all those huge power strips we needed with the plug-in devices. Sony probably should have included a 1m cable, but it's a minor add on if for some reason you don't have plenty. Most anything is better than the slow built-in charging that leaves the camera unusable and exposed to damage. The cost is trivial to a camera system.
Best quick charger I've found. Tilta NP-FZ100 Portable Charging Station.
I love the idea of charging 4 batteries at once. I like that the charger, with all the batteries attached can go into the camera bag.
According to the manual this can only fast charge 2 batteries. If 3 batteries or more are inserted it will slow charge all of them
Product Manual:
Fast Charging Slots (01-02)
When the Fast Charging Slots 01 and 02 are outputting simultaneously or
individually, each channel has a voltage of 8.4V and 1.5A (Max).
Regular Charging Slots (03-04)
When the Regular Charging Slots 03 and 04 are outputting simultaneously or
individually, each channel has a voltage of 8.4V and 1A (Max).
Note: When both fast and Regular Charging Slots are outputting simultaneously,
the system will operate in regular charging mode, with each channel having a
voltage of 8.4V and 1A (Max).
p.2 #12 · Sony battery charger for A7V, what a joke.
Imagemaster wrote:
Buy a Sony A7V and it does not include a battery charger.
Now you can buy the Sony BC-ZD1 Dual-Battery Charger for NP-FZ100 Batteries for $138US and you don't even get a power supply or cable. Talk about lame.
I have the Sony dual charger as it came with my A1ii. Prior to this, I was using an assortment of 3rd party chargers in different price ranges. Unless I need to charge all 5 of my batteries at once, the Sony charger is the only one I use these days as it seems to charge the fastest and never with any strange behavior. Some of my 3rd party chargers would suddenly go from 4 bars to a full 5 bar charge status if you jiggled the battery slightly or simply removed/replaced the battery in the charge port. If the Sony dual charger was around $100, I'd say it would be well worth the money. At $138, it becomes more questionable. I'd try to find a used deal if I was purchasing as a standalone item.
Side note regarding charging speeds...I think slow-charging benefits vs fast-charging consequences are greatly exaggerated. Charging conditions have much more of an impact. Charging a battery in 80deg ambient temps with no cooling, maintaining resting voltage at 100% for long periods of time, and draining to or close to 0% have a much great impact on long term battery health than choosing between something like 10w vs 60w charging.
