Although the Sony a7iii is a battery powerhouse (rated for 610 shots), it’ll still die eventually.
Everyone knows you can just swap out a battery, but in this article, I’ll go over a few other methods of powering up your a7iii.
Let’s dive in.
Charging Methods
Battery Charger w/ Spares
The first, and arguably most common method, is to use a battery charger and keep a spare battery or two on you at all times.
Over the years, I’ve tested a variety of off-brands and compared them to the Sony OEM batteries.
While the OEM batteries last a bit longer, the off-brand batteries can still do just fine if you’re on a budget.
Honestly, I’d make more money by referring you to Sony, but I’d personally suggest just picking up this charger/battery combo from Neewer.
You get two batteries and a charger for the same price as a single Sony battery. You’ll save a lot.
Charging via USB
Next up, we have the most simple method: charging with a USB cable.
There’s nothing complicated here. You literally take a USB-C cable, plug it into an outlet, and then plug the other end into your camera.
This method can work great, except there may be situations where you’re out in the wilderness, away from home, etc. where you can’t just plug your camera in anywhere.
It’s also quite slow.
Charging via Power Bank
However, that brings us to our next method: using a power bank to charge via USB-C anywhere.
Although I wouldn’t suggest trying to hold your camera and a massive power bank at the same time, it can be a great method to use if you’re taking breaks between shots.
Toss the camera in your bag, connect it to the power bank, and you’ve got a steady stream of battery life all day long.
There’s a million different options for power banks, but I’ve always had really good luck with Anker products.
Using a Battery Grip
Finally: using a battery grip.
I personally have mixed opinions on battery grips, as they’re massive and heavy, which sort of defeats the point of using a compact mirrorless system.
Still, if you need a LOT of power and don’t want to mess with spare batteries or charging cables, a battery grip is absolutely the way to go.
Sony actually makes an OEM battery grip for the a7iii, but it’s quite expensive.
If you’re looking for a cheaper option that still does the job, consider picking up Neewer’s a7iii battery grip.
Although not quite as strong as the OEM battery grip, off-brand options will still provide your camera with a LOT of extra juice.
Other Notes
So yeah, that covers the methods of charging, but before we end the article I just want to cover a few random battery/power related questions and notes.
What battery does the Sony a7iii use?
First off, what battery does the Sony a7iii actually use? The a7iii, along with various other Sony cameras, uses the NPFZ100 battery.
As I mentioned earlier, you can buy this battery directly from Sony or you can save (a lot) of money by buying off-brand versions.
How long does the Sony a7iii battery last?
As for how long the Sony a7iii’s battery lasts, that depends on a lot of factors.
Using the EVF, the camera is officially rated for 610 shots, while using the LCD is rated for about 710.
However, if you don’t turn off your camera in between shots or use a lot of power-hungry features (like AF-C), you can expect it to die a lot faster.
On the flipside, if you turn off your camera between every picture, keep the brightness settings down, use manual focus, etc., you can expect to extend it past the typical lifespan.
Can you charge the Sony a7iii while shooting?
If you’re charging your a7iii via USB-C, can you use it while it’s actively on and recording/taking pictures? Kinda.
The camera, unlike older Sony bodies, will allow you to continue using it when it’s plugged in, but it may still drain very slowly. Most chargers won’t be able to charge it quickly enough.
If you use a standard USB-A to USB-C charger, you won’t have enough amps to keep the camera infinity running. However, any decent quality USB-C to USB-C charger should be able to handle the load.
Can you use the Sony a7iii without a battery?
Actually, that brings me to my next point: using the camera “without” a battery. If you, for whatever reason (timelapse, streaming, etc.) decide to keep the camera plugged in 24/7, it can actually operate without a battery.
Like I mentioned in the last section, you’ll need a powerful enough USB-C charger to keep it running, however.
A good alternative is using a dummy battery, which is pretty much just a strong power adapter that slots into the camera’s battery compartment.
How long does it take to charge the Sony a7iii?
Finally, how long does it take to fully charge the Sony a7iii? That, once again, depends on the method and the equipment you’re using.
With the original USB-C charger that came with the camera, you can expect a full charge in about 4.5 hours. You can use a higher amp charger to speed it up.
If you use spare batteries with a battery charger, they’ll typically take only a few hours to charge. Granted, the Sony OEM battery chargers are much quicker than off-brands.
Conclusion
To recap: here are the various charging methods you can use:
- Battery Charger w/ Spares
- Charging via USB-C
- Charging via Power Bank (w/ USB-C)
- Using a Huge Battery Grip
So, confused on what method to use?
Although you can literally charge the Sony a7iii with a phone charger, I’d suggest picking up some spare batteries. Having to plug in your camera when out and about can be annoying.
Lugging around a battery grip that’s double the size of the camera is also quite annoying, especially if you’re aiming for a compact kit (like I do).
So, for that reason, I really do believe that tossing a spare battery or two in your bag is the most low-effort, flexible method of keeping your camera juiced up.
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