When it comes to camera batteries, little changes from one generation to the next. Each camera manufacturer tends to have their own style, and while a bump in basic storage capacity might make a few new features possible with the camera it’s being used with, the core functionality remains the same. Nitecore is looking to change that, however, with its new UFZ100 battery, a copycat Sony FP-Z100 battery that has a built-in USB-C charging port.
By putting a USB-C charging port directly inside the battery, Nitecore removes the needs to carry around a dedicated camera battery charger. Now, you can simply use the same charger you likely already have on hand for your laptop, tablet or smartphone. There’s also a built-in charging indicator that will give you a rough idea of how charged the battery is without needing to pop it back into your camera first. Nitecore claims the battery can be fully charged in four hours.
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Nitecore’s version offers 2,250mAh capacity, which is just 30mAh less than Sony’s own NP-FZ100 battery pack, but that seems like a small price to pay for the added convenience of the onboard USB-C charger. Nitecore says the battery should work with the following camera models: α7 III, α7R III, α7R Ⅳ, α7S III, α9 (ILCE-9), α9 II, α6600, α7C, α1, FX3, α7.
Nitecore hasn’t listed a price for the battery on its website, but we’ve inquired about both pricing and an official release date and will update the article accordingly.
Editor’s note: As cool is the addition of a USB-C port for charging is, I’m admittedly waiting for the day when camera batteries have built-in Qi wireless charging, so I can just pop them out of my camera and onto one of the various wireless chargers I have around my home for my phones and other gadgets. As it stands, my Qi-powered camera battery charging solution uses a third-party Micro USB Qi receiver plugged into the back of a Nitecore Canon battery charger, which I can then place on one of the aforementioned charging stations around the house. Not exactly elegant, but it’s the closest solution I’ve been able to rig up so far.
