Can You Charge A Camera Battery With Usb?

Many modern cameras can be charged via USB, but whether this works depends on your specific camera model, battery type, and the power source you're using. For trips or remote locations, USB charging offers a convenient alternative to carrying a dedicated wall charger.

USB Charging Compatibility by Camera Brand

Nikon Z Series

Many Nikon Z series mirrorless cameras offer the capability to charge the camera's battery in-camera via USB. However, not all batteries are compatible. Only EN-EL15c and EN-EL15b batteries can be charged while inserted in the camera. The older EN-EL15a and original EN-EL15 batteries cannot be charged via USB. For the Z 30, the camera is supplied with a UC-E24 USB cable featuring a USB-A connection on one end and USB-C on the other, which allows charging while the camera is off.

Canon EOS R Series

Most Canon cameras with USB-C ports can be charged (if turned off) or powered (if turned on) by a USB PD rated power supply or battery bank putting out at least 20 watts. The specification requires something like 35 watts for powering. To charge: 9V/1.68A (15W). To power: 9V/3A (27W). The official Canon power supply is 9V/3A. Canon may require a base PD profile and may not charge on standard 5V base level, meaning super basic chargers may not work.

Power Sources You Can Use for USB Charging

• Computers (Mac or PC): According to Nikon camera user's manuals, you can charge a camera's battery by plugging the USB cable into a computer's port. Do not plug the USB cable into a USB hub or keyboard — not enough voltage power will be delivered to the camera battery. The computer supplies power only while on; charging will be suspended while the computer is in sleep mode and will resume when sleep mode ends.
• Power banks: Certain newer Nikon rechargeable Li-ion batteries can be charged in-camera while connected to a power bank. The EN-EL25 battery used in the Z 30 is compatible with the Anker PowerCore III Elite 25600 87W power bank using a USB Type-C to USB Type-C cable. The EN-EL15c and EN-EL15b batteries used in the Z 5, Z 6/Z 6II, Z f, Z 7/Z 7II, and Z 8 can be charged using the Anker PowerCore+ 26800 PD 45W power bank.
• AC wall adapters (household outlet): Nikon makes a few different charging adapters that allow you to power certain cameras directly from a wall AC power outlet. Most Nikon mirrorless cameras can utilize either the Nikon EH-7P AC charging adapter or the EH-8P charging adapter, both sold separately. Z 50 owners should note their camera uses the EH-73P AC charging adapter which connects using the UC-E21 USB cable.
• Third-party AC adapters: You can use third-party AC adapters to charge the camera battery. Use an AC adapter equipped with USB Type-C connectors that supports USB PD (Power Delivery) with a minimum output of 27W (9V/3A). Use a USB cable that has Type-C connectors on both ends to connect to the camera. There is no guarantee that all third-party AC adapters and USB cables will be able to charge the camera battery.
• Third-party portable chargers: You can use third-party portable chargers to charge the camera battery and power the camera. Use a portable charger equipped with USB Type-C connectors that supports USB PD with a minimum output of 27W (9V/3A) and a USB cable with Type-C connectors on both ends.
• Car USB ports / inverters: You can use a car lighter adapter with a USB-PD cable. The camera USB port and the charger port communicate with each other to negotiate a charging level; if they cannot agree, nothing happens. It's also possible to carry a small AC inverter and standard wall chargers to charge spare batteries and swap them out.

Understanding USB Power Delivery (USB-PD)

USB Power Delivery (USB-PD) is a USB charging specification that maximizes the available power delivered to a device. When people talk about "fast charging" technology, that's USB-PD. USB-PD is a feature of some Z series camera bodies including, but not limited to, the Z 5, Z 6II, Z f, Z 7II, Z 8, and Z 9 cameras. You can find the USB Power Delivery settings in the camera's setup menu. A USB power delivery icon appears in the shooting display and the control panel when the camera is powered by an external source.

With USB Power Delivery enabled, the camera will draw power from the connected device while turned on. If USB Power Delivery is disabled, the camera will only draw power from the battery inserted into the camera. The camera charge lamp lights amber while charging is in progress and turns off when charging is complete.

USB-C Cable Requirements

1. All USB-C cables are PD compatible, but older (legacy) USB-C cables are only rated to handle 15W of power, which is 3A of current at 5V — the minimum Nikon specs for charging all their USB-C PD devices.
2. Newer cables are designed to handle the two current high-power PD modes of 100W and 240W (SPR and EPR modes respectively). Cameras and batteries do not require this sort of power, so buying these type of cables is unnecessary.
3. For USB-PD charging on the Z 30, the optional UC-E25 USB cable featuring USB-C connections on both ends is necessary to provide the amount of power needed.
4. It is important to buy high quality USB-C cables, like Anker, that are PD compatible. Cheaper cables can soon disintegrate.
5. Using the OEM charger ensures you can use the fastest charging the device is rated for, because they're designed to match. You can use a different charger in a pinch without issue — it just might be a little slower.

In-Camera Charging vs. Dedicated Charger

The camera will use a relatively slow charging speed when charging in-camera to keep the heat down. One real risk of in-camera USB charging is that the PC board to which the USB port is attached is very expensive to replace — if something should jerk on the cable when it is connected to the camera, it could damage the camera. While all Nikon rechargeable lithium-ion batteries can be charged using a dedicated battery charger or charging adapter, not all cameras these days come with a charger because there are other more convenient options available. The EH-7P or EH-8P can charge the battery while the camera is switched off, or power the camera while it is switched on, and will charge the battery much faster than the USB cable drawing power from a computer alone.

Field Charging Solutions for Remote Use

For camping or backcountry use without AC hookups, several practical setups have been used successfully:

• Carry multiple EN-EL15b or EN-EL15c batteries along with two 20,000mAh power packs (such as INIU units), which are lightweight, inexpensive, and reliable with a numerical power status display. These can be plugged directly to the camera via USB cable.
• A Nitecore USB battery charger is tiny and ultralight and suitable for field use. It includes a numerical display showing charging progress and indicates "END" when finished. The Nitecore charger also plugs into a car's USB-A port to charge directly off car power.
• Smallrig sells EN-EL15 compatible batteries that have a USB-C port right on the battery, so you can leave the charger at home entirely. These batteries do not require a USB-C PD compliant charging source and can be charged from any USB-A port with a USB-A to USB-C cable, though charging may be slower since USB-A ports may only supply 1A or less at 5V.
• A Ryobi ONE+ 150W power inverter (with an 18V battery) provides USB ports and an AC outlet, which can supply power for a battery charger or be used with a PD capable USB wall charger to charge batteries in-camera.
• Solar power banks with PD ports (such as a 16,000mAh unit with 20W USB-C PD) are available, though a standalone solar panel providing only 280mA of input would take at least 58 hours of standard test condition sunlight to charge a 16,000mAh unit. For solar recharging of a power bank, a folding 10W rated solar panel is a better minimum choice.