I found out the hard way that Sony no longer supplies chargers with some cameras - so I had to dig deep into my pocket!
(Image credit: Future)
I think it’s absolutely disgusting you can spend $2,500 / £2,000 / AU$3,850 on a camera and it won’t even come with a charger. I understand that most mirrorless camera batteries can charge in-camera, but there are times when you need to charge externally. Charging in-camera is slow and keeps the camera tied up.
Battery chargers aren't cheap and – depending on what camera you end up purchasing – you may have to make a sizeable additional investment. Chances are if you’re going for one of the best professional cameras it will come with a charger. After all, no one is going to spend that much on a camera that doesn’t come with a charger – it would be an outrage. However, if you’re looking to buy something a little cheaper such as a Sony A7 IV or Fujifilm X-T5 be warned, you’ll have to fork out extra for a charger.
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Hahnel ProCube 2 comes in different color-coded models for Canon, Nikon, Panasonic, Olympus, Sony and Fujfilm camera batteries (Image credit: Hahnel)
Battery chargers are surprisingly expensive. If you want to buy the official Sony BC-QZ1 to charge the FZ-100 batteries it’ll set you back $99 / £85 / AU$149. That's not a small amount of money. You could invest in a cheap, third-party one, but we’ve heard stories of these ruining your battery’s health and in some cases, they’ve even started fires and we don’t think it’s worth the risk.
There are some very good third-party battery chargers out there that are not only completely reliable but in my opinion much better than the one you’d get with the camera. The Hahnel ProCube2 dual charger can charge two batteries at once, it has a screen on the front that shows battery percentage and it also tells you your battery health. It’s much faster than standard chargers meaning I can charge 2 batteries from 0 - 100% in less than 2 hours plus it comes with an extra plate for charging AA batteries simultaneously.
When I first got my Sony A7 III I did the classic double-check of the box to make sure I hadn’t missed something but on careful inspection, I realized the charger wasn’t listed as an included accessory. For the first few months, I managed to make it work by charging my batteries in the camera but it’s not the most efficient way to charge and you have to be organized about it – as in, remember to charge all your batteries in sequence before a full day shooting.
The Hahnel ProCube 2 has been a lifesaver. But I shouldn’t have had to buy it. Once upon a time, all cameras came with chargers as standard, even the budget DSLRs. Just supplying a mini USB/or USB-C cable isn’t good enough (and some companies don't even do that any more). No matter how much money I’m spending on a camera, it should come with a charger and nobody can tell me otherwise.
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Having studied Journalism and Public Relations at the University of the West of England Hannah developed a love for photography through a module on photojournalism. She specializes in Portrait, Fashion and lifestyle photography but has more recently branched out in the world of stylized product photography. Hannah spent three years working at Wex Photo Video as a Senior Sales Assistant, using her experience and knowledge of cameras to help people buy the equipment that is right for them. With eight years experience working with studio lighting, Hannah has run many successful workshops teaching people how to use different lighting setups.
