Continuous USB Power for Sony a7 III, a7R III, a9

Published: September 8, 2018

Here’s how to maintain continuous external USB battery power with Sony a7 III, a7R III, a7R IV, a7S III, a9, a9 II & a1 cameras while tethering through the USB-C Port:

BASIC OPTION


(1) ANDYCINE Sony NP FZ100 Dummy Battery Converter ($36 from Amazon)
(1) USB Power Bank of your choice (Available from Amazon)

DELUXE OPTION


(1) Tether Tools Relay Coupler NPFZ100 ($35 from B&H Photo)
(1) Tether Tools Case Relay* ($100 from Amazon | B&H Photo)
(1) USB Power Bank of your choice (Available from Amazon)
*Case Relay has a built-in 7.4V, 1,200mAh lithium battery which adds the ability to hot swap USB Power Banks without shutting down.

ULTRA-DELUXE OPTION


Sony NPA-MQZ1K Multi Battery Adapter Kit ($398 at B&H Photo – includes Two NP-FZ100 Batteries)

Sony’s new NP-FZ100 batteries pack a lot of power yet if you find yourself needing more, Sony NPA-MQZ1K Multi Battery Adapter Kit might be just what you need for time lapse photography or extended video shoots since it is able to supply power from up to four NP-FZ100 series battery packs for dramatically extended shooting times. At four bills – it’s not cheap, but it includes two NP-FZ100 batteries that would run you $160.

Sony NPA-MQZ1K Multi Battery Adapter Kit can also serve as a rapid charge, with a charging rate of 480 minutes for four batteries. Users can convert the adapter into a more compact two-battery adapter for a more travel-ready kit.

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17 thoughts on “Continuous USB Power for Sony a7 III, a7R III, a9”

  1. Hi, I don’t understand why you need any of this stuff. The latest generation A series cameras can be plugged in to USB (either micro USB or usb-c) and operate on that power instead of the battery. Maybe I’m missing something?

  2. The A7R3 has two USB ports – USB-C and Micro USB. You can tether with one, and power with the second. Or use wireless tether with Sony Play Memories app. These dummy battery options are unnecessary.

    1. If you power it through the USB-C and put on a timelapse, the battery will drain, but slower as usual. The micro USB port has to be used by the timelaps-trigger.

  3. If you connect a Timelaps+ VIEW Intervalometer to the USB Type-C terminal then you cannot supply power through the Micro USB terminal. The USB ports are documented on page 17 of the user manual.

    1. Thank you! This is exactly my set-up with the Timelapse+ View and the answer I was looking for!

  4. I don’t need it to be hot swappable but my power bank only has usb power out ports. Can I use the Andy Cine (cheapest option) with that kind of power bank or do I need to buy a special one with the round power port?

  5. I think the dummy battery solution is great for astrophotography because it will likely produce less heat than the normal battery, in addition to powering the camera longer. This should be helpful for long sessions for timelapses and DSO photography.

  6. Thanks for the post. Here is another option. Blind Spot Gear Power Junkie ($60) with a NPF 970 battery from amazon ($32) with the Andycine dummy battery converter ($36).
    I tried to find a battery pack that has the DC output that you show in the top picture, but the only one i could find is Krisdonia Portable Laptop Charger, 25000mAh. It has an 8.4V which is what the max/fully charged output of the sony NP-FZ100 is, I believe. I want to use one of these options to power my A7III on an edelkrone 3 axis motion rig for astrophotography timelapse.

  7. For those with a Timelapse+ View you can also do a complete pass through – Power the Sony camera from the Timelapse+ View (via USB-C or Micro USB) while shooting a timelapse, while keeping the Timelapse+ View topped off by plugging a standard USB power bank into it. Since the Timelapse+ VIEW has it’s own internal battery, this works similarly to the way the Case Relay system is designed to work.

  8. Anurag Chaudhary

    Information given is not accurate and ignores many aspect of electrical engineering..how the first option safe? Battery rated supposed to be around 7.4 V

  9. Hello, is the dummy charger compatible with the Sony A7RIV? I see a male connector, but not sure how this connects to the USB adapter mentioned.

  10. Do the basic / deluxe options trigger the battery warning on the camera? I just received something similar to these and I get the battery warning message in my A7iii

    1. The in camera battery level meter will not accurately reflect the battery level of external batteries. You’ll need to see the readings on the battery itself. That discrepancy alone may trigger a warning.

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