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Possible to power camera via charge port?


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I would like to power the camera during a timelapse so that batteries don't run out. But when I plug a USB charge cable in to its charge port, the screen automatically goes to the USB file transfer mode, as if I was trying to connect it to a computer to pull off the photos. Is there a way to keep it operating in shoot mode while providing power via the charge port?

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4 hours ago, mlevin77 said:

I would like to power the camera during a timelapse so that batteries don't run out. But when I plug a USB charge cable in to its charge port, the screen automatically goes to the USB file transfer mode, as if I was trying to connect it to a computer to pull off the photos. Is there a way to keep it operating in shoot mode while providing power via the charge port?

apologies, missed crucial piece of info: Alpha 6000.

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No, it is not possible. The a6000 does not have that feature.

And for the cameras that do... Please note that it is not quite as simple as powering the camera from the USB port. What happens is that the battery powers the camera, and the USB power charges the battery. This means that there must be power in the battery, and it will run down while the camera is being used, just... slower than without the USB power attached.

For true external power you need the dummy-battery device for all these cameras.

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  • 2 months later...
On 5/31/2020 at 10:08 AM, Thad E Ginathom said:

No, it is not possible. The a6000 does not have that feature.

And for the cameras that do... Please note that it is not quite as simple as powering the camera from the USB port. What happens is that the battery powers the camera, and the USB power charges the battery. This means that there must be power in the battery, and it will run down while the camera is being used, just... slower than without the USB power attached.

For true external power you need the dummy-battery device for all these cameras.

Was testing out a few batteries the other day ... the Sony 1020mAh, and a couple aftermarket 1300mAh units.
About a couple hours of continuous ON is about the limit ... in my case it's the A6300 with a nonP lens.
So with the USB power, the little "charge" icon shows up ... wonder how long it will hold in BULB mode?

There was this article in my reading cycle and some gent did overnight time lapse tests ... something about using
an 8Ah USB battery pack did like 900 shots at 30sec/30sec splits and supposedly everything survived including the
internal battery.  So I was thinking if I used a continuous USB source, and presuming it is cold enough outside at
night so the camera doesn't pull its overheating trick, maybe a 4~5hr bulb session is possible, huh?  Hmmm.  ?

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