A7ii Batteries

[Cojo]

Which batteries have you been using successfully with the a7ii with battery grip?

i've been hit and miss with the off brand np-fw50 batteries. 

The genuine sony batteries are like $100 each, which is really pricey.

 

 

[martys]

I bought only the Sony batteries as I had read others had mixed results with 3rd party brands. Sticker shock is an understatement for these darn things. Seems like anything with the Sony name on it is 1-1/2 times more expensive than a comparable competitor and over twice as much as anything 3rd party.

[danmleephoto]

Have you seen the Case Relay from Tether Tools ?! I miss having a grip but you can attach the camera to a USB battery pack and have almost infinite power by comparison.

[duncanfoxphoto]

I use the Wasabi Power np-fw50 batteries from Amazon. About 1/4 the price as a new Sony branded one and lasts just as long. I also don't use a grip very much because I like the smaller size, and the batteries are very pocketable. Swapping out only takes a few seconds.

[Golem]

...... Sticker shock is an understatement for these darn things. Seems like

anything with the Sony name on it is 1-1/2 times more expensive than a

comparable competitor and over twice as much as anything 3rd party.

  

Sony's only attempt to soften Sticker Shock was those weird fake

Hasselblads. They figgered if we users of the regular Sony lineup  

saw our stuff all pimped out and selling for 2X and 3X of Sony's

already fat prices, maybe we'd acquire a whole new perspective. 

   

The faux Blads were such a glorious flop that they were ultimately

remaindered at prices less than their Sony branded equivalents.

[Cojo]

I need to use the grip, my hands are too big for the camera without it. 

I'll try the wasabi batteries.

[duncanfoxphoto]

If you just need a little pinky room like using the extended magazine on a pocket 9, you could put the bottom plate of a 15 dollar Neewer l-bracket. It doesn't block the battery, provides extra room for grip, adds a little bit of drop protection to the bottom, and is the best Arca Swiss compatible tripod plate short of RRS.

[Cojo]

I've already got the grip, 2 batteries is needed, im shooting weddings and don't want to be bothered with switching batteries more than I need to be.

[cengell]

I second the Wasabi batts from Amazon, for $26.99 you get 2 NP-FW50 and a charger but note I only use the Wasabi batts in the small Sony charger and found the they last longer almost as long a the real Sony's.

 

When I started using the Wasabi charger I would say that the Wasiabi batts lasted about 75-%85% as long and I think that's because that charger does not charge them to 95%-100% where the Sony chargers do. So the Wasabi charger is a backup.

 

Also when I had an issue with the Wasabi charger I called Bluenook the sellers to Amazon they sent me a new charger and I did not need to pay to return the bad charger back to them! They have a 3 year warranty so I am a happy customer when it comes to having $13.50 each backup NP-FW50 and a free charger.

 

Also last point they and others say "Cells made in Japan" I am 99.% sure that's a lie all made in China but for the $$ good purchase, what I want to do is cut a NP-FW50 open and see if it has the needed protection circuit and I am sure some don't and that's BAD!

 

Christopher

[markphoto4u]

Which batteries have you been using successfully with the a7ii with battery grip?

 

i've been hit and miss with the off brand np-fw50 batteries.

 

The genuine sony batteries are like $100 each, which is really pricey.

Vivitar makes excellent brand name generics. Used them for years. Don't know if they make one for grip. Hope this helps.

 

 

markphoto4u

[duncanfoxphoto]

I'd really like it if the next Sony camera had enough space in the battery compartment for two 18650s. They're durable, cheap, widely available, and come in incredibly high capacities nowadays. You could have someone DIY a spare case with a set of LG H2s and get a 3000mah 7.4v that should only realistically cost you 10-15 dollars at triple the capacity and probably more than triple the shot count.

 

Back on topic though, so far I've found that having two spare batteries and USB dual charger plus a big, cheap USB battery bank in a little pouch will get you all the runtime you'll ever need. By the time you run down one battery, one should be charged and ready to go. It's probably not the best option for battery longevity, but it is the cheapest for long days where you can't get to an outlet.

[Enochdhu]

I bought the Hahnel HL-XW50 and EX-Pro NP-FW50 alternatives to the original Sony batteries and did comparative tests with my Sony A7RII.  The X-Pro provided about 90% of the Sony capacity for less than 20% of the cost but the Hahnel was very disappointing, delivering only about half the capacity of the Sony for about half the cost.  That was very surprising as I have previously found Hahnel batteries to be as good as the manufacturers, but I tested 4 batteries and got the same result.  So I went with the Ex-Pro option.

 

I also investigated Tether Tools Case Relay because I wanted a solution for all day use on location.   Unfortunately I found that it just did not work properly with my A7RII.   After lots of tests and discussions with Tether Tools (who were very responsive on the problem) I received this response from Josh at Tether Tools :  

 

“The Relay Coupler is not relaying the correct power levels to the Sony A7II family of cameras as the power decreases. Initially it reads properly, but the power percentage will keep decreasing no matter if the Relay is charging. If power percentage on the camera decreases to 0%, the Relay will still power the camera. You will need to monitor power levels using the Case Relay LED and external battery.  If you turn the camera off and reconnect the Relay, the power percentage indicator will go back to the true level then decrease again. This does not affect the first generation of A7. We are working on a solution for future couplers.”

 

Actually, unless you really need to have the USB port free, then you do not need to go with the bulky battery coupler approach.   I bought a RavPower 16750mAH USB battery which plugs directly in to the USB port.  It powers the camera and charges the battery once you set "USB Power" to "On" in the Tools menu.  And it works all day long (and more)!

 

[Marc Contaxtonikon]

I am using

https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B00V5ORSZK/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

and 

https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B00LM3D3HG/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Although I never "tested" any of them, it never struck me that they lasted a particularly short time

[Golem]

..........

 

Also last point they and others say "Cells made in Japan"

I am 99.% sure that's a lie all made in China .......... 

 

Christopher

  

It prolly says exactly what the reality is, no lie.

 

If the whole shebang were a Japanese product

I am "99.%" sure it would proudly say, "Made In

Japan". The final product, batteries and charger, 

most likely is a Chinese export. But "Cells made

in Japan" is not very hard to believe. "Friends is

friends; business is business". 

[duncanfoxphoto]

Older gents will remember when "Made in Japan" was the sign of poor quality, but now it's something we look for as the opposite. The only thing that concerns me with most of the off-brand batteries is the claim of a higher mah rating, but no indication of the cell's actual performance. In order to compare batteries, normally you'd use a discharge curve in relation to a range of typical loads; for example, alkaline batteries work better for long term low amperage discharge, and nimh at higher amperage for shorter time periods. Formulations and quality of lithium batteries can rate them for high discharge, like a cordless drill or e-cigarrette, or low discharge like a cell phone battery.

 

Anyone with some electrical engineering experience want to crack open some battery cases for some science?