My Camera Batteries Charging Srategy

Left to right; Fujifilm battery charger, Duck Head style AC power adapter, Fujifilm NP-W126S battery,
Watson Duo LCD digital battery charger, 2 additional batteries, AC cord for Watson charger,
300 watt DC to AC power inverter kept in my vehicle (click to enlarge)

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Let's face it, almost nothing in the digital photographic world works without some sort of power.  Most often, that power comes in the form of batteries.  With mirrorless cameras, batteries discharge quickly due to the inherent design of the system.  Electronic viewfinders, LCDs on the backs of cameras, all of the electronic features, apertures electronically stopping down, autofocus...  You get the idea.  If you don't like using batteries and want to photograph, you probably need to find a fully manual film camera.  

I have two camera systems, Fujifilm and Olympus, both mirrorless and both battery hogs.  I have at least 6 batteries for each.  Eight for my Fujifilm X-T2.  However, the good news is with each new generation battery design is getting better, capacities are getting higher and cameras are becoming more efficient in using power.  The trick is to a) have enough batteries with you when you are out and about and especially traveling and, b) have a method for charging those batteries quickly and efficiently either at home or on the road.  

Here is the system I've adopted and it works very well for me.

First, several years ago I bought a Watson Duo LCD Charger.  They currently cost about $80 US.  You can see one here and here with Fujifilm 126 battery plates.  Its performance has been flawless for me.  There are several things nice about this charger. The charger is:

—100-240 volt compatible

—Charges relatively quickly; Watson says 2-6 hours.  To fully charge two Fujifilm NP-W126S batteries from 0% to 100% the other day only took 1.5 hours.

—Has 2 USB ports for charging other devices.

Removable plates (click to enlarge)

—Accepts a variety of battery plates—just about every camera battery in existence.  Here is a list of plates available.

—Digital readout of charge percentage.

—Includes an AC power cord (you can also use a removable plug to eliminate the cord to reduce size and weight as I do for my camera manufacturer chargers.  Here is an example of one of the two kinds I use.) 

—Also comes with a 12-volt vehicle charger cord.

I use the same components for both Fujifilm and Olympus gear.  How can I use the same charger for both?  The Watson Duo LCD Charger has those removable plates mentioned just above which you can purchase separately for only about $2 US and can charge a variety of batteries, even mix or match.  I have plates for both my Fujifilm batteries and my Olympus batteries.  In fact, I still have plates for my Nikon gear which I sold a couple of years ago.

I normally use my Fujifilm VPB-XT2 Power Grip with my X-T2 camera.  It holds two additional batteries along with the battery located in my camera body.  The electronics are set up to first utillize the two grip batteries then draw power from the camera battery.  However, when I recharge, I always recharge all three simultaneously.  For that, along with the Watson charger, I use the Fujfilm charger that was included with the camera body purchase.  This charger has a similar charge speed as the Watson.  As I mentioned, all three of my batteries were a 0% charge level over the weekend and all three finished charging almost simultaneously in 1.5 hours.  Three batteries charged in 1.5 hours.  I'll take that.  This strategy works well for me as I have three more batteries I can use while these three are charging.

Each side shows percentage of charge; You can mix different
kinds of batteries to charge simultaneously (click to enlarge)

There is one more aspect to my charging system.  If I am especially prolific photographing in the field and my batteries don't last a full day, I'll recharge them in my vehicle.  For that, I keep a 300 watt DC to AC power inverter in my vehicle so I have AC power and can plug in my chargers but also power a variety of other devices, if necessary.  While three batteries are charging in my vehicle, I can continue to photograph with my spares.

The point of all this is to think your power strategy through and create a system that works for you, your battery needs, your types of photography and your travel habits.  My little system works well for me and has for several years.

If you have other methods you have adopted, please share them with the readers of this blog.  We can all benefit from each other's experiences—and failures as well!

Just to remind everyone, I pay for all my gear, am not endorsed nor an ambassador for any manufacturer, don't accept advertising or click through purchases.  I'm just a guy who loves photography and shares his knowledge for the benefit of everyone.

 Thanks for looking. Enjoy! 

Dennis A. Mook 

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