Why Not Charge Off USB

ckm

Senior Member
Do any of the current-model Nikon DSLR's charge their own battery (in camera) off USB?

All the models I'm familiar with don't. Being an electrical engineer and very familiar with the design costs and trade-offs of features in consumer devices much like digital cameras, I can't for the life of me understand why Nikon has chosen to leave this feature out. The added cost to a DSLR to add a charge-off-USB feature is completely irrelevant to a $500+ camera.

This has always bothered me about my Nikon - but especially today as I'm on a photo shooting vacation and just discovered I left my charger home. I can and do charge other devices off USB in my car and off my laptop. In fact, I'd prefer to charge my camera off USB while traveling and would use that feature a good portion of the time at home as well.

I have 3 batteries for my Nikon and as of last night, all 3 are spent and now I sit and wait for the new charger I have on next-day order from Amazon. Frustrating.

And, for all you looking to rib me about forgetting my charger, go for it. You can't beat me up worse than I have already beaten myself up. :eek:

Nikon - put chargers in the camera!
 
it may have more to do with size and weight added to the camera than with the cost.

since you have one on next day order you can do what i do. have one at home and have another one WITH your camera in the camera bag. I also have one that plugs into my cigarette lighter in my car and that one stays in the car all the time. cover all bases.
 

ckm

Senior Member
I suppose it's possible that weight and size has something to do with it, but... there are many examples of products on the market that would argue against that. I own several very small PAS cameras that all charge their own battery off USB. Cell phones are another example - not too many products more sensitive to weight/size than a cell phone.

I really think Nikon is just plain missing the boat on this topic. I can see the reason for external battery charging - that makes sense. But why not design the camera to charge the battery off USB additionally - it appears to be a virtually free feature that many of us would use and appreciate.

Does anyone know if any of the Nikon DSLR's charge off USB?

There has got to be a good reason Nikon has not provided this feature - if there is, it's completely escaping me.
 

Roy1961

Senior Member
Contributor
don't know if this will help, but I have a phone charger which works with a 9v battery/car/wall outlet, would it charge the camera on the battery?
 

MrF

Senior Member
I'd imagine that it's size and weight like Don said, and maybe also heat and complexity. USB spec is 5V and 500mA IIRC. The EN EL-15 in my D7000 is rated at 7V. The charger advertises an output of 8.4V at 1.4A. So, they'd have build in a DC to DC converter to get the 5V USB to 8.4V. Since you're stepping up your voltage by a factor of 1.68, you lose by the same factor in current draw, so the 500mA becomes 298mA. So now you're charging the battery at less than one quarter the current that the wall charger can provide, so it'll take over four times as long to reach a full state of charge. Plus, the small, solid-state converters (essentially just voltage regulators) can only be used to step down voltage. If you want to step up DC voltage it becomes more complex. So, added complexity and cost, only to charge the battery four times as slowly.

I would guess that your point and shoots that charge off of USB operate at less than 5V.

Just my thoughts; it's been a while since I took EE though.
 

Bill4282

Senior Member
I once had the same problem. Since then I not only keep my charger in my camera bag, I have a charger for every electronic in a ziplock bag in my shaving kit in case I left one at home. I put it in the shaving kit since it goes in checked baggage (no TSA hassles) and always with me when I overnight travel.I also have chargers in both my truck and my car for nook, phone and DVD player for road trips. You can find chargers fairly cheap at the truck stops. I keep my net book with charger in my camera bag. Also have an inverter in my car in case I need to charge my net book on the road.
 
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I agree,
I am having the same problem. I paid over $1,300.00 for a D7200 and I left my charger at home. I have my USB cable which I can use for my Sony to charge it. I guess the Nikon will stay in the case. Oh wait I have a Nikon Coolpix my wife bought me at a thrift store recently for $10.00. It uses AA batteries. O.K.!
 

Bikerbrent

Senior Member
Welcome aboard. Enjoy the ride.
We look forward to seeing more posts and samples of your work.

Yes, it would be nice if everything charged off of USB. But, even USB chargeable units require different USB cables to work. What a PITA. Moral of the story is always take enough batteries and/or a charger with you.
 

spb_stan

Senior Member
There are several reasons, one being the higher charge rare requires temperature monitoring of the battery which the extra contacts on the charge provided. The USB current rating on 5volts out using a switching regular to boost that to 7.5 volts or more would exceed the spec for USB A There are several power supplies inside the camera, with much of the digital portion being 3.3v, interface chips at 5 volts and analog circuits up to 12.6 for shuttler, backlighting etc. It is possible for new models designed from a fresh start could add a slow overnight charge capability but DSLRs are systems that almost always involve a bag of accessories, lenses, flash, modifiers, batteries,cleaning supplies etc so thinking it is a camera requirement means assuming a different nature of use, like how a phone camera works, self-contained without any accessories. When I don't want to carry a bag I use only my phone. For grab shots, it takes the place once filled by a compact camera in the ecosystem. If I am taking my FF DSLR, I am also taking a selection of heavy fast lenses, at least 2 flash, several sets of batteries for camera and flash and accessories. It is a more formal way of approaching the task that usually means a purpose for the outing, unlike how I use my phone's 16mpx camera which is simply randomly stumbling on something interesting.
Maybe the Z6/7 will be small enough to treat is as an opportunity camera, just tagging along. It DOES have USB charging. 600 grams is in the heavy point and shoot weight range and the new S lenses already shown are very light and small so if one was so inclined it would be a high-end point and shoot when having no particular goal in shooting more unplanned subjects. The Z series might be a practical dual-use camera, as a walking around the camera and a serious pro camera. Reports are that the 35 1.8 is as sharp in the corners at 1.8 as f/4. Same with the very light 50 1.8. My main camera now, a D800 which is getting a companion D850 soon, the stores here have them in ample stock. Maybe by summer, I will have the opportunity to add the Z7 and the 35 1.8 and 84 1.2.....I will still take a charger if my 5 batteries are not enough.
 
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