Find out which batteries and external chargers are supported and recommended for the Sony a7R IV, including both original Sony and third-party options.
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1. Official Batteries
If you would like to get the best possible battery life out of your a7R IV and guaranteed compatibility then I would recommend that you only use the official Sony NP-FZ100 battery. There are unfortunately counterfeit NP-FZ100 batteries on the market that may damage your a7R IV, so I would recommend purchasing these from an official distributor and if buying from Amazon make sure they are coming from Amazon direct and not a third-party seller.
Sony NP-FZ100 Battery
The Sony a7R IV uses the NP-FZ100 battery which doubles the battery life compared with the smaller NP-FW50 battery that can be found in older Sony full-frame cameras as well as APS-C cameras like the Sony a6400. Personally I rarely go through more than two NP-FZ100 batteries in one day whilst shooting wildlife and motorsport (stills) with my a7R III. If you are shooting a lot of video however then you may well go through more than two batteries.
Capacity: 2280mAh
Battery life stills: 2000 shots (best I’ve got when shooting sports/wildlife).
Battery life video: 2.5 to 3 hours (approx)
Recharge time (with Sony BC-QZ1 charger): 150 minutes (approx)
Recharge time (in camera via USB-C): 285 minutes (approx)
2. Third Party Batteries
With recent firmware releases and new cameras Sony has really gone to war with third-party batteries. When used many third-party NP-FZ100 batteries will display a warning message stating that the operation and safety of this battery cannot be guaranteed. You can ignore the warning by pressing OK and the batteries will still work, however the percentage indicator next to the battery icon also disappears so you will not know how much battery you have left. My advice would be to stick to the official Sony NP-FZ100 batteries, saving a few dollars by purchasing third-party batteries that could potentially damage your $3500 camera is not worth the risk.NP-FZ100 RAVPower
If you do insist on using third-party batteries in your a7R IV then the RAVPower NP-FZ100 are reported to work well and not throw up any error messages at this time (this could change with new firmware updates). These batteries are also bundled together with a dual charger.
Capacity: 2000mAh
Battery life stills: 1500 shots (approx)
Battery life video: 2 to 2.5 hours (approx)
Recharge time (with Wasabi charger and wall adapter): 180 minutes (approx)
Recharge time (in camera via USB-C): 300 minutes (approx)
Price Check & Buyer Reviews for RAVPower NP-FZ100
At: Amazon
3. Official Battery Chargers
Unlike the Sony a7III which Sony decided not to include an external charger in the box, the a7R IV does thankfully include the BC-QZ1 charger. You can also charge the a7R IV in camera via USB-C, but this takes approximately 285 minutes to fully charge one official NP-FZ100 battery, compared with only 150 minutes when charged via the Sony BC-QZ1 charger.
Sony BC-QZ1 Battery Charger
The Sony BC-QZ1 is Sony’s official battery charger for their NP-FZ100 battery, it will charge a single battery in approximately 150 minutes.
Sony BC-ZD1 Dual Battery Charger
The BC-ZD1 is a high-speed charger for Sony’s NP-FZ100 batteries. It can simultaneously charge two batteries in approximately 155 minutes when connected to a USB Power Delivery (PD) compatible power supply with 30W or higher output and a USB cable with USB PD support (3A) or higher current.
- Charges two NP-FZ100 batteries simultaneously in approximately 155 minutes when connected to a USB PD compatible power supply
- Equipped with an indicator lamp that shows the battery charging status in 5 stages
- Width approx. 84.5 mm x Height approx. 29.2 mm x Depth approx. 70.0 mm, weight approx. 149g
- With heat dissipation measures plus built-in heat monitoring and control
Check Price & Reviews: BC-ZD1 Dual Battery Charger
At: B&H Photo | Amazon
Sony NPA-MQZ1K Multi Battery Adaptor Kit
The Sony NPA-MQZ1K multi battery kit might be a very useful addition to your a7R IV if you shoot very long video sessions and need as much power as possible. This kit can charge four batteries (NP-FZ100) in approximately 480 minutes. It also allows you to power two USB devices as well as the camera at the same time. The NPA-MQZ1K also includes two NP-FZ100 batteries, a cable protector and a mounting plate. You can find full details on Sony’s website here.
4. Third Party Battery Chargers
My recommendation is to stick with the official Sony chargers, especially when charging the official Sony NP-FZ100 battery. However if you would still like to save a little money then here are my recommendations:
RavPower Dual NP-FZ100 charger
I own the RavPower Dual NP-FZ100 charger and this appears to work well without any issues, it will fully charge two NP-FZ100 batteries in approximately 5 hours. The charger can’t be purchased without the batteries.
Price Check & Buyer Reviews for RAVPower NP-FZ100
At: Amazon
Hahnel ProCube 2 Dual Charger
The Hahnel ProCube 2 is one of the faster dual chargers on the market. It will charge two NP-FZ100 batteries at the same time in around three hours. It also includes charging plates for the NP-FW50 and NP-BX1 batteries. So if you own other A7 cameras, an a6000/6300/6500 or an RX100 then the Cube2 will charge them all. There is also a full size USB socket on the rear to charge a mobile device, but unfortunately this port is disabled when two batteries are charging.
5. Sony VG-C4EM Battery Grip
The official Sony battery / vertical grip for the a7R IV is the VG-C4EM battery grip. The Sony VG-C4EM grip provides the same operation, handling and design as the a7R IV camera, including upgraded dust and moisture resistance while doubling the battery life and allowing USB battery-charging via the camera body.
6. Continuous Power
If you need to provide power for longer shoots then here are your options.
Sony DC-C1 DC Coupler
The DC-C1 DC coupler allows for a stable power supply during long shoots or streaming by providing continuous, reliable power to cameras compatible with NP-FZ100 or NP-FW50 rechargeable battery packs using an external power source such as a USB PD (65 W or more) compatible AC adapter and USB cable with USB PD support (5 A).
- Supplies power directly from an external power source such as a USB PD compatible AC adapter (65 W or more) to a camera body that supports NP-FZ100 or NP-FW50 batteries
- To prevent accidental cable disconnection, the DC-C1 is equipped with the locking screw hole, or an anchor loop can be used to secure the cable to the USB port
- 1.6m cable connects plug-in plate to the power supply assembly for flexible setup during shooting
- Equipped with Power Indicator Lamp that shows the power supply status
- Width approx. 52.0 mm x Height approx. 70.6 mm x Depth approx. 32.0 mm
Check Price & Reviews: Sony DC-C1 DC Coupler
At: B&H Photo | Amazon
How is NPA-MQZ1K a useful addition to a7R IV, if the camera doesn’t have a hole in the battery compartment lid?
There is no hole in the battery door but it can be left open or removed completely using the small catch on the inside.
Thanks for answering! I see, I understood that that’s what Sony proposes users to do. For the use case I’m considering (outdoor time lapse), I don’t like too much the idea of having battery door open for hours, at least in all weather conditions.
You could use a battery grip to double the battery life or alternatively a USB power bank, although with the power bank would then need to have one of the side ports open.