Welcome to my Sony A7S III battery and charger guide where you will find all you need to know about the battery and charging options for the A7S III.
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1. Official Batteries
If you want the best battery life from your a7S III, less likelihood that the camera will overheat and guaranteed compatibility then it is best to stick with the official Sony batteries.
Sony NP-FZ100 Battery
The Sony a7S III uses the NP-FZ100 which effectively doubles the battery life compared with the smaller NP-FW50 battery found in the a7S II.
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
Third-party batteries used to work just fine in Sony Alpha camera bodies until Sony decided to introduce battery checks via firmware updates. Now if you use third-party batteries you’ll get a warning that says: “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.
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 $3,500 camera is not worth the risk.
If you do insist on still using third-party batteries in your a7S III then the RavPower batteries are one of the better options.
NP-FZ100 RAVPower
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
The Sony a7S III does include one Sony BC-QZ1 charger in the box, but if this isn’t enough then you can purchase an additional charger.
Sony BC-QZ1 Battery Charger
The Sony BC-QZ1 is Sony’s official battery charger for the 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 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.
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
4. Third Party Battery Chargers
Hahnel ProCube 2 Dual Charger
The Hahnel ProCube 2 is one of the nicer 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 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. FAQs
What battery does the Sony a7S III use?
The Sony a7S III uses the Sony NP-FZ100 battery.
Hi. Would you recommend using a dummy battery for the A7siii for livestreaming? If yes, which brand would be safest to use?
Hi Niko. I’ve not tested any dummy batteries in the a7SIII so wouldn’t like to recommend one. However, since the a7SIII supports power deliver over USB-C I’d recommend getting a USB-PD (USB Power Delivery) device that is compatible with an output of 9V/3A. The online help guide provides further details on providing power like this.