Sony A7R V Battery & Charger Guide

The Sony a7R V is compatible with the Sony NP-FZ100 Rechargeable Lithium-Ion Battery (2280mAh). This is the same battery found in its predecessor the Sony a7R IV and many other recent Alpha cameras.

This guide will cover both official and third-party battery and battery charger options for the Sony a7R V.

Batteries

The official supported battery for the Sony a7R V (ILCE-7RM5) is the Sony NP-FZ100 Rechargeable Lithium-Ion Battery which has a capacity of 2280mAh. You’ll find one of these in the box providing you purchased the camera from new.

I really recommend only using the official Sony batteries. Sure you can save a few dollars buying third party batteries, but this is a risky bet with such an expensive camera.

Sony has also gone to war with third-party battery manufacturers over the past years, and many third-party batteries will throw a warning when used in-camera. If no warning is thrown, then sometimes a camera firmware update will recognize new third-party batteries and start throwing up a warning each time the camera is powered on.

So although you’ll find recommendations for third-party batteries here, I don’t recommend using them in the Sony a7R V.

Sony NP-FZ100

The official supported and fully compatible battery for the Sony a7R V is the Sony NP-FZ100 Rechargeable Lithium-Ion Battery (2280mAh). One of these is included in the box providing you purchased the camera from new.

Watson NP-FZ100

If you do insist on trying a third-party battery then one of the better options is the Watson NP-FZ100 Lithium-Ion Battery (2250mAh).

Since no one has tried these in the a7R V yet it’s impossible to say whether or not they will throw up any warnings. So I’d certainly recommend holding off purchasing them for now.

If you have tried them please do let me know in the comments below.

Battery Chargers

There are a couple of options available for charging your a7R V batteries, let’s take a look at them now.

Sony BC-QZ1

The official battery charger for the Sony NP-FZ100 battery is the Sony BC-QZ1. One is included in the box if your a7R V was purchased from new.

This will charge an official NP-FZ100 battery in around two hours from a mains powered socket.

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

Sony NPA-MQZ1K

The Sony NPA-MQZ1K multi battery kit is useful if you plan to shoot a lot of video with your a7R V.

It holds 4x NP-FZ100 batteries which can then be used to power the a7R V using the supplied dummy battery connector. All 4 batteries can also be charged in approximately 480 minutes.

You can also power two USB devices as well as the a7R V at the same time.

Two NP-FZ100 batteries, a cable protector and a mounting plate are included with the kit.

Watson Mini Duo Charger

If you are using the third-party Watson NP-FZ100 batteries then the Watson mini duo charger is a must have accessory.

It will charge two NP-FZ100 batteries via USB in around 5 hours, so this isn’t the fastest of chargers but if you aren’t in a rush to charge it’s definitely convenient.

It features built-in overcharge, short-circuit, and power surge protection so your Watson NP-FZ100 batteries should be pretty safe.

Battery Grip

The Sony a7R V supports the Sony VG-C4EM battery grip. This is the same battery grip used by the Sony a7R IV, Sony a7S III, Sony a1 and the Sony a7 IV.

Sony VG-C4EM

The Sony VG-C4EM grip shares the same material and button feel at the a7R V camera body, making them a pretty seamless pairing.

The grip can hold 2x NP-FZ100 batteries and effectively double the battery life of your a7R V.

On top of the grip you’ll find a vertical shutter button to make shooting vertically a lot more comfortable, and a lock switch to prevent accidental use. There are also C1 and C2 custom buttons and a shutter dial on the front.

On the rear you’ll find a joystick, an AF-On button, aperture dial and AEL button.

To attach the grip you need to remove the battery door from the a1. This is easy thanks to a little switch inside the door. This can then be safely stored safely inside the battery grip itself. You then insert the column into the battery compartment and tighten the fitting screw.

I own this grip myself and although it’s expensive I do prefer it to the cheaper Meike third-party grip that I also own. It matches perfectly with the camera body so if consistency is important to you then this is the battery grip to go for. The Meike grip also smells extremely toxic, I have no idea what it’s made of but it’s not pleasant.

USB Charging

The Sony NP-FZ100 battery can also be charged inside the a7R V via it’s USB-C connector. The a7R V is supplied with a USB-A to USB-C cable in the box.

• Note 1: USB charging is not possible from the Multi/Micro USB connector, only USB-C.
• Note 2: The a7R V will only charge via USB-C when the power is turned off on the camera.

You can also use a Power Delivery (PD) certified power bank to power the a7R V. The battery needs to remain in camera and if the camera is turned on the battery will not charge.

Sony recommends a USB-PD device that is compatible with a USB-C output of 9V/3A or 9V/2A.

ANKER 10,000mAh PowerCore Slim PD

The Anker PowerCore Slim PD 10,000mAh is one just one charger that supports Power Delivery (PD) and has a 9V=2A USB-C output.

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

FAQs

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