Sony A9III Battery & Charger Guide

The Sony A9III is compatible with the Sony NP-FZ100 Rechargeable Lithium-Ion Battery (2280mAh). This is the same battery that can be found in many other Sony cameras such as the A7RV, A7IV and A6700.

This guide covers both official and third-party battery and battery charger options for the Sony A9III.

Batteries

The official supported battery for the Sony A9III (ILCE-9M3) is the Sony NP-FZ100 Rechargeable Lithium-Ion Battery which has a capacity of 2280mAh.

I strongly recommend using only 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.

The A9III is an expensive camera so please don’t risk damaging it by using third-party batteries.

Sony NP-FZ100

The official supported and fully compatible battery for the Sony A9III is the Sony NP-FZ100 Rechargeable Lithium-Ion Battery (2280mAh).

Watson NP-FZ100

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

I’m not aware of anyone trying these in the A9III yet so it’s impossible to say whether or not they will throw up any warnings.

If you have tried them in the A9III please do let me know in the comments below.

Battery Chargers

There are a couple of charging options available for the A9III and the NP-FZ100 batteries.

Sony BC-QZ1

The official battery charger for the Sony NP-FZ100 battery is the Sony BC-QZ1. One of these chargers is included with the A9III when 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.

It holds 4x NP-FZ100 batteries which can then be used to power the A9III 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 A9III at the same time.

Two NP-FZ100 batteries, a cable protector and a mounting plate are included with the NPA-MQZ1K.

Watson Mini Duo Charger

If you are using the third-party Watson NP-FZ100 batteries then the Watson mini duo charger is an important accessory.

It charges two NP-FZ100 batteries via USB in around 5 hours, which isn’t very fast when compared to the Sony BC-QZ1 but if you are charging overnight this shouldn’t be an issue.

It has built-in overcharge, short-circuit, and power surge protection.

Battery / Vertical Grip

The Sony A9III supports the Sony VG-C5 Vertical Battery Grip.

Sony VG-C5

The Sony VG-C5 battery grip shares the same material and button feel at the A9III camera body.

The grip holds 2x NP-FZ100 batteries which effectively doubles the battery life of the A9III.

The design mimics the same layout as the A9III body itself, and includes a lockable secondary shutter button and Multi-Selector, as well as a secondary C5 front custom button. The grip is built from magnesium alloy and is dust and moisture resistant.

The VG-C5 also supports parallel power supply to provide even longer effective operation times and and the remaining battery life for both batteries is indicated on the camera display.

USB Charging & Power Banks

The Sony NP-FZ100 battery can also be charged inside the A9III via it’s USB-C connector. The A9III 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 A9III will only charge via USB-C when the A9III is powered off.

You can also use a Power Delivery (PD) certified power bank to power the A9III. 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 supports Power Delivery (PD) and has a 9V=2A USB-C output.

ANKER PowerCore III Elite 25,600 mAh PD

The Anker PowerCore III Elite 25,600 mAh PD 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

Battery Life

The below estimates for Sony A9III battery life and number of recordable images apply when the NP-FZ100 battery pack has been fully charged. The battery life and number of images may decrease depending on the conditions of use.

Number of recordable images when shooting still images

Screen mode	Approx. 520 images
Viewfinder mode	Approx. 410 images

Battery life for actual movie shooting

Screen mode	Approx. 95 min.
Viewfinder mode	Approx. 90 min.

Battery life for continuous movie shooting

Screen mode	Approx. 150 min.
Viewfinder mode	Approx. 145 min.

FAQs

Sony A9III Guides & Resources